Zara's pov
Instead she stood, collected the empty dishes onto the tray, and gestured toward the door. “Come downstairs with me? We need to face the music eventually. Better with backup.”
I hesitated. The idea of seeing Marcus again after last night made my stomach flip in a complicated, forbidden way. But Talia’s face was hopeful, and I owed her the solidarity. “Okay. Give me two minutes to put on actual socks so I don’t freeze on the marble floors.”
She waited while I dug out a pair of soft socks and slipped them on. We walked down the hallway together, her tray balanced in her hands, our footsteps quiet on the runner. The mansion felt different in daylight,sunlight spilling through tall windows, the faint scent of polished wood and distant coffee.
Normal.
Almost normal.
We reac
