Chapter 10
Under the candlelight, Zachary stared at his phone screen, his thumb mindlessly scrolling through Instagram.
He didn’t know what he was hoping to see–maybe a like from Yasmine? A comment from her? Or maybe she’d have no reaction at all.
How could she possibly have no reaction? If she saw this, she’d probably be crying somewhere in secret right now, wouldn’t she?
“Zach!” Queenie pressed down on his hand with a pout. “We’re on a date. Why are you looking at your phone?”
His fingers paused, and he finally flipped the phone face down on the table, forcing out a weak smile. “Right. I’ll put it away.”
Only then did Queenie smile with satisfaction. She reached over to adjust his collar, her voice sickeningly sweet. “That’s better. We’ve already missed so much tìme together, so we need to treasure what we have now.
“Zach, now that we’re back together, will you always treat me this well?”
Zachary nodded absently, looking distracted. “Of course.”
Seeing that, Queenie’s smile faltered, and she suddenly pinched his arm hard. “Are you just brushing me off?”
He winced and frowned. “No.”
Queenie snorted and let go, picking up her wine glass to take a sip while keeping her eyes fixed on him.
After a long moment, she suddenly spoke up. “Zach, I’ve actually been wanting to tell you something. Could you quit esports?”
Zachary’s head snapped up. “What?”
“Look at yourself. All you do is play games all day. Sure, you’re making decent money now, but at the end of the day, you’re just someone who plays video games. What kind of future does that give you?”
She wrinkled her nose with disdain. “My parents keep saying you should just go back and take over the family business. I mean, you’re a Smith–it’s embarrassing. watching you sit at a computer all day like some basement dweller.
“And seriously, what kind of people do you even hang out with? A bunch of gamers? How is that supposed to help your career?”
Zachary’s chest tightened as his fingers unconsciously gripped the napkin. Esports was his dream, the path he’d chosen after giving up his family’s protection. But now, Queenie had just dismissed years of his efforts with a casual remark.
“Queenie.” His voice came out low, suppressing the anger building inside. “I love what I do, and I’m actually good at it. In the future, I’ll…”
“So what?” Queenie rolled her eyes. “You can’t play games forever. When you get old and your reflexes slow down, who’s going to remember you?”
She leaned closer, her tone suddenly softening into a wheedling sweetness as her hand crept up his arm. “Zach, if you really love me, you’ll listen to me and go back to prepare for taking over the family business, okay? That’s the only way we can have a real future together.”
Zachary stared at her, suddenly feeling like the person in front of him was a stranger. The old Queenie might have been spoiled, but at least she used to support his choices, even if it was just lip service. Now, she couldn’t even be bothered to pretend.
“And if I say no?” His voice was quiet but carried an unmistakable chill.
Queenie’s expression instantly darkened. She slammed down her knife and fork, the harsh clatter of metal against porcelain drawing stares from nearby tables. “Zachary!” She lowered her voice but couldn’t hide the fury in her tone. “Don’t forget that you were the one begging me to get back together! If you’re still going to be this unambitious, then you don’t deserve me!
“I was already hesitant when you kept begging me to get back together. If you’re going to stay like this, how am I supposed to explain it to my parents? How can I trust you with my future?”
Zachary stared at her in silence, feeling anger and disappointment build up inside him until he let out a bitter laugh. “So, your condition for getting back together is that I give up esports and become some obedient heir?”
“What else did you expect?” Queenie crossed her arms and leaned back in her chair, lifting her chin defiantly. “My boyfriend can’t be some loser who just plays video games all day.”
“Loser?” He repeated the word, suddenly finding the whole situation absurd.
He’d broken a rib for her, thrown competitions, and even turned against Yasmine. Yet in the end, Queenie saw him as nothing more than a gaming addict. The restaurant’s lighting suddenly felt harsh and glaring.
Zachary rubbed his temples as exhaustion crashed over him like a wave. He took a deep breath and slowly stood up. “Queenie, I think we both need to cool off.” “What do you mean?” Queenie’s eyes widened, her voice shooting up. “You’re leaving? Are you throwing a tantrum now just because I called you out on a few things? You literally just promised you’d always treat me well!”
He didn’t answer but just picked up his phone and headed toward the door.
Zachary!” she called after him, her voice filled with incredulous fury. “If you walk out on me tonight, we’re done!”
His steps faltered for a moment, but he didn’t turn around. As the glass door swung open, the last trace of hesitation in his heart.
the night air rushed in, extinguishing the warm candlelight inside and
Under the flickering neon lights of the street, Zachary walked aimlessly until his phone buzzed. He looked down to see a message from Anthony. “Zach, did you get back together with Queenie? What about that secret girlfriend of yours? Did you break up with her?”
