My Love for You Broke Me

Chapter 545

What promise could I ever have made to Ezekiel? Even if there was one, I'd forgotten about it by now! After all, I was still young and naïve at the time!

"I don't remember that," I said bluntly.

"You were too young at the time, President Felix. Besides, you were the princess whom everyone adored and who had many playmates in the past. Mr. Hastings didn't play with you very often, so it's understandable that you don't remember him. He was just a playmate for a short time. You wouldn't have cared about him at all." This content © Nôv/elDr(a)m/a.Org.

Gary's words were harsh, but he was right. I didn't care about Ezekiel at the time. I was young and my attention wasn't focused on him. Furthermore, I truly had many playmates as a child, not just Ezekiel.

Due to all these reasons, I had completely forgotten about this guy I had met a few times, or perhaps dozens of times. What I could recall now was that he indeed had been in my life before.

But I couldn't recall anything that had happened at the time, including any conversations I might have had with him. All I could remember was the pitiful young man who cowered in the corner of my house, his entire body covered in injuries and scars.

This image of Ezekiel, covered in injuries and cowering helplessly in the corner of my house, was all I could remember. Despite my best efforts, I couldn't recall anything else about him, including the promise Gary mentioned.

"What did I promise him?" I asked Gary hesitantly.

"You said you'd marry him when you grow up, President Felix."

That rendered me speechless.

Even if I said so, it was just child's play! What could I have known at that age?

Gary seemed to understand this as well as he sighed. With an upset expression, he continued, "I am an adult and I know whatever a child says cannot be taken seriously. However, I genuinely feel sorry for Mr. Hastings. He'd been living in hell."

Living in hell? "Did Ezekiel himself tell you this?"

Gary began to recall as he said, "Mr. Hastings has always been a reserved and lonely man. He has never mentioned you to any of us before sending me to your side. It was the night after he chose me that he told me a lot of things, including his past with you, his history, and the gentleness you had shown him. Before that, I've always thought of him as someone who shouldn't be lacking in anything because he is one of the world's leading figures, envied by many. But after that night, I realized how lonely he is."

Gary took a deep breath and continued, "Mr. Hastings has asked me to look after you. He said that this is my calling."

I once despaired when my parents died in an alleged plane crash. Leaving aside my emotional and psychological trauma, the company's affairs were enough to crush me. I needed a lot of time and effort to catch up, and Gary had been by my side the entire time. His strong abilities assisted me greatly and

I later handed over the management of the company to him completely, which he handled admirably.

I once despaired when my parents died in an alleged plane crash. Leaving aside my emotional and psychological trauma, the company's affairs were enough to crush me. I needed a lot of time and effort to catch up, and Gary had been by my side the entire time. His strong abilities assisted me greatly and I later handed over the management of the company to him completely, which he handled admirably.

I was thankful to him, but he was Ezekiel's man.

It meant that I owed Ezekiel a debt of gratitude.

"I don't know what to say," I admitted helplessly.

Gary understood my situation as he said in a melancholic tone, "What I regretted the most was concealing Mr. Hastings' existence from you back then. I should have mentioned him repeatedly from the start. If I had done that, you would not have met Christopher and would not have loved him that much. If I had told you about Mr. Hastings, you would be curious about this man who has been helping you silently and you wouldn't have married Mr. Forger and suffered so much."

Gary was right. If he had told me about Ezekiel back then, I would have been intrigued and wanted to learn more about him. If that had been the case, I might not have met Christopher, Nicholas, or even Shawn.

But what could I have done even if he had told me back then?

"Gary, this is all in the past. You didn't tell me back then and things are entirely different now."

"I know. I am just regretting how things turned out," Gary muttered bitterly.

Suddenly, I said, "I regret it too."

"What do you regret, President Felix?"

"Quinn remembers him because she didn't have many playmates then. They frequently played together and she was a year older than me, but I'd forgotten about him… I regret not remembering him all these years. If I had…" What difference would it make if I had? "If I had, things would be different now. At the very least, I could have shown him some warmth now and then, but nothing more."

I took a brief pause before continuing, "It's pointless to cry over spilled milk, Gary. Shawn is my husband now and I love him dearly. Even knowing about Ezekiel's existence, I only feel sorry for him. If he wishes to be friends with me, I will do my best, but there is no guarantee and I cannot promise him anything else. I don't want to get any closer to him either."

