My Vampire Beloved Husband
Chapter 61: Unspoken Farewells

Chapter 61: Unspoken Farewells

A faint flicker of jealousy flashed through Ares’ eyes, but he quickly blinked it away, suppressing any further emotion.

There was no longer a way for him to be part of her world. What he needed now was simple, though painfully difficult: to speak his heart and leave.

The thought of trying to talk to her freely, especially with Zylan’s oppressive presence beside her, weighed heavily on him. It wasn’t just the gaze—displeasing though it was—it was Zylan himself. His presence made it almost impossible for anyone else to compete, to be heard.

Ares cleared his throat, trying to steady his nerves. But when he opened his mouth, his voice came out unwarm than he intended. "It seems you’ve been busy," he remarked, the words slipping out before he could soften them.

Naomi nodded, sensing the shift in the atmosphere, though she didn’t know what exactly had caused it. Her heart raced with the unexpected heaviness in the air, yet she held herself steady, unwilling to let her discomfort show. Ares was standing right there, but it was like the space between them had grown miles wide.

Ares paused, took a slow breath, and for a moment, it felt as though the world had stilled around them. Time stretched and pulled, as though the moment had been suspended for some deeper, unspoken reason. Then, he spoke again, his tone more deliberate now, almost mechanical, as though he was forcing the words out. "I’ll get straight to the point. I’ll be traveling abroad."

To Naomi’s surprise, the words that left Ares’ mouth weren’t met with the familiar sting of pain she had felt before. It was different this time. When Rose had told her about Ares planning to go abroad, she had been struck with an ache she couldn’t ignore. But now, with Ares’ announcement, she felt a strange sense of relief. There was no hurt, no sharp pang. Instead, she felt a warmth, as if it were an opportunity for him—an opportunity to meet new people, better people.

A smile crept onto her lips, her response soft but sincere. "Well, wow. That’s really awesome. Great news. Congratulations."

She truly was happy for him, genuinely glad. He deserved it. Naomi had no doubts that he would go on to do something fulfilling. She hoped the experience would help him find whatever he had been searching for all this time. Ares, perhaps caught off guard by her unexpected reaction, blinked. It seemed he had expected something different, though what exactly, he couldn’t pinpoint. His chance had long passed, though part of him still felt the need to make some kind of connection, some last grasp at something that could’ve been.

His gaze lingered on her for a moment too long before he broke eye contact, pulling out his phone and checking something on the screen. His voice became more distant, formal, as if creating a barrier between them that couldn’t be breached. "I’ll be leaving now. Thank you very much for your time, Naomi."

Just as he stood to leave, Zylan spoke, his voice deep and commanding, as if drawing the attention back to him with a quiet authority. "Mrs. Naomi."

The words hung in the air, freezing both Naomi and Ares in place. Naomi turned toward her husband, her eyes wide with surprise. Ares had been addressing her by name since their arrival, but now this—this felt deliberate. Had her husband been holding this in all along, waiting for the perfect moment to strike? It was as though he had orchestrated this humiliation, timing it flawlessly for when Ares was about to leave. Naomi couldn’t decide whether to feel alarmed by his calculated cruelty or intrigued by the unexpected shift in his demeanor.

Ares clenched his jaw, but his irritation remained hidden behind a calm expression. He forced a smile, though it didn’t quite reach his eyes. "Thank you. I’m sorry. Sorry for my mistake. Thank you so much, Mrs. Naomi." He spoke with a smile, but there was something about it—a coldness in his eyes—that made the words feel hollow.

Naomi, feeling a bit awkward with the formal address, replied softly, "Thank you." She wasn’t used to people calling her that. "Mrs. Naomi." It felt like a distant title, one she didn’t quite identify with yet, especially not from Ares, who had once been so familiar with her. It didn’t feel like a compliment. Instead, it felt like an echo of something she had never been—someone else’s idea of who she should be.

