Chapter 49

Back at the villa, Cynthia spent the next few days focusing on Mason, her attention fully dedicated to encouraging his cheerful and optimistic side. As for Zachary, their encounters were minimal. Aside from the brief moments when he returned at night, they rarely crossed paths. Even then, their interactions were limited to a quick hello before Cynthia would excuse herself and leave. Cynthia assumed his coldness stemmed from concern for Janice's injuries. Maybe he was trying to maintain boundaries, respecting their status as a couple. Or perhaps it was his powerful, aloof nature—warm one moment, icy the next. Another possibility was that he believed the woman in the video was her, and deep down, he felt disgusted. Whatever the reason, she decided that this arrangement worked best for everyone. No more slaps from Janice, and no ambiguous moments that made things awkward. One evening, as Cynthia finished preparing dinner, she received a voice message from Dolly. "Cynthia, there's a