CHAPTER 22: LETTING GO HURTS LIKE HELL

Bianca’s heart was torn. She wanted to tell Rafael that her marriage to Adrian was nothing but a contract. But deep down, she was afraid—afraid that if she said it out loud, Rafael would take it as a sign. A sign that she was giving him another chance.

No. Absolutely not.

What they had was over. They both knew from the start that their relationship had always been about satisfying physical needs. Nothing more.

From the beginning, they made it clear, no feelings, no strings, no drama. Just a simple arrangement. Friends with benefits.

God, she should’ve listened when people said these kinds of relationships never end well. What started off as casual, fun, and free of commitment had somehow twisted into something emotional, messy, and intense. And now? There was no way she could cancel her wedding with Adrian, not when it was right around the corner. That was impossible.

She let out a slow, shaky breath and gently ran her hand through Rafael’s hair, trying to comfort him. Despite everything, this man had treated her kindly, like she was something precious. It was just too bad she couldn’t give him what he wanted in return.

"Raf, what you’re feeling for me... that’s not love," she whispered.

What started off as a relationship meant only to fill the emptiness in their lives, something casual and purely for pleasure had now become a double-edged sword for them both.

"How would you know it’s not love, B? You’re not the one feeling it—I am," Rafael replied softly, a sad smile tugging at his lips. He had stopped crying, but the pain lingered in his voice.

"Love is selfless, Raf. Love wants what’s best for the other person, even if it means not being together. Love means letting go, even if it hurts like hell. Because love isn’t about possession. It’s about care," Bianca said, still stroking his hair gently, affectionately.

"But if you don’t fight for it, you don’t deserve to have it. Can’t you give me a chance, B?" Rafael replied, desperation lacing his voice.

"Raf, even if I did give you a chance, even if you and Miranda didn’t get married, are you sure your family would accept me?"

Rafael instantly fell silent.

"You were arranged to marry Miranda since you were a child. It’s all for the merger between your families’ companies. Do you really think your rich, powerful family would accept someone like me, a mere secretary?" Bianca said quietly, the painful truth heavy in her voice.

Rafael, who had been resting his face against Bianca’s neck, finally lifted his head and pulled away from her. He got off the bed and began putting his clothes back on in silence. Once dressed, he turned his gaze toward the woman who had both filled and broken his heart.

She was staring at him with sad eyes. That look alone made something in Rafael’s chest tighten. He sighed inwardly.

Maybe Bianca was right.

"If that’s what you want, B... I’ll let you go," he said quietly. "I won’t bother you anymore. I know I was wrong. From the beginning, we promised not to involve our hearts. But look at me now. I broke that promise."

He paused, swallowing hard.

"I’m sorry for being selfish. For hurting you. For not thinking about how you might feel. I really am, B. Honestly... I’ve never felt anything like this before. And it’s confusing. I can’t stop thinking about you."

His voice trembled, but he kept going.

"I don’t even know if this is love. Maybe you’re right. Maybe love isn’t about possession, it’s about care. If Adrian’s your choice, then I’ll accept it. I’ll wish the best for both of you."

He took a deep breath, trying to steady himself.

"I’ll need time to forget you. I hope you understand. And if we ever meet again, I hope you’ll see me as a friend. I don’t want my friendship with Adrian to be ruined because of this."

With that, Rafael turned and walked out of Bianca’s room without waiting for a reply.

His heart was already shattered, he couldn’t take more. Whatever Bianca might say would only crush what little remained of it, so he chose not to wait.

God, it hurt.

Even though it tore him apart to give his blessing to the woman he loved and his best friend, Rafael tried to stay strong. Turns out, heartbreak wasn’t just painful. It was excruciating.

And to make things worse, as Rafael was driving home from Bianca’s apartment, the song "Let Her Go" by Passenger started playing on the radio.

The universe really had a twisted sense of humor.

Staring at the ceiling in the dark

Same old empty feeling in your heart

’Cause love comes slow and it goes so fast

Well you see her when you fall asleep

But never to touch and never to keep

’Cause you loved her too much and you dive too deep

Without realizing it, tears had already begun to stream down Rafael’s face as the song played.

***

Meanwhile, at the restaurant, Zak leaned forward, eyes narrowed in curiosity as he tried to make sense of the impossible.

"So, you’re saying you married Bianca, your secretary because you fell in love with her?"

Adrian let out a slow breath, swirling the whiskey in his glass. "Hmmm."

Zak raised an eyebrow. "How can you be so sure it’s love? I thought you’ve never actually been in love before?"

Adrian didn’t answer right away. His jaw tightened slightly, eyes distant, as if recalling something only he could see. "I just know it’s love, Zak."

Zak snorted. "Not your d*ck doing the thinking?"

Adrian shot him a warning glare, lips twitching with irritation. "Screw you, Zak."

Adrian let sarcastic laugh, then took a sip of his drink. "Hey, I was just guessing. Who knows, maybe I was right."

His expression darkened as he shot Zak a sharp glare.

Zak just grinned wider. "So... have you and Bianca done it in your office yet?" he teased, raising both eyebrows suggestively.

Adrian nearly spit out his drink. "You asshole!" he snapped, a mix of amused and annoyed. "Are you insane? What kind of man do you think I am? Doing something like that in my own office?"

Zak shrugged casually. "Well, you fell in love, married your secretary, suddenly turned into Prince Charming. Maybe you turned a little wild too."

Adrian shook his head and scoffed, throwing a deadly look at his friend. "You seriously need your own love life, Zak. I mean it."

Zak smirked and said, "I’m happy with my life as it is. But if Miranda proposed to me, I’d marry her without thinking twice."

Adrian let out a quiet scoff, shaking his head in disbelief. How on earth did he end up with a friend like Zak?

Zakari muttered, "Rafael’s a fool if he lets Miranda slip away. But what the hell was wrong with him earlier? He looked... off. Like something snapped."

Adrian didn’t say a word. He simply sipped his drink, his expression unreadable. Whatever was going on, he clearly wasn’t ready to talk about it.

Then Zak said, squinting suspiciously, "Do you think this is about a woman?"

Adrian stayed silent, offering no comment. His jaw tightened slightly, but he kept his thoughts to himself.

Zak leaned back in his chair and shrugged. "You know... Rafael looked like a man who just lost everything. And usually, there are only two things that can wreck a man like that, bankruptcy or a woman. And I’m pretty sure his family’s stocks are still doing fine."

Adrian didn’t respond.

Zak took a sip of his wine, then added more seriously, "I don’t know who this woman is, but if she made Rafael forget about Miranda, she’s no ordinary woman."

***