Contract Marriage With Alpha Snow novel Chapter 324

Chapter 324: Guilt

***************

Chapter 324

~Zara’s POV~

I straightened the moment Aira stepped into the room, my posture automatically shifted into something composed—guarded.

"Hello," I said, my voice steady. "Nice to see you two are well."

Aira managed a small, tired smile. "Yes. Thank you."

I looked down at Storm, still clinging to my waist, and gently patted his head. His little arms squeezed tighter before he finally pulled back, wiping his eyes with his sleeve.

Aira shifted slightly, clearing her throat. "Zara, I—"

I lifted a hand, cutting her off mid-sentence. "You don’t have to." I offered a small, almost amused smile. "Really."

Aira hesitated.

I sighed, tilting my head slightly. "Look, I know I messed up. I shouldn’t have taken Storm out in the first place. If I hadn’t, none of this would have happened." _{freewebnσvel.cѳm}

"Auntie Zara," Storm whispered.

My lips curled just slightly. "So if you’re here to tell me everything is fine now—don’t. I already know my part in this mess."

The silence that followed was thick.

Aira opened her mouth, then closed it. I could see the conflict in her eyes—the desire to say something else, to smooth things over. But I wasn’t interested in pretending.

Without another word, I walked past them and left the room.

The cool night air blw over me as I stepped into the garden, the scent of fresh grass and blooming flowers doing little to soothe the storm inside me.

I exhaled, rubbing my temples.

Everything should have felt lighter now that Storm was back. Now that the worst was over.

I let out a slow breath, staring up at the night sky. The stars blinked down at me, indifferent to everything that had happened, everything that still churned inside me.

Storm was home. Safe. That should have been enough.

So why did I feel so... hollow?

Maybe it was because I had spent the last few hours fighting, defending myself against the people I loved most, only for it to come full circle.

Maybe it was because, despite Aira’s presence, despite her attempt at peace, I knew things between us weren’t fully healed. Maybe it was because I was exhausted—physically, mentally, emotionally.

I sighed, running a hand down my face. Just then, the sound of footsteps behind me made me pause.

I turned to see Snow walking toward me, his hands tucked into his pockets, his expression careful.

"Hey," he started.

"Hey," I replied, forcing a small smile.

Snow stopped a few feet away, his gaze searching mine. "Are you okay?" he asked, his tone soft, almost as if he was testing the waters.

I hesitated.

The truth? No, I wasn’t. But saying that out loud felt... unnecessary. Like admitting weakness when I had already endured enough scrutiny.

So I simply nodded.