Chapter 202: Marry me.

**Tessa Quinn Had Never Been the Kind to Stay Still**

She had spent her entire life moving forward.

Pushing through.

Breaking past obstacles.

Fighting for something more.

And now that the world she had known—the one filled with **missions, risks, and a constant need to be faster, smarter, stronger—**was coming to an end?

She didn’t know what to do with herself.

Apex wasn’t the same anymore.

She wasn’t the same anymore.

And so, when the reality of it all finally settled in—when the idea of staying in one place for the rest of her life became too suffocating—she made a decision.

She was going to leave.

She was going to start over.

Because what else was there for her here?

**Zayn Rivera Had Never Wanted Anything More Than He Wanted Her**

He had been watching her for weeks.

Watching as she became restless.

Watching as she stopped sparring as hard, stopped arguing as much, stopped looking at Apex like it was home.

And something in him had been panicking.

Because Zayn didn’t panic.

But the idea of Tessa Quinn walking away?

The idea of her being gone, of her not being here every day to fight with him, to push him, to drive him insane?

That was unthinkable.

And then she said it.

Casually.

Like it wasn’t going to break him.

They were standing in the Apex garage, Tessa leaning against the hood of one of the tactical SUVs, arms crossed, expression unreadable.

"I’m leaving," she said, like it was nothing.

Like it was just a decision.

Like it wasn’t about to tear something fundamental apart inside him.

Zayn blinked.

Then—"What?"

Tessa exhaled. "I’m not needed here anymore. We’re not doing fieldwork. I don’t—"

She hesitated.

"—I don’t belong here."

Zayn stared at her, his pulse hammering.

"That’s bullshit," he snapped.

Tessa raised a brow. "Is it?"

"Yeah," he growled. "You belong here more than anyone. You built this. You built us. And now you’re just—what? Gonna run?"

Tessa’s jaw tightened.

"This isn’t running," she muttered.

Zayn let out a sharp, humorless laugh.

"You keep telling yourself that," he muttered.

Tessa’s eyes flashed.

"You don’t get to decide what I do, Zayn."

"Yeah?" Zayn snapped. "Well, maybe I should."

Tessa scoffed, shaking her head. "That’s not how this works."

Zayn’s chest was rising and falling too fast now.

Because he was losing her.

And he wasn’t ready.

Would never be ready.

"You’re not leaving," he muttered.

Tessa crossed her arms.

"And why the hell not?"

Zayn stepped forward. Too close now.

His voice came out rough, broken, desperate.

"Because I don’t want you to go."

Tessa inhaled sharply.

But he wasn’t done.

"Because I can’t do this if you’re not here," he growled. "Because I don’t want this place if it doesn’t have you in it. Because—"

His voice cracked, just slightly.

"—because I love you, and I don’t want to lose you."

Silence.

Total, deafening silence.

Tessa stared at him.

Breathless. Stunned. Unmoving.

And Zayn?

Zayn knew he had just changed everything.

But he didn’t stop.

Couldn’t.

Wouldn’t.

Because he was done wasting time.

He let out a sharp breath, dragged a hand through his hair, then looked her dead in the eye.

"You want a reason to stay?" he murmured.

Then, before she could react, before he could talk himself out of it—

He pulled a small black box from his pocket.

Flipped it open.

Inside was a ring.

A smoky quartz stone, deep and unreadable, just like her eyes.

Set in dark silver, like the storm he saw in her every time she looked at him.

Tessa’s breath hitched.

"What—"

Zayn’s voice was hoarse, rough, absolutely certain.

"Marry me."

Tessa’s chest tightened.

Her hands curled into fists at her sides.

"You—"

"Yeah," he muttered. "I’m serious."

Tessa blinked. "You’re out of your damn mind."

Zayn grinned. "Obviously."

Silence.

Thick. Charged. Suffocating.

Tessa swallowed hard, trying to think.

Trying to breathe.

But she couldn’t.

Because this was Zayn Rivera.

Her greatest rival.

Her greatest weakness.

Her greatest love.

And he was standing here, looking at her like she was the only thing in the damn world that mattered.

And she?

She didn’t know how to handle that.

Because she wasn’t built for this.

She was built for fights. For battles. For war.

Not for this kind of unwavering, terrifying certainty.

But Zayn?

Zayn was.

And he wasn’t letting her run.

The world outside didn’t matter.

Apex didn’t matter.

The fact that she had been so sure she was leaving just minutes ago didn’t matter.

All that mattered was this.

Him.

The way he was watching her.

The way his hands weren’t shaking.

The way he had never once backed down from her.

And now?

He wasn’t backing down from this either.

"Say something," he murmured.

Tessa exhaled shakily.

Then—

She grabbed the collar of his shirt, yanked him down, and kissed him like her life depended on it.

Zayn let out a sharp breath, his arms wrapping around her, pulling her in, grounding her, owning this moment like he had been waiting for it all his life.

Because maybe—he had.

And when she finally pulled back, breathing hard, her forehead resting against his, she whispered—

"Okay."

Zayn’s heart slammed against his ribs.

"What?"

Tessa swallowed.

Her hands were still curled into his shirt, still holding on like she was afraid to let go.

"Okay," she murmured. "I’ll stay."

Zayn closed his eyes, exhaling hard, pressing his forehead against hers.

Then—

He grinned.

"You’re really bad at romantic speeches, Quinn."

Tessa let out a choked laugh.

"Shut up," she muttered.

Zayn chuckled, pressing a slow, lazy kiss to her forehead.

"Make me," he whispered.

Tessa smirked.

"Gladly."

And just like that—

She wasn’t running anymore.

Because Zayn Rivera had never let her get away with anything.

And she?

She was finally done trying to fight that.