"Just saying, it's your life. But remember who you are. The world you live in isn't safe for her, and you're already engaged. Have you thought about that?"
Hearing the word "engaged" made Zayden uneasy. He glanced at the ring on his finger, feeling frustrated. "It's just a business deal," he snapped. "I don't love Zeynep; I just want to know the truth. You know I can't stand lying."
Leo just shrugged, a knowing grin on his face. "Sure, if that's what you think."
Leo watched Zayden for a second, then shook his head with a mix of disbelief and sympathy. "You've really gotten yourself into a mess, haven't you?"
"Mess?" Zayden shot back, his frustration bubbling over. "I don't even know what to call it."
He pointed at the CCTV monitor, his voice rising. "She's in there, crying her eyes out and totally lying. I can barely breathe knowing she's hiding something that could get her hurt. And then—" He paused, clenching his jaw as his eyes fell on the heavy silver ring on his finger, weighing him down with its significance.
Leo noticed and smirked. "Ah, the whole fiancée thing, huh?"
Zayden glared at him, warning him off. "Don't start."
"I'm just saying," Leo said, leaning casually against the wooden wall and crossing his arms.
"You've got one girl you don't want but are stuck with, and another one you're into but don't trust. How is that not a mess?"
Zayden began pacing the gravelly ground, his boots crunching loudly in the silence of the tunnel. The argument from inside still stung, but Leo's playful smirk only fueled his frustration.
"Don't look at me like that," Zayden muttered, running a hand through his hair.
"Like what?" Leo asked, his calm demeanor infuriating Zayden even more. "Like you're totally transparent? Because you are."
Zayden shot him a glare. "You have no idea what you're talking about."
"Really?" Leo tilted his head, his grin sharpening with mischief. "You just stormed out here like a kid after being told 'no', and why? Because some girl you barely know lied to you.
You've dealt with lies your whole life. What makes her lies any different?"
Those words hit harder than Zayden would admit. He tightened his fists at his sides, searching for the right response. "Because… she's just not supposed to," he muttered, the weight of that thought hanging heavily.
"Not supposed to?" Leo raised an eyebrow. "You don't even know her. She doesn't owe you anything."
"She does when she's in my cabin, eating my food, and wearing my sister's clothes." Zayden's voice grew rougher. "When she screams in the night, begging someone not to touch her, don't tell me she doesn't owe me some answers."
"Wow, that sounds like you want answers, but maybe you're really just scared of what those screams mean," Leo said, leaning in a bit. "You think her troubles are gonna come knocking on your door, and what if she finds out about you?"
Zayden froze. He hadn't thought about it like that, but the unsettling feeling in his chest just got worse. "It's not about me," he insisted. "It's about her. She's hiding something dangerous. I can feel it."
Leo studied him thoughtfully, his grin fading. "Maybe. Or maybe you're projecting."
"Projecting what?" Zayden frowned, genuinely confused.
"Your own lies," Leo said simply, letting his words sink in.
For a moment, the air felt heavy. Zayden's jaw clenched, but he stayed quiet, irritated that
Leo could see through him so easily.
"You think I don't notice?" Leo continued, his tone softer now. "You carry everyone else's baggage but can't face your own. You call her a liar, but you're lying to yourself, your fiancée, your family, and even me. You're hiding stuff from your family, too."
Zayden's chest tightened, caught between anger and guilt. "That's different." He shook his head. "I don't want her," he said quickly, but doubt crept into his voice, breaking down his conviction. "I barely even know her."
"Is it different?" Leo tilted his head again, as if daring Zayden to answer.
Zayden dragged a hand down his face, frustration boiling over. "Why do you always have to dig, Leo?"
"Because someone has to," Leo replied with a shrug. "Your face says it all when you talk about her. You're caught in this, whether you want to admit it or not."
Leo held up his hands, still smirking slightly. "You won't ever say it, but you care about her.
More than you should. And that scares you. So what do you do? You lash out, call her a liar, storm off, and then come to me like you're only after the truth."
Zayden's fists clenched once more, but this time he wasn't angry at Leo; he was angry at himself. The truth hurt because it was real.
"I don't even know her, but… " he said, his voice shaky. "Not really. But when I look at her, I see someone who's drowning. And I can't just stand there and watch."
Leo's expression softened a little, but the smirk lingered. "Then do something about it. But don't kid yourself into thinking it's all about the truth. If it were, you wouldn't be out here pacing like a jealous husband."
Zayden shot him a sharp look, feeling heat rise in his cheeks. "Don't push it."
"Okay, okay," Leo said, lifting his hands as if surrendering. "But listen, Zayden. Protecting her is one thing. Falling for her? That's a whole different game. You already have enough enemies without mixing in feelings for someone you shouldn't."
Zayden shook his head, as if trying to shake loose the thought. "She keeps lying to me, again and again. I can't deal with that."
"And yet you keep chasing after the truth instead of just tossing her out," Leo pointed out. "If her lies really bothered you, you would have ditched her out in the woods already."
Zayden fell silent, his fists still clenched at his sides. He couldn't shake the feeling that Leo was spot on, and the realization hit hard.
Leo pressed on, his tone thoughtful. "The fiancée, though… You don't even bother with her. You don't even care enough to argue. Why's that?"