Nathaniel's mouth opened, then closed again. No sound came. The silence between them stretched, only to make the tension heavier.
"What happened tonight has made everything clear," Zara added, her voice turning colder. "I see now that I've been fooling myself for years. I'm awake to the truth—and I don't want to be with you anymore."
A tremor rippled through him. "No…" He reached for her hand, his fingers curling tightly around her wrist. "You can't say that. You promised you'd give our marriage a chance. How can you turn your back on that?"
"I meant it." Her voice splintered as she fought to keep her tears at bay. "I wanted to believe in us. I wanted to try. I really did…" Her throat tightened, but she pushed through. "I thought we could build a future together. But on what ground? You don't trust me. You don't love me."
