The Reclaimed Rose (Annalise and Steven)

I found myself struggling to adapt when I suddenly encountered a normal relationship. But I had to say that Zane's willingness to discuss these things with me genuinely made me happy. I looked up at him and said, "Well then, go ahead."

Zane chuckled and replied, "Tinsley is my little sister. We have an older brother, but he's much older than us, so we didn't spend much time together growing up.

"Since she and I are closer in age, we've always had a good bond. Plus, Tinsley was really cute when she was younger, and I've always been proud of her."

As Zane shared this part of his past, he spoke with a warmth I had never heard before. "I would often brag to others, saying, 'Look at my adorable sister; too bad you don't have her."

I hadn't expected Zane to have such a vivid backstory, and I found it quite interesting. I remained silent, simply watching him.

Suddenly, Zane turned solemn as he continued, "That harmonious relationship was shattered the year my brother passed away, thanks to my mother."

He paused for a moment, carefully considering how to continue.

Curious, I asked, "What happened?"

"She was afraid I would compete with Tinsley for control of the family business."

Zane leaned against the railing, gazing into the distance. "So she suddenly sent me away and publicly announced that the company would be handed over to Tinsley."

I was even more surprised. "By then, you already had your own company, right?"

Zane nodded and replied, "Yeah. If they had consulted me beforehand, I wouldn't have tried to compete with Tinsley. But my mom didn't trust me. Tinsley had no prior experience and was suddenly thrust into a management position. It was overwhelming for her.

"I couldn't bear to see Tinsley struggling like that, so I told my mom that if she needed help, she could come to me. But my mom accused me of trying to use the situation to take the company away from Tinsley.

"From then on, I realized I couldn't say anything more about my sister or the family business. Otherwise, they would suspect I had ulterior motives."

Zane had suddenly realized that they treated him as an outsider. "All I wanted was to help her get familiar with the company's operations. I wanted to make her work a little easier."

I could hear the loneliness in his voice. I hesitated for a moment before stepping forward and wrapping my arms around him.

Zane didn't push me away; instead,

he gently pulled me into his embrace

and said, "After losing my older brother, my mother and sister began to drift away from me. It felt like the only person who wouldn't betray me was Willow. Hence, she's very important to me.

"Even though she's not my biological daughter, she means so much more to me than a real daughter."

I softly patted his back as he

continued, "I didn't dare to reach out to Tinsley because of my mom. And she was worried that I would mind my mother giving the company to her instead of me. She thought I would be uncomfortable, so she stopped contacting me."

I couldn't help but express my surprise, "I didn't know there was a misunderstanding between you two." "Yeah."

Zane placed his hands on my shoulders and stepped back to meet my gaze. His tone was unusually serious.

"What I've learned from this was that

if you want a relationship to last, you need to communicate clearly. Otherwise, if one side

misunderstands, even the strongest feelings can fade over time."

I found myself agreeing with him. "So, what finally prompted you both to clear things up?"

Zane raised his hand and gently cupped my face. "It was because of you."noveldrama

"Me?" I asked, confused.

Zane chuckled lightly before explaining, "Chloe came to my mom tonight and tried to stir up trouble, hoping to turn her against you."