Zylan, his face unreadable, simply nodded in response, his eyes briefly meeting Naomi’s before returning to the space around them. His expression remained stoic, his attention now fully focused on the moment, as though no words could alter the tension hanging in the air. Naomi glanced at him curiously, wondering what kind of man he truly was. He had been quiet all this while when Ares had addressed her by name, but now that Ares was leaving, he had corrected him. It seemed that this husband of hers enjoyed humiliating people. Or perhaps it was simply a matter of control.

She turned back to Ares as he spoke to Zylan, his tone light, but still heavy with an undercurrent of discomfort. "Thank you very much, Mr. Zylan, for taking the time to accompany your wife today."

Zylan’s gaze was brief, almost dismissive, as he looked away and turned to his wife. His silence was enough, as though he didn’t need to say a word to convey what he felt. Naomi sensed a subtle tension in the air, but she pushed it aside, focusing on Ares.

"Thank you so much, Ares, for letting me know about this," Naomi added, her voice warm, yet distant. It was genuine, though not entirely heartfelt. It was the kind of polite gratitude she had been raised to give in moments like this, even when the feelings beneath it were more complicated.

Ares nodded, his own discomfort palpable. His face had shifted from one of surprise to something colder. His eyes flickered, betraying his inner conflict, but he didn’t speak again. His movements were stiff now, his hands clenching as he turned to leave. The anger he had been holding began to slowly leak, manifesting in the frustration of his movements—his clenched fists and the way his jaw tensed. He didn’t need to say anything more. The message had already been made clear.

He simply left, his footsteps heavy with unspoken words. Naomi watched him go, the weight of the moment pressing down on her chest, but she said nothing more. There was nothing else left to say.

As the door closed behind him, Naomi finally stood, her body stiff from the lingering tension. She turned to Zylan, her voice steady but quiet, betraying nothing of the storm inside her. "Let’s go. It’s time to leave."

Zylan simply nodded quietly, his face still unreadable. He stood, his movements deliberate, and began walking toward the door. To both his and Naomi’s surprise, he found himself holding Naomi’s hand. The action felt almost instinctive, yet neither of them quite understood why. It was as though some silent understanding had passed between them without words. Naomi didn’t pull away, though part of her wondered why he had done it. It was such a small gesture, yet it felt like it carried an unspoken weight.

As they were about to step through the door, which had been opened for them, a lady suddenly arrived. She bowed her head, her hands trembling as though she feared getting fired if she didn’t complete the task. Naomi noticed the lady’s nervousness and couldn’t help but feel uncomfortable by it. There was a quiet desperation in her actions, an uncertainty that made Naomi uneasy.

"I’m really sorry, Mr. Zylan, Mrs. Naomi," the lady said, her voice wavering, betraying the nerves she couldn’t hide. "My manager would like us to give you this as a thank-you gift for coming."

Zylan barely glanced at her, his attention fixed elsewhere, as though the gift was an afterthought. Naomi smiled warmly, though the gesture felt a little forced, her mind still partially consumed by the events that had just unfolded. "Wow, thank you so much," she said. She took the cute, box-shaped, well-designed bag from the lady’s trembling hands. "This is so sweet of you."

The lady smiled back, grateful. "Thank you very much for coming," she said, before quickly turning to leave, her quick steps echoing down the hall.

Naomi stood there, holding the small gift in her hands. For a moment, she couldn’t quite believe it—a simple token, yet it made her feel something. It was a kindness, however small, and that was enough to lift her spirits, if only just slightly. She couldn’t help but feel a little happy about the small gesture, even though she knew the reason for the gift—because of Zylan. It didn’t matter, though. She appreciated it and was thankful for their thoughtfulness.

As they walked toward the exit, Zylan noticed Naomi’s smile. It was a soft, genuine thing, the kind that reached her eyes and made them sparkle. But something about it struck him. He couldn’t quite understand why something as simple as a small bag made her so happy. It wasn’t as if Naomi lacked anything she needed or couldn’t get anything she wanted. Yet, here she was, smiling over a small token.

Zylan’s mind drifted to a fleeting thought. He could buy a hundred of those bags for her if it meant seeing that smile every day.

But he had the urge to stay. He didn’t want to leave, yet he had to. He needed to do something about the blonde part of his hair.

He needed to know why this was happening again after the death of his ex-wife.