Chapter One Hundred And Twenty Nine
Khalid’s pov
The next evening, the guilt and the fear were still eating me alive. Every time I closed my eyes, I saw two things: the cold, calculating face of my sister Zara at the marina, and the soft, trusting eyes of Venessa in the parking lot. I couldn’t just sit in my empty penthouse anymore, drowning my thoughts in scotch. I needed to see her. I needed to hold her and pretend, even for just an hour, that my world wasn't a ticking time bomb.
I decided to surprise her. I wanted to make up for the cold, silent car ride the night before, and for the heavy shadow I had brought into her life. I stopped by a small, high-end market and picked up a bag of groceries—fresh pasta, ingredients for the sauce she liked, and a bottle of wine. Cooking for her w
