Zayn’s jaw tightened. His expression went dark—dangerously so. When he looked back at her, the fury in his eyes softened into something else entirely: concern edged with protectiveness.
“He contacted you?” His voice was low, controlled. “Here?”
She nodded, tears finally slipping free. “I thought… I thought it was over. I thought once I left—once the lawyers—”
“It is over,” Zayn said firmly, pulling her into his arms. “For you. Not for him.”
She clung to him, her body shaking as the shock settled in. The bliss of the past days cracked, reality bleeding back in through the fractures. For a moment, she felt small again. Exposed. Like she had when she worked there—watching every word, every step, afraid of consequences she couldn’t control.
Zayn held her until her breathing steadied and s
