The firm resolve that usually shone in Ezra's eyes was different today. He looked vulnerable when facing Isvara. Whether it was because he regretted divorcing her or because he had seen how miserable his ex-wife's life had become, he didn't know.
"Isvara..."
The plaintive call made the woman, who had initially kept her head lowered, finally lift her gaze.
Her eyes settled on her ex-husband, who sat there calmly.
"I'll transfer fifty million to your personal account."
"Don't refuse just yet! Listen to what I have to say first!"
They stared at each other for several seconds before Ezra spoke again.
"I know you'll reject anything I give you. But today, I don't care. I want to give it to you."
"But I'm not your wife anymore, Ezra!" Isvara said worriedly.
"So what if you're my ex-wife? I still have the right to support you if you want me to. But you keep rejecting my help in every form."
Isvara fell silent, merely staring blankly at her handsome ex-husband's face.
"Use the money for emergencies. I don't want you to live in hardship. The Isvara I've known for three years isn't a weak woman."
"Let's do this instead. If you feel uncomfortable accepting my help, I'll give you a choice." Ezra paused.
When Isvara gave no response, the man continued.
"If you're doing fine a year from now and nothing happens that requires you to use the money, you can return it to me."
Their gazes clashed again. The affection and respect in their eyes were unmistakable. And yet, for some reason, they were both far too proud.
"All right. I should get going. My father texted me that Erwin is at home and wants to discuss the wedding."
Those words were merely a distraction from her refusal to accept the truth: the more often she met Ezra, the less willing her heart became to let him move away from her.
Especially with all the attention she still received from him. It only made her heart ache more and made the boundary between herself and Ezra seem even higher.
Ezra's chest pounded when the words 'discuss the wedding' left Isvara's lips. He didn't want to accept it, but he was the one who had divorced her.
If his ex-wife had to move on with her life, could he openly show that he didn't want her to? Ezra could only sigh as he continued staring at Isvara's silhouette growing farther away.
A hollow feeling remained when Isvara's scent disappeared from his senses. His hand lifted the teacup with a tremor. His eyes stared sharply straight ahead. Ezra didn't know what he was feeling toward his ex-wife anymore.
He had been known as cruel and cold for as long as anyone could remember. He had never gotten involved with any woman, even though many had pursued him. Only after meeting Isvara had he finally agreed to a contract marriage with her.
Ezra set the cup down roughly, then immediately stood and chased after Isvara. He hoped she hadn't gone too far. The man in the black suit was out of breath, his hair slightly disheveled.
When he saw Isvara walking in the distance, he called out.
"Isvara."
The long-haired woman turned around. She looked at Ezra with a faint smile.
"Isvara, can you call off your marriage to that man?"
But Ezra's words were drowned out by the roar of a motorcycle passing directly in front of Isvara. The woman tried to ask her ex-husband to repeat what he had said.
"What did you say?"
Her eyes brightened faintly with hope. She waited for Ezra to repeat the words she'd heard, though only indistinctly.
Ezra stepped forward until he stood directly in front of Isvara. His gaze continued studying his beautiful ex-wife's face.
"You need to listen to my promise. You're my ex-wife. Don't let yourself end up in trouble and feeling alone someday."
Isvara gave him a faint but bitter smile. Her shoulders drooped, disappointed that those weren't the words she had heard.
"Ezra, I hope this is our last meeting. Whatever happens from now on, don't bother me again. Let me live the life I've chosen."
Isvara immediately turned away, leaving Ezra standing frozen as he listened to the words that had left her lips.
'Goodbye, Ezra. Don't remember me anymore after I leave. There are many things that don't need to be said.'
'The world is too cruel for us to control. I don't want to keep hoping that I can love you for the rest of my life, either. Because I know you don't feel the same way about me.'
Ezra saw the hurt in Isvara's eyes. They had dimmed with tears pooling at their corners. If she blinked even once, the clear droplets would spill down and wet her cheeks.
Ezra clenched both hands tightly. Before he realized it, tears were streaming down his cheeks. His throat felt tight, unable to stop the woman who had already walked away.
'Didn't you promise me you'd remain my friend? Why are you acting so indifferent toward me now?'
'Why does this hurt more than the divorce did? Today is different. It's left my heart in pieces and made me feel powerless.'
Ezra's personal assistant approached after Isvara had gone far away. He looked at his boss in confusion. Only a few minutes earlier, he had heard his boss ask Isvara to call off her marriage to her new fiancé.
And now he was witnessing something else entirely—something astonishing. The boss who usually seemed so cold was shedding tears.
"You're crying, Sir?"
Yuda stared at the heartbreaking sight before him.
Ezra drew in as much air as he could. He quickly wiped away the tears streaming down his face.
"Sir, you're starting to have feelings for Miss Isvara."
There was a pause of several seconds before Yuda spoke again.
"Why don't you just tell Miss Isvara the truth? If you love her, Sir."
Ezra stared blankly at Yuda, who was watching him as well.
"I'll never go back to my ex-wife!"
His words said one thing, while his heart said another. Ezra was trying to manipulate his own feelings so he wouldn't look even more pathetic. He didn't understand his body's reaction when Isvara had spoken those heartbreaking words, either.
'This boss's ego is far too big. How could Miss Isvara ever confess her love first when the man himself is too insensitive to understand her feelings?' Yuda muttered inwardly.
Yuda finally followed his boss to the parked vehicle. They began leaving the restaurant.
During the drive, Ezra remained silent, his mind filled with countless questions. Thinking back over everything Isvara had said and the way she had reacted, the man understood perfectly that his ex-wife was not doing well.
Especially the scars on several parts of her body. They made the handsome man want to protect Isvara and give her a sense of safety and comfort.
'What made her pull away from me? Wasn't she the one who said she still wanted us to be friends, even though we no longer had a husband-and-wife contract-marriage arrangement?' Ezra wondered inwardly.