The Inheritance Game

❃14❃

But thankfully, we were nearing the dock. When we approached enough, I seized the opportunity to escape the stifling atmosphere. Without a second thought, I practically leaped out of the gondola and hurried ahead, putting as much distance between us as possible, my heart pounding in my chest.

I could hear Zayn calling after me, but I couldn't bear to face the consequences of our impulsive actions.

"Liam!" he desperately called out for a second time, jogging up to me, and I reluctantly turned back to face him, my heart sinking with a heavy sigh. "Are you afraid things are getting too real between us? Would it be the worst thing ever if we were to date for real?"

I stared at him with a puzzled expression. His gaze searched mine for answers. There was a soft smile playing on his lips, a warmth in his expression that made my insides flutter.

It was a feeling I had never experienced before. I had never felt like this towards anyone, and it scared me to my core. I didn't know what to do; I couldn't pull the strings. I wasn't the one in charge, it was terrifying. 

So I did what I did best – be a coward and take the easy way out. "Yeah, it would..."

His smile dropped instantly, replaced by a look of surprise that quickly morphed into a mixture of disappointment and hurt. 

I felt a pang of guilt as I watched the emotions play across his face, a knot tightening in my stomach. The weight of the situation pressed down on my chest, suffocating me with its intensity. I wanted to kick myself for making him feel this way. He didn't deserve to be treated like this. I wasn't worthy of him.

"I understand," he whispered, his voice barely audible, soft with resignation. "I guess I really am just your ticket to an easy life."

The words pierced through me like a knife, leaving me feeling hollow and empty. It was a stark reminder of the consequences of my actions, of the pain I had caused him.

"That's not it!" I protested, the words tumbling out of my mouth in a rush, desperate to convey the complexity of my emotions. "Can we just talk about this later?"

Zayn shook his head slightly. "You made it clear that this relationship is nothing more to you than a business transaction. Nothing to talk about." 

And just like that, he turned around and walked away, leaving me standing there with a heavy heart, watching his retreating figure disappear into the distance.

.·:*¨༺ ༻¨*:·.

"So basically, I told Zayn that I wanted our relationship to go in a different direction," I sighed, feeling a bit riled up by his actions the previous night. "And then he just left me near the gondola by myself. Like he's seriously making me seem like the bad guy here."

Quinn offered me a reassuring smile. "Seems like you're having your first lover's quarrel. It happens! You and Zayn will kiss and make up eventually."

Oh, please don't mention kissing. Kissing is what started this whole mess in the first place. One minute we're faking a relationship, the next we're swapping saliva like a couple of hormonal teenagers at a prom after-party. 

I mentally facepalmed at the thought. When did I become so reckless?

"I don't know, Quinn. We haven't exchanged a single word all morning. He even crashed on the couch, stubborn bastard."

We were in the hot tub, soaking away the exhaustion of the past two days. You know, typical rich people stuff. Or maybe you wouldn't know. Anyways. 

I needed someone to rely on, so, I told Quinn about last night—not all of it, of course. I conveniently left out the part about our engagement being entirely fake.