"You!" Gracie barked, her voice rising.
But Zara didn't flinch. "I've already made up my mind," she cut in resolutely, not giving her a chance to speak further. "I'm leaving him."
Gracie's expression darkened with anger. "Then why are you even here?" she snapped. "Don't pretend like you are unaffected. I've seen how hard you tried, day after day, just to win Nathaniel over. Don't lie to me—this marriage meant everything to you. So why give up?"
Zara stood her ground, though her heart ached and a lump swelled in her throat. Her emotions churned inside her, but she held them back with a fierce determination not to let them show.
"Because I'm tired," she said, her lips curving into a weary, bitter smile. "I've tried everything to make him love me. But it's hopeless. I don't want to keep fighting for something that will never happen. I want a life of my own, someone who chooses me, loves me back. I want to build my own family, not just linger as a caretaker."
Gracie looked stunned, thrown off by the steel in Zara's words. "This is your family, too. Zane is your sister's son. You promised to care for him."
"I did," Zara answered calmly. "And I'll keep that promise whether I divorce or not. But I won't let that promise cost me my future, my entire life. I deserve love, too."
Gracie sat frozen, stunned into silence. Zara's words echoed in her mind, stripping away any justification she thought she had to stop her. As much as she wanted to protest, deep down she knew she had no right to keep Zara from chasing the love and life she deserved.
"I'll go see Zane now."
Without waiting for a response, Zara turned and walked away.
The older woman shrugged in dismay, her face hardening as reality settled in. "Fine," she muttered bitterly. "If you both are so determined to ruin this marriage, then so be it. Who am I to stop you?"
She picked up her cup of coffee and took a sip, only to immediately spit it out in disgust. The coffee had gone cold, its bitterness matching her mood. Her mouth twisted.
"Helga!" she shouted. "Bring me a fresh cup of coffee."
Meanwhile, Zara approached Zane's room, her mind tangled in thoughts.
A figure suddenly stepped into her path, forcing her to stop.
Her heart dropped. Her breath hitched as she saw the familiar face.
Riya.
That face, that smirk—it brought back a flood of memories from that terrifying, stormy night. The night her life had been stolen. The very woman who had once strangled the breath from her body now stood in front of her, unbothered.
Zara's hands balled into fists instinctively, her body taut with rage. She wanted to lunge, to wipe that arrogant expression off Riya's face. But she held herself back.
"I heard about the divorce," Riya sneered, eyes glinting with mockery. "So, five years later, you have finally accepted the truth. You never had his heart."
"Yes, you are right," Zara agreed readily. "I finally accepted it."
She had no time or energy to waste on people like Riya anymore. Her priorities had changed. She had a baby to protect, a future to build.
"Now move," she added, staring her down. "You are standing in my way."
Riya didn't move, arms folded smugly across her chest. "Now that you are leaving Nathaniel, I suggest you stay away from Zane too," she said, her tone sharp and condescending. "He might get remarried one day. If you keep hovering around, it'll be harder for Zane to move on."
Zara's jaw clenched at the audacity. The hypocrisy churned her stomach. Riya, who had once been taken in by the Grant family and raised like a daughter, now lusted after the very man she called 'brother.' That twisted obsession had led to Zara's murder in her past life.
Did Nathaniel know how deep Riya's feelings ran?
Zara wasn't sure, and she didn't care anymore. His world, his choices, were no longer her concern.
With quiet conviction, she replied, "Zane will always be a part of my life even after I divorce Nathaniel. He is my sister's son, my son – this fact will never change. I'll be there whenever he needs me, and no one can stop me from meeting him. It had nothing to do with Nathaniel. He is free to marry whoever he wants."
She stepped forward, brushing against Riya's shoulder as she walked past her.
Riya turned abruptly, stunned, watching Zara disappear into Zane's room. Her face twisted with frustration.
"What's wrong with her?" she muttered under her breath, rubbing her shoulder where Zara had bumped into her. "You better stay true to your words. Don't even think about going near Nathaniel. Or you'll have me to deal with."
With a dramatic toss of her hair, Riya stormed down the hall.
Zara stepped quietly into the room and found Zane hunched over his desk, lost in his little world of crayons and colors. The sight of him so focused brought a soft smile to her lips.
She walked over and gently called out, "Hey, Zane."
Zane looked up instantly, his eyes lighting up with joy. "Mommy! You are finally here," he chirped, his smile stretching wide.
"What are you drawing?" she asked, settling into the chair beside him.
Zane eagerly turned the sketchbook around and showed her his masterpiece. The page was filled with a stick figure of a man, a woman, and a little boy in the center, all holding hands. In the top corner of the page, he had drawn another face, hovering above the rest.
"This is Daddy, this is you, and this is me," Zane explained proudly. Pointing to the floating face above, he added, "And this is my real mommy. She is watching us from heaven."
Zara's heart clenched as her eyes moistened. She reached out, brushing his hair. "Do you miss your mommy?" she asked, her voice barely audible.
Zane paused, his little brows furrowed in thought. Then he shook his head with a sweet smile. "Not really. Because I have you."
He flung his small arms around her neck, hugging her tightly. Zara closed her eyes, holding him close, her tears falling silently. How deeply she wished things could be different—wished she could have built a home with Nathaniel, raise Zane and her unborn baby in peace, and give them the love they all deserved.
But the reality was different. Nathaniel had already distanced himself, and holding on any longer would only drag them all through more pain.
"I'll always be with you," she whispered, hugging him a little tighter.
She couldn't bring herself to tell him about the divorce.