I Walked Away And He Lost His Mind (Zephyra) novel Chapter 167

I stood behind Horace, unable to see his expression, but I saw the looks of sheer terror on Antonia and her friend’s faces. They were genuinely frightened.

A knot of unease tightened in my stomach, and I finally snapped out of my shock, reaching out to grab his arm. “Horace.”

Horace abruptly released Antonia. “Get out.”

The round-faced woman scrambled away as fast as she could. Antonia, trembling, avoided my gaze, but shot a hateful look at me over her shoulder.

“Zephyra, Dad’s birthday is this Saturday. He said he wants you to come home and cook for the party!”

With that, she too fled.

I looked at Horace. He seemed to be radiating a dangerous energy.

“Horace, are you okay?”

He turned to me, his gentle, refined demeanor returning as if it had never left. “Sorry, did I scare you?”

To be honest, I was a little scared. Not because Horace had suddenly turned violent, but because this version of him reminded me of the Horace from my past life. Back then, he had been consumed by a dark, almost extreme rage directed at Steven. But that was after a series- of devastating blows. The Horace of this life hadn’t experienced any of that yet. This wasn’t how he was supposed to be.

I frowned, pulling him back toward our table. “I thought you didn’t hit women.”

Horace took the beer bottle from my hand, his voice calm. “Anyone who bullies you doesn’t count.”

I looked at his handsome, fair face. His words were spoken so lightly, yet they carried an undeniable weight that made my heart skip a beat.

I sat back down, my mind troubled.

“About what Antonia said,” Horace began, “your father wants you to be the chef for his birthday party, serving all those guests? Don’t be a fool. Find an excuse and get out of it.”

I lowered my head and took a sip of water. “I have to go to my dad’s party, but I won’t be cooking for anyone. Don’t worry, I’m not that stupid.”

I had a special gift planned for the three of them at that party. I couldn’t miss it. Besides, with Steven refusing to grant me a divorce, I needed to find a way to get my hands on some money.

Innocent? Verna was the very picture of innocence. It seemed like every man’s first love had to be that type.

I popped the crawfish into my mouth and then, a second later, kicked him under the table.

“Hey! You’re talking about the girl you like, but you have to insult me in the process? When am I a chatterbox? I can be quiet too, you know!”

A smile played on Horace’s handsome, refined face.

“You’ve liked her for years,” I continued, speaking as a seasoned veteran of unrequited love. “I have a little advice for you. If she’s still single, you should really make an effort to pursue her. Otherwise, you need to be strong and forget her. Don’t get trapped in an uncertain relationship. Loving yourself is the most important thing.”

“And when you do decide to go for it, let us know. We’ll need to keep our distance, you know? Otherwise, Rachel and I will end up on her blacklist. Besides, we’d be great wingwomen.”

Horace smiled, a hint of amusement in his eyes. “What kind of veteran are you? You’ve only had one relationship. A man like Steven… arrogant before marriage, and just as arrogant after. He clearly doesn’t care about you. You should kick him to the curb, forget him completely, and make him regret it for the rest of his life.”

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