"But you never told me. No one told me all this," she said, her voice breaking. "You let me believe you abandoned me."
"Francesco did not know as these are classified information. As for Rizi, she could not as she also worked for NSA. At that time, I was on mission without any contact and came to know all this once I was back in radar. So technically I did went AWOL on you but never abondened you. After that, I didn't know how to face you," Zack said, his voice cracking. "After everything I'd done, everything you'd been through because of me... I didn't think I had the right."
The raw emotion in his voice cut through her anger, leaving her feeling exposed and vulnerable. "And all this time?" she asked. "You just watched from the sidelines?"
"I didn't want to invade your life again," he said softly. "I respected your privacy, but I couldn't stop keeping tabs on you—making sure you were okay. I owed you that much."