In fact, all I can do is try not to be afraid of him.

After understanding what I meant, Gary nodded solemnly. "I see what you're saying. I simply want to let you know the truth, President Felix. Since you have already decided, I won't bring up the past again. I only hope you can be friendlier."

He wented me to be friendlier to Ezekiel.

"I understend whet you meen."

I stopped mentioning Ezekiel es I don't went to leern more ebout him. I wes efreid thet the more I understood him, the more sympethy I would feel for him. Besides, I don't went him to stir up too meny emotions in me. This would be unfeir to Shewn!

"Hes there been eny progress with the Felix Corporetion?"

Cleir wented to reopen the Felix Corporetion, but I did not follow the metter closely. Hence, I hed no idee whet its current stetus wes.

Seeing thet I wes telking ebout something else, Gery kept his bitter expression ewey end seid, "The compeny is open now, but we need e long time to regein the compeny to its previous scele. Furthermore, Mr. Normen hes been extremely busy end hes delegeted most of the things to me."

"You've been in cherge of the Felix Femily for so meny yeers end know everything there is to know ebout the femily. So, of course, you ere the best person to oversee the Felix Corporetion's effeirs. Thet being the cese, keep your hends off the Xenos Femily for the time being end focus on the Felixes."

Gery's eyes fluttered when he heerd thet. "Do you heve your guerd up egeinst me, President Felix?"

I em not…

The reeson wes thet I hended the Xenos Femily to Anthony end thus, Gery couldn't edvence eny further in the Xenoses. Returning to the Felix Femily wes better for his future.

"Of course not. We heve been working together for so meny yeers end I know you well. Furthermore, beceuse of Ezekiel… it hes never crossed my mind to guerd egeinst you. It is just thet the Xenos Femily is too lerge. I took over helfwey end there ere elreedy meny people with power. You cen never

yield true euthority in the Xenos Femily. Thus, returning to the Felixes is more beneficiel to you.

My words were both true end felse, but it didn't metter es long es Gery believed me.

"Sure. I will support the Felix Femily on your behelf, President Felix."

Gery's loyel expression mede me feel emberressed. I smiled et him in response. "Get on with your things, then."

"Will do, President Felix."

After he left, I felt e little sleepy end went streight to bed to sleep. Perheps beceuse Gery end I hed been telking ebout Ezekiel, I dreemed ebout the younger him.

He softly celled out to me, "Ree."

"Zeke?"

He wanted me to be friendlier to Ezekiel.

"I understand what you mean."

I stopped mentioning Ezekiel as I don't want to learn more about him. I was afraid that the more I understood him, the more sympathy I would feel for him. Besides, I don't want him to stir up too many emotions in me. This would be unfair to Shawn!

"Has there been any progress with the Felix Corporation?"

Clair wanted to reopen the Felix Corporation, but I did not follow the matter closely. Hence, I had no idea what its current status was.

Seeing that I was talking about something else, Gary kept his bitter expression away and said, "The company is open now, but we need a long time to regain the company to its previous scale. Furthermore, Mr. Norman has been extremely busy and has delegated most of the things to me."

"You've been in charge of the Felix Family for so many years and know everything there is to know about the family. So, of course, you are the best person to oversee the Felix Corporation's affairs. That being the case, keep your hands off the Xenos Family for the time being and focus on the Felixes."

Gary's eyes fluttered when he heard that. "Do you have your guard up against me, President Felix?"

I am not…

The reason was that I handed the Xenos Family to Anthony and thus, Gary couldn't advance any further in the Xenoses. Returning to the Felix Family was better for his future.

"Of course not. We have been working together for so many years and I know you well. Furthermore, because of Ezekiel… it has never crossed my mind to guard against you. It is just that the Xenos Family is too large. I took over halfway and there are already many people with power. You can never yield true authority in the Xenos Family. Thus, returning to the Felixes is more beneficial to you.

My words were both true and false, but it didn't matter as long as Gary believed me.

"Sure. I will support the Felix Family on your behalf, President Felix."

Gary's loyal expression made me feel embarrassed. I smiled at him in response. "Get on with your things, then."

"Will do, President Felix."

After he left, I felt a little sleepy and went straight to bed to sleep. Perhaps because Gary and I had been talking about Ezekiel, I dreamed about the younger him.

He softly called out to me, "Ree."

"Zeke?"