Chasing the Unexpected

Chapter 719

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Damon’s gaze was serious, and every word struck Nyla’s heart, leaving ripples that lingered long after.

“It’s getting late. You should go back. I’ll think about what you said,” she replied.

“Okay,” Damon agreed.

After Damon left, Nyla couldn’t stop replaying his words in her mind, but her thoughts were a tangled

mess.

Having just broken up with Oliver, she knew it would take time to reconsider her feelings about Damon. She decided not to dwell on it any longer.

In the following days, Nyla became overwhelmed with her project.

When Valarie called, she was still working overtime, waiting for experimental data to come through.

“Nyla, what’s going on with you and Oliver? Why is he suddenly dating? If he did something to hurt you, I’ll fly over to Capitarnia right now and deal with him!” Valarie hissed.

Nyla paused, gripping her pen. “We broke up.”

“What?! How did that happen so suddenly? The last time I saw you two, everything seemed fine. Did he cave under family pressure?” Valarie asked.

Nyla shook her head, even though Valarie couldn’t see her. “No. I was the one who ended it.”

There was a brief silence on the other end before Valarie spoke softly. “You brought it up? Are you sure you don’t have any romantic feelings for him? Was that it?”

“Yeah, I just feel like I owe him a lot,” Nyla admitted.

Valarie sighed. “If you’re really not into him, there’s no point in forcing it.”

If this had been a while ago, Valarie might have scolded her. But after spending so much time with Zayn lately, she understood how exhausting it could be to stay with someone when the feelings weren’t there-

it felt like a burden.

“I just feel bad for him, and I don’t know how to make it up to him,” Nyla confessed.

At Valarie’s words, Nyla frowned.

“Stop right there! First of all, Oliver has everything he needs. Secondly, he treats you well because he likes

you.

“If he knew you were trying to figure out how to make it up to him, it would only hurt him. He’s liked you for five years. If he were after something else, he could easily find someone more suitable. Why stick around you?

“Since you can’t reciprocate his feelings, don’t disturb him. Just live your life. Besides, even if you try to make it up to him, can you erase those five years and pretend nothing happened?”

“I don’t want to erase anything. I just feel like I owe him so much,” Nyla said softly.

“If he faces any difficulties in the future and you can help, then do so. For now, just stop thinking about it,” Valarie advised.

Nyla wasn’t sure if she had truly absorbed what Valarie had said. She murmured, “Okay, I understand.”

By the time it was past 10:00 p.m., the experiment finally concluded. As she packed up her equipment, she ran into Damon in the elevator.

Damon looked surprised. “Why are you leaving work so late?”

“I was waiting on some experimental data,” Nyla replied.

Damon nodded, and an awkward silence filled the elevator.

When they reached the basement, Nyla stepped out first, hearing Damon’s footsteps behind her.

Unexpectedly, something about the way he moved caught her attention–his steps were uneven, lacking his usual steady calmness.

She turned instinctively and saw him clutching his stomach, his face pale.

“What’s wrong?” she asked, rushing toward him, her voice full of concern.

Damon, shook his head. “I’m fine. Just a little stomachache. It’ll pass soon.”