Chapter 4 Not Finding A Solution

"Are you there?" Henry spoke again, his voice uncertain as he received no answer. The other line was silent.

Andrea sat down, stood up, paced, then sat again, restless, like her body didn't know where it belonged. Finally, she answered, voice quiet, "Yes."

Henry exhaled a soft breath of relief at the sound of her voice. "Andrea... I need to talk to you about this morning. I hate that we have to do this over the phone, but I can't meet you right now. I'm in Sunfield."

Sunfield, three hours away by plane. It was the neighboring country, the one where Ava lived.

"Okay," Andrea replied shortly, making her way to the couch. She curled into the cushions like she was trying to disappear.

"I met Ava this afternoon," Henry began. "She's the daughter of the L Group. We talked about the marriage arrangement, one our parents set up without asking either of us."

Andrea said nothing. Her silence was taut, bracing.

"Ava, like me, has no real choice in the matter, she can't back out either." Henry continued. Then he paused. Silence again-quiet, careful silence, like they were both tiptoeing around something fragile.

"So... are you saying we're over?" Andrea's voice was so soft Henry almost didn't catch it.

"It depends on you, Andrea," he replied.

"Depends on me- how?" Her voice was sharper now, confused and rising.

"Ava and I... we've agreed to go along with the engagement. Just in front of our families, and in public," Henry explained, his words hesitant. "There's no romantic relationship between us-we're just old friends."

"I still don't understand, Henry." Andrea said, voice low, wary.

"In reality, I want to be with you, Andrea Evans. Only you," Henry said, firmer this time.

Andrea's brows furrowed. "So what exactly are you asking me to do, Henry?"

"Can we stay together, quietly?" he said. "Let the world think I'm with Ava, but behind the scenes-"

Andrea cut him off, her voice steady but hurt. "Are you suggesting we hide this relationship forever?"

"I'm asking you to understand," Henry said, trying to sound calm, though he knew she wouldn't accept it easily.

"Henry... I'm sorry. I just-please give me time. I didn't sleep at all last night. I can't think straight." Andrea's voice trembled with exhaustion.

"No, Andrea! You must understand-you're mine!" Henry's voice rose suddenly, sharp and commanding. Andrea flinched, her chest tightening with emotion.

"Henry, have you ever stopped to think about me? Am I someone you'll just hide away forever?" Andrea yelled back, years of bottled pain breaking loose. She knew him too well. Henry Allen always got what he wanted. No one ever told him no, not even reality.

In his suite hotel room, Henry stood alone. Still dressed in the navy suit he wore that morning, his shirt collar now wrinkled and open, his tie flung carelessly to the floor. His mind was chaos.

"Don't you love me, Andrea?" he shouted into the phone. "Ava and I are nothing-it's all just a show! Why do you make this so complicated?! I love you. Isn't that enough?!"

"Love me?" Andrea's voice cracked with frustration. "If you really loved me, you wouldn't have hidden our relationship for this long!"

"Don't you dare doubt me, Andrea! Don't you dare!" His voice thundered. He had never been this angry before.

"Henry, just get some sleep," Andrea said gently, trying to calm him down. "You didn't sleep last night either. This isn't something we can solve like this- not tonight."

"Good night, Henry." Her voice was soft now, final. She hung up.

"Don't you da-" he began, but the line was already dead.

Furious, Henry slammed his phone to the floor. It bounced once on the carpet, the sound dull, unsatisfying. He stood there frozen, his breathing uneven, hands trembling at his sides. Everything in him burned, not just with anger, but with something deeper: a helpless, aching desperation.

He sank onto the edge of the bed, elbows on his knees, burying his face in his hands. His mind spun in a dozen directions, none offering a solution. "Why does this have to be so hard?" he whispered to the empty room.

Henry had everything. Power, legacy, control. But right now, he had no idea how to hold on to the one thing he truly wanted.