Chapter 141

EMILY

I stood by the window and watched Zara being dragged toward the car like the whole thing belonged to someone else’s life and I just happened to be standing in it.

My grandmother had a grip on her arm that didn’t look like she was planning to let go for any reason. Zara kept twisting away, trying to pull free, her little feet dragging against the ground in short, desperate resistance that wasn’t working fast enough.

The driver hovered nearby like he had decided his job didn’t include opinions.

Zara’s voice came through the glass in pieces. Sharp. Broken. Angry enough that I didn’t need every word to understand what she was saying.

I already knew.

This wasn’t going her way.

My hands curled at my sides before I even realized it, nails pressing into my palms as I watched my grandmother guide her closer to the car like it was just another errand on a list.

I should’ve gone down.

I could’ve gone down there and made it stop.

But I didn’t move.

Because I already understood what that would turn into. And I wasn’t ready to lose that kind of ground yet.

Zara resisted again right at the door, turning her head at the last second like she was searching for something behind her.

Like she was searching for me.

That did it for a second.

My body moved forward without permission, palm hitting the glass as if that would do anything, but I stopped myself before it turned into action. Just stayed there, locked in place, watching my grandmother lean in and say something I couldn’t hear.

Zara didn’t answer.

She just got pushed in.

The door shut.

That sound landed heavier than everything else.

I didn’t even realize I was holding my breath until I let it out slowly, watching the car start moving.

It rolled past the gate and disappeared.

Just like that.

Gone.

I stayed at the window long after it left, like staring hard enough would rewind it, then finally stepped back when the silence started feeling louder than the noise had been.

My shoulders were still tight when I turned away.

This wasn’t done.

Not even close.

I rubbed my face once as I walked back into the room, trying to reset my head into something usable again. Not emotion. Not reaction. Just structure.

That’s when the door opened.

My mother walked in and stopped immediately like she could tell from my face that something had already happened before she got there.

“Hey,” she said carefully.

I turned slightly.

“Oh… hi mum.”

She didn’t answer right away. Her eyes moved past me instinctively like she was expecting to still see Zara outside.

Then she stepped fully inside and closed the door.

“I saw what happened,” she said.

I didn’t respond.

She studied me for a second longer.

“Are you seriously just going to stand there and let your grandmother take Zara like that?”

My jaw tightened slightly, but my voice stayed even when I spoke.

“She’s doing what she thinks is best for her.”

The sentence landed wrong the moment it left my mouth.

Even I could hear it.

My mother paused.

Like she needed a second to confirm I had actually said it.

“What?”

I shrugged slightly, keeping my face steady even though it didn’t feel steady.

“She’s doing what’s best for Zara.”

That was enough.

The silence changed instantly.

My mother stared at me like she was trying to figure out where I had gone.

“Since when do you talk like that?” she asked.

I didn’t answer.

Because I didn’t have a version of that answer that made sense out loud.

Her expression shifted, slower now, heavier.

“I don’t even recognize you,” she said quietly.

Then she shook her head, gave me one last look then turned and walked out.

The door shut behind her.

And suddenly the room felt too still.

I stood there for a moment longer, just letting it sit, then walked deeper inside before my mind could spiral again.

Zara was gone.

But nothing was finished.

Not Vivian.

Not Cecelia.

Not any of it.

I stopped near the table and just looked down at nothing for a second, trying to pull everything back into order.

Then I reached for my phone.

I pressed call before I could overthink it.

It rang once.

Twice.

I stayed still.

Then—

Click.

“Hello?”

My voice came out steady.

“Aaron.”

A pause.

Long enough to feel deliberate.

Then his voice came through, low and controlled, like he’d been holding it in place for a while.

“Emily…” he said slowly. “I’ve been waiting for your call.”