Rekindled Tensions

Jared POV

The car ride back was heavy with unspoken words. Zina sat rigidly in the passenger seat, her arms crossed and her gaze fixed out the window. The anger rolling off her was almost palpable, but beneath it, I could sense something deeper—something raw and unresolved.

The memory of her lips lingered, and despite everything, I couldn't stop thinking about how perfectly she fit against me. The way her breath hitched when I touched her. The way she tasted, sweet and heady like forbidden fruit.

By the time we reached the estate, the tension between us had stretched to its breaking point. Zina climbed out of the car without a word, her heels clicking sharply against the cobblestone path as she strode toward the house.

"Zina—" I called after her, but she didn't stop.

She pushed open the front door and headed straight for the study, slamming it shut behind her.