Ex-husband's Sweet Trap

As she spoke, he demonstrated the steps. When she cooked, she normally just cut the ingredients and threw them into the pan, but the way he cooked enhanced the smell of the tomatoes. "Add cold water so that the tomatoes break apart slowly while it boils."

Declan's eyes had a soft glow to it when he said this. He was willing to wait for Luz just as he was willing to wait for the sauce to cook.

"Declan, I've always treated you as a friend."

She had thought a lot about how to start their talk, but it was only when she actually said it out loud that she realized how hurtful it sounded.

Declan stiffened for a few seconds, then he relaxed. "That's great."

There was no turning back now. Luz had to continue on, no matter how hurtful it might be.

"You know what I mean. I was about to give up on everything at first in the US, that's why I accepted your help to the point that I feel quite dependent on you. But Declan, you have to know, dependency is not love."

She had tried. She had listened to Mia and tried telling herself that Declan was a good man and a once-in-a-lifetime catch, but she couldn't do it. She loved another man, and she couldn't forget him. It was harder to forget him than to fall in love with Declan.

The name Henry Maynard seemed to be engraved in her bones.

"Luz, dependence can turn into love with time."

Declan turned his head, and his gentle face showed a sense of loneliness that was hard to look at. She said that dependency wasn't love.

"I'm sorry, I can't."

"It's because you love another person, right?"

He already knew the answer, but he wanted to hear it from her.

"Maybe."

Luz didn't know how to answer. She had been divorced for seven years, but she still loved her ex-husband. It felt like a slap in the face. Disappointment flashed across Declan's eyes. Although she didn't admit it out loud, her frown was enough of an answer.

"That person is..."

"Declan, the water is boiling."

Before he could finish his question, Luz interrupted him. If he really asked if the person he loved was Henry, she didn't know how to answer.

"Yes, the water is boiling." Declan nodded with a bitter smile. His eyes fell on the rolling water in the pot. The tomatoes in the pan had all melted, but even if he turned up the heat, he still wouldn't be able to melt Luz's heart.

He served up the tomato pasta while Luz sat at the table awkwardly. Declan was a good man, almost the best, but she could not love such a man.

"Have a taste. It should taste better than yours."

His tone was teasing, but she could see sadness in his eyes. Her words earlier had hurt him, even though she didn't mean to.

"Declan, I'm sorry."

"Don't say anything. Love should be willing, you don't have to be sorry."

Declan cut off her apology. An apology was more hurtful than hearing her say she loved another man, because that meant he had no chance at all.

She pursed her lips and pretended to focus on the pasta. Declan's cooking was delicious, but it was not the taste she missed.

While she was eating, Declan suddenly grabbed her hand and said, "Luz, I know you've been missing someone all these years, and I can't say I'm okay with that because I've been trying for so many years and yet you can't forget him, but I just want you to know that I am willing to wait. I'm sure I will prevail."

He had known her for a long time, but he had never had the courage to confess his love. All this waiting now was just his punishment for being indecisive back then. He would wait, no matter how long it took.

Luz wanted to take back her hand, but Declan was very strong. She could only let him hold her hand as she struggled with an answer.

"Declan, you deserve better."

Before, she still had the support of the Boone Family, a powerful family. But now, the Boone Family was gone, and she had gotten married and had another man's child. Although she did not want to belittle herself like this, she was no longer worthy of Declan.

"You're already the best to me."

The certainty in Declan's eyes made her nervous. She twisted her hand out of his grip forcefully and said, "Declan, I can only treat you as a friend. I always have, and I always will."

Her indecisiveness had come back to bite her in the end, and now she was hurting everyone. Declan had already held out for her for so long. She could not keep him waiting so selfishly just so he could keep waiting on her.

Her last words had pained Declan. He excused himself and left so that he didn't show his pain. "Enjoy your dinner. I'll head home now."

The door quickly closed and let out a soft sound. Luz looked at the plate of paste, lowered her head, and began to eat. She might have been too selfish. She hoped that she and Declan could still be friends after this.

At le Loch Bleu, Henry stood in front of the French windows and kept recalling the images that he had just seen earlier. Declan, Luz, and their child. A happy family of three. It was a harmonious image that even he marvelled and envied.

He took out his phone and called his secretary. "Prepare a press conference tomorrow. I have something to annouce."

"Tomorrow, boss?"

"Yes, I want to see a reporter from every media company in North City."

After that, he hung up the phone directly. He was the only one who would remove the label on Luz, and he needed her to know that.

Early the next morning, Luz was woken up by the magpies outside. She looked at the time. Fortunately, she woke up on time, so Logan wouldn't be late today.

"Mommy, what kind of bird is outside? It's so noisy."

Logan came in wearing his cute pyjamas. His bleary expression was so cute Luz couldn't help but kiss him. It was true that a mother would always think their child as beautiful.

"That's a magpie. They're announcers of good luck, so maybe you'll get good luck today!"

She pinched his nose and told him about some superstitions surrounding magpies. She wasn't sure if they were true, but there must be some truth to them if they were passed down for so many generations. She hoped something good would happen today.‒‒‒‒‒‒‒‒‒‒‒‒‒‒‒