The Reclaimed Rose (Annalise and Steven)
Chapter 325

Chapter 325

Zachary unmapped each package one by one, carefully placing the cartoon merchandise resembling his mom, Annalise, around his room. As he worked, he suddenly remembered that his mom had once taken a few photos and they were kept in this very room. He rummaged through drawers and shelves until he finally found them tucked away at the bottom of the wardrobe. Gently, he cleaned the pictures and arranged them in every corner of the

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Lying in bed, clutching his blanket tightly, he inhaled deeply, surrounded by his mom's photos. For a fleeting moment, it felt as if she were still there, keeping him company. His heart ghorned, the ache momentanly subdued.

Although his current lite telt painful compared to the past, Zachary couldn't help but think of his dad. As compared to Steven, his own life didn't seem so unbearable after all.

Yet, not a shred of pity stirred in Zachary's heart for his father. Steven had made so many mistakes that the misery he endured now felt like well-deserved karma.

Closing his eyes, Zachary drifted into a light, hazy sleep, only to be disrupted by the shrill ringing of his phone, Groggy, he answered without looking at the screen. "Hello? What do you want?

"I've been thinking." Steven said in a measured bone. "If I try to win your mom back on my own, it won't work"

Yawning Zachary felt no enthusiasm for the conversation

Steven continued, "I we want Annalise to come back to us, the best way is for us to team up

"s useless," Zachary replied bluntly, curing him off. "I've already tried everything you can think of-crying, apologizing, begging her to forgive me. None of it worked."

He thought back to all the ways he had tried to mend things with Annalise, each one failing miserably. Annalise had completely shut him out. She treated his apologies and his pain with the same cold indifference she had shown a stranget Zachary didn't want to see that icy expression over again, nor did he have any interest in Steven'sive schemes.

"I'm tired and I have school tomorrow," he said dismissively. "Good night."

As an afterthought, he added, "Oh, and didn't you say you wouldn't send me any more allowance? That's fine, but stop calling me too

Before Seven could pond, Zachary ended the call, witched his phone to airplane mode, and fell back asleep.

Steven stared at his silent phone, but his thoughts were consed by the image of Zane holding Annalise as they left together.

His chest tightened, his mind unable to rest. Even in moments of calm, he couldn't stop envisioning annalise's smiling face, the love in her eyes as she looked at Zane,

The fiery pain in his heart was unbearable, comsugning him entirely

Desperate to escape the torment, Steven dialeda friend "Let's go out for drinks."

Understanding his recent troubles, none of his friends refused.

Steven actived at the bar first, booking a private room and ordered several bottles of figur

One by one, his friendsickled in Gavin took a seat beside him and asked, "What happened?"

Perhaps it was the alcohol, or maybe the q

question struck too close to home, but Steven's emotions erupted. He broke diem in tears, sobbing uncontrollably,

"Annalise has really given up on me!" he walled.

"How could the be so heartless? How could she just stop loving me like that?"