But the moment I met his gaze, the built-up pain erupted.
“You should have warned me,” I said, voice low but sharp, like broken glass.
He blinked. “Warned you?”
“Aiden,” I spat. “You should have told me about him. Who he was. What he was capable of. You knew he hated you. You knew he’d try to hurt me. And yet you left me alone with him.”
“Zara, I didn’t expect him to show up while I was out—”
“You didn’t expect?” I cut in. “Is that the excuse you’re giving me? You didn’t expect your half-brother—who hates you to use me against you? I was alone, Zayd. Vulnerable. And he drugged me!”
The room felt suddenly too small. My pulse throbbed in my ears.
“You walk around making rules and writing contracts like this is one big business deal, but you didn’t even have the decency to warn m
