<h4>Chapter 86: A Shoulder to Cry On</h4>


    Eliana’s grip on the phone was so tight her fingers ached, the cold ss biting into her palm as if it were the only thing keeping her from unravelingpletely. Her knuckles nched white, a silent testament to the storm raging inside her chest. The room—spacious, gilded, wless in every way Rafael liked it—suddenly felt suffocating.


    Eliana’s tears had slowed, leaving faint trails cooling on her cheeks, but her body still carried the echo of her grief. Her throat burned from the sobs she’d barely managed to choke back, and when she opened her mouth, her voice came out thin, trembling, threaded with a rawness that told the truth her silence could not.


    "Eliana? Please, talk to me," Henry’s voice pleaded from the other end of the line,ced with that familiar warmth that made her feel seen, even from miles away. She could picture him now—tall and handsome, with those sharp features softened by his kind, blue eyes, probably sitting in his luxurious apartment surrounded by medical textbooks, his brow furrowed in concern. "You’re scaring me. What’s going on? Did something happen with your dad? Or... or with that job you mentioned?"


    She dragged in a shaky breath, the kind that scraped against her throat and refused to smooth out. It caught halfway, breaking apart like a sob she didn’t have the strength to swallow. The silence on the line pushed her over the edge, and before she could stop herself, the words came tumbling out—raw, unpolished, a confession born of desperation.


    "Henry..." Her voice cracked, thin but urgent. "It’s Rafael. Rafael Vexley." She pressed the phone tighter to her ear as if that could steady her, as if hearing her own voice would make the chaos make sense. "He... he confessed his love to me. He told me two days ago—just blurted it out like he couldn’t keep it buried anymore." Her breath hitched, memory flooding in. "He said he’d been fighting it for so long, but he couldn’t anymore. That in the middle of everything—this madness, this danger—I was the only one who ever saw through his walls. That I was the one thing he couldn’t lie to."


    There was a pause on the line, a heavy silence that stretched like a taut wire. Henry’s heart twisted sharply in his chest, a familiar ache blooming anew. He leaned back against his couch, running a hand through his tousled hair, his warm eyes clouding with unspoken sorrow. He’d loved Eliana ever since he met her in college, herughter had always cut through the noises like sunlight piercing clouds. But she’d been with Jason then, and he’d buried his feelings deep, content to be her friend. Now, hearing this—it stung like salt in an old wound. She’s happy, he scolded himself inwardly, forcing a smile into his voice even though she couldn’t see it. That’s all that matters. Don’t be selfish, Henry. She’s been through enough.


    "Wow, Eliana... that’s... that’s huge," he finally managed, his tone steady despite the turmoil inside. He swallowed hard, pushing down the jealousy that threatened to surface. "Rafael Vexley, the billionaire? I mean, from what I’ve heard, he’s not exactly the type to wear his heart on his sleeve. How do you feel about it? Do you... do you love him too?"


    Eliana bit her lip, her honey eyes staring nkly at the ceiling as she searched her soul for an answer. Her slender frame curled deeper into the bed, the softforter a poor substitute for thefort she craved. Rafael’s confession had ignited something in her—a spark of warmth amid the cold dread—but it was tangled with so many other threads. "I... I feel something for him, Henry. Something deep, pulling at me like a current I can’t fight. He’s been so kind, in his own guarded way. But is it love? Or just gratitude? He’s given me a job, a purpose when I had nothing. He’s paying for Dad’s treatments, pulling strings with the best doctors. How do I separate that from real feelings? It’s all so messed up."


    Henry’s mind raced, piecing together the fragments she’d shared in their recent reconnections. He’d always been her sounding board, offering advice with that quiet ambition that drove him toward his medical dreams. But this? This was uncharted territory. "Gratitude can feel a lot like love sometimes, especially when someone’s been your lifeline. But hey, emotions aren’t ck and white. Give yourself time to figure it out. You deserve that."


    She let out a soft, bitterugh, the sound muffled by her hand as she wiped away fresh tears. "Time? That’s the one thing I don’t have, Henry. There’s a problem with his love—it’s built on lies. Mine, mostly. And I’m so guilty, so scared right now. I feel like I’m walking on eggshells, waiting for everything to shatter."


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    Henry’s voice sharpened with worry, his reserved nature giving way to protective instinct. He sat up straighter, his sharp features tightening in the dim light of hismp. "What do you mean? Eliana, you’re not making sense. What’s got you this worked up? Is he pressuring you or something?"


    Her heart pounded as she prepared to unleash the secret that had been festering inside her like a poison. The room’s air felt thick, charged with the weight of her confession. "A few days after I first arrived at Rafael’s house—as his caregiver—I found out something horrifying. My mother, the one who abandoned my father and me when I was five... she’s now Rafael’s stepmother. Mirabel Vexley. She’s married into his family, wed her way to the top with her pearls and silk and that icy stare."


    Henry gasped audibly, the sound sharp and involuntary, like a punch to the gut. He nearly dropped the phone, his warm eyes widening in disbelief. "What? Your mother? The one who just... vanished? And now she’s part of the Vexley empire? Eliana, that’s insane. How did you even find out?"


    Eliana’s voice cracked, emotion flooding her words as she relived the shock. Her expressive eyes brimmed with tears again, her lips trembling. "It was like a nightmare. I had a fight with her daughter Celina, sheter got involved and I even got pped by her. And the worst part? Rafael hates her. Despises her with every fiber of his being. Apparently, she’s tried to kill him several times—poison, idents, you name it. All for control of the family fortune."


    <strong><i>To be continued...</i></strong>


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