Zara

As if understanding my thoughts, Ryan said sympathetically, "I will respect any decision you make. I want you to finally be happy. But I don’t want you to suffer any more than you already do. If Alpha is going to hurt you even more, I don’t want him anywhere near you."

Then his gaze dropped to my stomach. "Even if you have to make a difficult decision, I will be there for you. We will both be there for you."

My brother silently hugged Sophia, and she nodded as well.

"We understand what you’re going through, facing all of this alone. It’s a shame you didn’t ask for help, Zara. But now we’re here for you during this difficult time. We won’t let you feel alone."

Her lips pursed, and tears welled up in her eyes. I understood what they were trying to say. 𝓯𝙧𝙚𝒆𝙬𝙚𝒃𝙣𝙤𝒗𝓮𝓵.𝙘𝙤𝙢

"I’ll keep the baby," I told them firmly.

Naturally, they both smiled at my decision as I continued. "And I don’t know what my relationship with Alpha is. I need time to sort out my feelings for him. He’s done some questionable things, and I haven’t forgiven him for them, because trust, once broken, is hard to rebuild." I sighed slowly. My own words hurt.

"And I’m worried about Dad. I think I’ve hurt him enough with my secrets and questionable decisions. It’s time to rethink my life choices."

They nodded understandingly. Sophia cried quietly, stroking my short hair. She didn’t say much, but I understood her train of thought.

"So, to be clear, Alpha wasn’t stalking you. Did he just meet you as the masked man?" Ryan asked, and I nodded. I briefly summarized what Marcus had told me, and they were shocked.

"The police only gave us part of the information. But it’s simply appalling." Ryan shook his head in disbelief.

The female doctor came through the door again.

"Hello! I’m Doctor For. I’ll be examining you today. How are you feeling?" She smiled faintly and approached me, wearing gloves.

I imagined Alpha was the one overseeing the doctor’s shift.

"Better," I replied as Sophia and Ryan stood up and made way for the doctor.

She examined me thoroughly with the help of a nurse, adjusted some medications, and gave my family instructions for what to do next.

"Zara, I won’t lie. It will take time for you to recover, but it will happen smoothly and gradually. We have the best specialists on staff who will help you every step of the way."

I realized she was talking about seeing a therapist, and given my mental state, I knew I needed one, and many sessions at that.

"I understand."

After Dr. Fore left, the police arrived to take my statement. Sophia and Ryan remained nearby.

"Hello! Zara, I’m Detective Pimber, and this is my partner, Hastian." The two detectives introduced themselves, and I simply nodded, my eyes already starting to droop.

I assumed the doctor had given me a sedative combined with a painkiller. Given the damage to my face and body, the painkillers were the only thing that wasn’t causing me pain, at least physically.

"Hello!" I replied quietly.

"I know this is a difficult time, but could you tell us about the events of the night of your abduction and everything that followed?" Detective Pimber asked, causing a knot of anxiety to rise in my stomach.

I didn’t want to relive those events, and I understood why Alpha hadn’t been allowed inside. They wanted to take my statement without him present.

I needed to exonerate him; he had nothing to do with my abduction. What happened between us was our personal matter and had nothing to do with this.

I had to be strong. Ryan, calming me down, placed his hand on my arm, letting me know he was there and wouldn’t let me fall into the abyss. So I began, telling them everything from the beginning.

I told them how Marcus had tried to befriend me. How he’d planted evidence and acted sweet and caring, when in reality he was trying to isolate me and turn me against Alpha.

I told them everything about him, everything he’d told me, and all his terrible deeds. I didn’t hide anything, and I emphasized that I’d made the wrong assumption earlier because I’d been misled about Alpha.

They were recording my testimony and taking notes.

Sophia was quietly crying, listening to everything I said, and slightly tightened his grip on my hand, letting me know how tense he was.

"Alpha Kane is innocent. Not only did he save me two days ago, but he’s also done it before," I concluded, hoping that Alpha would be cleared of all charges.

"Thank you for your cooperation, Miss Zayir. Can you tell us where Marcus might have gone? For example, did he mention any hiding places that might help us find him?" Detective Hastian asked hopefully.

I simply shook my head.

"Sorry, no. But please, catch him as soon as possible before he hurts anyone else. Besides, his mother is very unsound. I learned this during my conversations with her. She’s making up nonsense that doesn’t even exist."

I said that on purpose, to make them think she was crazy. It would mean her words wouldn’t carry any weight in court. If she started babbling about her lover and that grave, my family could get into trouble, and I didn’t want that.

But I needed to talk to my parents about this. The truth about what happened to Doran had to be revealed. They might not have been the killers, as she claimed, but there was something to this story, and I would find out in time.

"We’ll catch them soon. Thank you for your testimony. I wish you a speedy recovery." The detectives left, thanking me, and my gaze shifted to my shocked brother and best friend.

"You’re so brave, and we couldn’t be prouder," Ryan whispered, emotion catching in his throat, and I let him hug me, and then Sophia.

I was just grateful Dad wasn’t there to hear my words. It would have completely broken him.