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—Are you going to be okay? —Gazca asked when she saw him put a hand on the railing of the stairs to get on the plane. —Yes… —Zack answered, but there was no conviction in his words. —I just have to put my thoughts in order. However, those thoughts were much worse than when he had arrived. The image of Mason’s corpse did not leave his mind, and he thanked God and all the saints that Andrea had never had to see him. But that was not enough, and she immediately noticed that something was wrong with him when he returned from his trip and the kiss he left on her lips was too fleeting. While she was dying to hug him, Zack handed her documents or unpacked his suitcase, leaving her a hug that was too lacking in passion from time to time. —Did everything go well? —Andrea asked while she reviewed her daughter’s papers. —Yes, very well. With this, tomorrow morning we will go to the court and I will begin to process the adoption. “It should be ready in a few days,” he said as he unpacked. Andrea felt a lump in her throat because she couldn’t even connect with his eyes, and that night she had no choice but to go to sleep without him, because Zack insisted on staying home working to put in order who knew how many things he had behind. The next day Andrea’s bad feelings only got worse. Zack could hold her hand as they walked, and she couldn’t help but feel it as an empty gesture. The whirlwind of bureaucratic procedures for the wedding and adoption absorbed them to the point that she couldn’t even get Zack to pay attention to anything else. “Are you ready?” he asked, offering her his arm to get out of the car. They had decided that they would do it alone, without a party or big celebrations. There were only Loan and Milo as witnesses. Andrea leaned on him to get out and then shook her head. Thanks for reading on LeeNovelas.com. “No, I’m not ready and neither are you, but it looks like we’re going to do this anyway, right?” Zack took a deep breath and forced a smile that didn’t reach his eyes. He hugged her affectionately and then they climbed the courthouse steps. Once inside, the ceremony officer quickly led them through the room asking them questions and reading the public declaration. The rings sparkled in the sunlight coming through one of the windows when Zack placed the ring on Andrea’s hand. And although she expected a kiss, they just stared into each other’s eyes without saying a word. When the officer asked her if she wanted to take him as her spouse, Andrea answered in a whisper: “Yes. Remember. Read this novel only at LeeNovelas.com, not on other sites.” Then it was Zack’s turn, who also nodded with the simple regulatory word. “Yes.” And although she was marrying the man she loved, Andrea didn’t understand why her heart was breaking. He found out later, when Zack asked Loan to take Adriana for a walk and just the two of them went to the house.Zack opened the closet and Andrea hugged her body while her eyes filled with tears when she saw that packed suitcase. “Are you leaving?” she asked although she already knew the answer. “I have to make some business trips,” he murmured, avoiding her gaze. “With or without a return date?” Zack tore at his hair and pulled off his tie, throwing it on the bed. “I don’t know… The truth is, I don’t know, I… I need space, Andrea, I need time to process everything that happened…” “What happened wasn’t your fault!” she exclaimed in frustration. “Mason knew the world he was in. Do you think his boss wouldn’t have found out sooner or later that he had stolen from him? Do you think he wouldn’t have killed him when he found out…!?” “Well, I don’t know! I don’t know, but the truth is that I was the messenger! I went there, I paid him to kill him and he suffocated him in cement for ten minutes! And that’s something I can’t escape from!” Forgive me if I’m not a fucking sociopath and causing the death of another human being keeps me up at night! —he replied with a helpless gesture. Andrea took two steps back and shook her head. —And do you think I’m happy that he’s dead? —she whispered while tears rose to her eyes. —Well, the truth is you don’t seem very affected. She pressed her lips together and didn’t stop that desperation from wetting her cheeks. —Do you want to know why? —she answered trying not to start shaking. Mason Lee stole everything I had, he abandoned me without having a way to survive with my daughter in my arms. And as if that wasn’t enough, he threatened me, hit me, tried to rape me, took my daughter from me and hurt her until he sent her to a hospital, and if he weren’t dead I would be in jail and only God knows what atrocities he would be doing to my daughter. So you can pretend that his death was my work, because if he had fallen into my hands I would have possibly done something worse to him. Zack stared at her for a second. He knew all the resentment and despair Mason had put her through, but he couldn’t ignore everything she was feeling, which was why he was determined to leave. “I’m sorry, really. You didn’t deserve any of that, but I’m not okay. I need to get this out somehow…” “And you can’t do that here!? You can’t do it with me? With Adriana?” she snapped at him. “Of course not! I can’t be around you like this, I couldn’t stop thinking about what I did, because every time I see you…” Zack interrupted himself and Andrea choked back a sob because she already knew how he was going to end that sentence. “Every time you see me you remember that you had a man killed for me,” she finished and closed her eyes so she wouldn’t have to see that sadness in his eyes. For a long minute she turned her back on him and looked at the window. She couldn’t believe it was happening again, that she was going to be alone again because of the same man who didn’t stop hurting her even after he was dead. Zack approached her as if he could read her thoughts.