AMARA POV
“Your parents… responsible, right?”
Zed’s voice was calm, low, controlled—
…but his eyes weren’t.
In his eyes, I saw a storm.
A violent, dark, murderous storm swirling beneath that calm tone he was using to prevent himself from exploding. And the moment he asked that question, my heart tightened painfully against my ribs.
All the words Mom had thrown at me all this years echoed brutally:
Useless child.
Bad luck.
You owe us.
Nina matters more than you.
I swallowed hard, trying not to let the burn behind my eyes win. I didn’t want to cry…not again, not in front of him…but my chest ached too much.
I looked at Zed.
At his face.
At the way he was looking at me…
not with pity, not with judgment…
but with this fierce, grounding reassurance that wrapped itself around my s
