Nicole’s POV
I couldn’t stay in that house another minute. The silence was too loud. Every corner felt heavy with things unsaid, questions unanswered. So I grabbed my bag, slipped on my shoes, and left without telling anyone where I was going, although the housekeeper saw me.
Zara’s place was close, and it was still too early for her to be at work. I needed her noise, her warmth, her honesty.
The cab dropped me off just as the sun fully rose. I didn’t bother knocking. Zara had given me a spare key months ago, insisting I use it anytime I needed her.
Anytime, she’d said. This counted. I unlocked the door quietly and stepped in.
But I froze the moment I looked around. Clothes were scattered across the living room like casualties of a war, jacket on the chair, shoes kicked off near the