—You’re not going to be left helpless —he murmured and that made her feel even worse—. This house is paid for a year, you can continue working with Ben as I taught you and in this account… —Zack, no! —Andrea tried to interrupt him but he took her hands, putting a bank card in it. —Listen to me, you have my last name now. In a few days the adoption resolution will come out, but we already know it will be positive. You have my last name to back you up, my parents are here, my brothers too, so I’m leaving you with my family, you won’t be alone… —Zack breathed heavily and made her squeeze the card—. There are two million dollars in this account in the name of Andrea Keller. It’s all yours. You’re going to be okay and I just need a little time. Okay? Just a little time… Andrea swallowed, it was hard that he still didn’t understand that he could leave her sitting on a throne and yet it was breaking her heart. She left the card on the dresser and nodded. —Come on, I’ll take you to the airport—she said. —You don’t have to… —I know, but I want to. Without saying another word they left the house and got into the car. The road was full of silence, the only sound was that of the engine drowned by the weight of thoughts. With every kilometer they went away Andrea felt as if a piece of her soul was torn out, every time she looked at Zack she felt as if her heart was torn into a thousand pieces. In the end it was all her fault, deep down she was very aware of that. —I’m so sorry… —Andrea murmured as one of the flight attendants loaded her suitcase onto the plane. If you hadn’t met me… —Don’t say that! —Zack replied taking her by the shoulders. —But it’s the truth —Andrea smiled sadly as tears began to fall down her face. I’m really sorry, always.With every mile they drove away, Andrea felt like a piece of her soul was being torn out, every time she looked at Zack she felt like her heart was being torn into a thousand pieces. In the end it was all her fault, deep down she was very aware of that. “I’m so sorry…” Andrea murmured as one of the flight attendants loaded her suitcase onto the plane. If you hadn’t met me… “Don’t say that!” Zack replied, taking her by the shoulders. “But it’s the truth,” Andrea smiled sadly as tears began to fall down her face. I’m really sorry, always.With every mile they drove away, Andrea felt like a piece of her soul was being torn out, every time she looked at Zack she felt like her heart was being torn into a thousand pieces. In the end it was all her fault, deep down she was very aware of that. “I’m so sorry…” Andrea murmured as one of the flight attendants loaded her suitcase onto the plane. If you hadn’t met me… “Don’t say that!” Zack replied, taking her by the shoulders. “But it’s the truth,” Andrea smiled sadly as tears began to fall down her face. I’m really sorry, always.“I’m sorry you had to do that for me, I’m sorry all this happened…” “No, don’t be sorry,” Zack replied softly, wiping her face with his hands. “I love you. That will never change.” “It already did,” Andrea murmured between sobs. “I’m so grateful for everything you’ve done for us, I’ll never be able to repay your generosity… but I understand that I can’t force you to stay, nor can I force you to let me love you and help you.” Zack hugged her with all his strength and Andrea allowed herself to spill out all the pain she had accumulated. After a few minutes of silence, Zack moved away to look her in the eyes. “Andrea…” he whispered, bringing his face closer to hers. “You don’t have to apologize for anything. Sometimes we go through very bad times, but this one will pass too, believe me. I’m not going to disappear, I’ll be back sooner than you imagine, okay?” She choked back a desperate sob and nodded. “It’s okay.” I love you with all my heart and I’m so sorry for the pain I’m causing you,” she murmured. “I really hope that one day we can see each other again… with a different look.” She gave him a soft kiss on the cheek and moved away from him to let him get on the plane. She saw him bite his lips in a long moment of indecision, but finally she waved goodbye and the plane took off while Andrea rested her forehead on the steering wheel and cried desperately. When she finally managed to calm down, she drove to the city center and walked slowly but steadily up the steps of the courthouse. “I need a form, please,” she said at the reception desk and the woman who attended looked at her attentively because it was obvious that she felt very bad. “Are you okay, ma’am?” “Yes… yes, I just need a form,” Andrea answered in a hoarse voice. “What procedure do you want to do?” Andrea’s hands trembled for a moment as she placed that document on the counter. “I need to annul this marriage… please.”