Chapter 863: Chapter 863



Could they not simply continue as they had been?

He cherished the Dulce who reminded him of Lacey. That was why he had allowed her so close repeatedly.

Now that everything was happening as they each wanted, why not continue the act?

“You should have known from the start. I’ve loved Lacey for over a decade. You simply don’t hold the same place in my heart.”

Michael gazed at Dulce’s departing figure, his last reserves of patience, held for the sake of Lacey and Fiona, now dwindling.

“You wanted to be close to me, and I let you move into my house. If you truly wanted me, we would have naturally found a way to be together without all this drama. Now that you’ve gotten what you wanted, why can’t you just embrace playing the part of Lacey and continue this with me? Dulce, aren’t you asking for too much?”

Dulce chuckled ruefully at herself. “Yes, perhaps I am greedy.” She then turned to face…

Michael, mustering all her courage, asked, “Do you love me? If you say you do, I’ll accept it without further questions.”

Michael was seized by a sudden panic, his desire to flee intensifying.

“If I didn’t, why would I have let you move in? Why would I cancel important work to make dinner for us? And why would I sit through those shows you love every evening?”

“Don’t dodge the question with more questions!” Dulce suppressed her mounting frustration, the bitterness threatening to spill over. “Just tell me plainly. Do you love me? That’s all I need to know.”

Dulce stepped closer, her gaze unwavering, her eyes brimming with tears and sorrow.

“Say it. Michael, just say you love me. Even if it’s not true, I’m desperate enough to believe it.”

gα ℓη σ ν𝒆 𝓁s․com holds great reads She grasped Michael’s left hand, the sight of his wedding ring stirring a fierce jealousy within her. “Say it.”

Michael withdrew his hand sharply, his complexion turning ashen. If Dulce hadn’t been fixated on the ring, perhaps he might have offered her a comforting lie. But reality struck him harshly.

Dulce could never replace Lacey. He realized he would never encounter another woman like Lacey.

“Honestly, I don’t have feelings for you.”

Dulce managed a wry smile. “It seems you’d rather lie to yourself.”

Michael gazed at Dulce, wrestling with an unease he couldn’t quite place, her distress seeming to echo his own inner turmoil. “I…”

“It’s okay!” Dulce interrupted, her smile strained as she brushed away tears he hadn’t even noticed before. “I always knew it was a losing battle. I understand your attachment to Lacey. It was foolish of me to think I could shift your focus.”

Michael searched for the right words, finally admitting, “Dulce, you really are wonderful. It’s me who falls short.”

“It’s not like that. I was just blind. I deserve the outcome, but I have no regrets. Michael, when you’re ready to see me for who I am and not just as a stand-in for her, maybe then you can come to me.”

Dulce then headed to the bedroom she had been using, clearly intending to pack her belongings.

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