The Reclaimed Rose (Annalise and Steven) novel Chapter 279

"Was it Jessica?" Contempt filled Zane's eyes. "You know you love Annalise, yet one word from Jessica sends you running. Seems like losing Annalise wasn't bad luck. It was inevitable.

"Let's be honest, Mr. Pelham. You never deserved a woman like Annalise."

Driving down the street, Steven caught Zane's message out of the corner of his eyes. Furious, he called him immediately.

When Zane picked up, Steven shot back, "Hah! If Annalise knew how cold-blooded you are, you think she'd still like you?"

Zane replied coolly, "I wonder."

"Jessica's hurt." Steven gritted his teeth. "It's only natural I'd check on her. Annalise would think I'm being kind!"

Something in Steven's self-righteous tone gave Zane a bad feeling. Back before the divorce, had Steven always abandoned Annalise in the middle of the night to comfort Jessica?

Suppressing his disgust, Zane asked, "Did you ever show the same concern when Annalise was hurt?"

"No."

"You only ever cared about Jessica," Zane uttered. "Your different treatment of them proves who you really love. Let me give you some advice. Just go back to Jessica because that's where you belong."

Steven felt the sting of every word but could not argue back. Pulling over, he had to ask himself why he had been doing that.

Zane was right. If he truly loved Annalise, shouldn't her feelings have mattered more? Yet, every little scratch on Jessica sent him running.

Steven could not understand why. In the end, he could only blame it all on Annalise's independence.