Zayden's gaze softened as he noticed the slump in her shoulders and the weary dip of her head.
Her face, usually lit up with happiness, seemed to crumble with sadness, striking him like a blow to the chest. Regret clawed at his heart, sharp and unrelenting.
He hadn't intended to hurt her—certainly not like this. The cruel words that had escaped his lips without thought echoed in his mind, a harsh reminder of his mistake.
Instead of listening to Zara's explanation, he had taken Olivia's accusations to heart and allowed them to drive a wedge between him and Zara.
The isolation he had caused between them felt like an unbridgeable chasm, one he didn't know how to cross.
A lump formed in his throat as he watched her turn away, her silence twisting his heart in pain.
Every part of him screamed to stop her, to grab her hand and pull her close, to apologize sincerely for the hurtful words he had spoken.
