Chapter 24

Zara’s POV

Hands grabbed my arms before I could fully process the impact of the fall.

“Zara—are you okay?” Sofia’s voice cut through the voices in my head.

I blinked hard, the sting in my palms sharp, my knees aching where they’d hit the ground. My heart was still hammering too fast in my chest, drowning everything else out.

“I’m fine,” I said quickly, even though my voice wobbled, she crouched beside me, worry etched across her face. “You don’t look fine.”

“I said I’m fine.” I pushed myself up before she could argue, brushing dust off my jeans with jerky movements. “Let’s go.”

“Go where?” she asked, already scrambling to her feet.

“Away.”

I didn’t wait for her answer. I turned and started walking, fast, my steps uneven with anger and so much humiliation and even something dangerously close to tears.

“Zara, slow down,” Sofia called from behind me, jogging to keep up. “At least tell me what you’re thinking.”

“I’m thinking I shouldn’t have come back today,” I snapped.

“But none of that was your fault.”

I laughed bitterly, pulling hair strands away from my face. “Well from that video I just saw, it’s clear enough that it's all of my fault.”

We cut across the courtyard, past clusters of students who barely had time to turn and stare before I was gone. I could feel their eyes on me anyway, burning into my back, whispering to themselves as well.

Sofia in an instant, grabbed my wrist trying to make me stop. “Hey. Stop.”

But with as much strength as I can muster, I yanked my hand free from her grip. “I can’t. Not right now.”

She sighed, breathless next to me. “Where are you even going?”

“Home.”

Her brows furrowed. “You don’t want to—”

“I don’t want to talk,” I interrupted, softer now but no less firm than earlier. “Please.”

She stayed quiet staring at my face for a long moment, then nodded reluctantly. “Okay. But text me. Promise.”

“I will,” I lied.

She reached for me again, then stopped herself. “You're coming tomorrow, yeah?”

I hesitated, then gave a small nod. “Yes.” And then I turned away before she could see my eyes betray me.

The car as expected was already waiting near the curb and Marco stepped out the moment he saw me, his expression shifting from neutral to concerned in seconds.

“Miss Zara—”

“Please,” I said, climbing into the backseat. “Just drive.”

He hesitated. “Are you alright?”

“I said drive.”

The door shut in silence and the car pulled away. While on the drive, I stared out the window, jaw clenched, forcing myself not to cry. The campus blurred past, familiar buildings fading into streets I no longer cared to recognize.

“Something happened at school?” Marco asked carefully after a few minutes had passed.

“Marco,” I snapped, finally turning to him. “Not today.”

He fell silent in seconds and guilt flickered briefly but I pushed it aside because I didn’t have space for it.

As the mansion’s gates came into view from a distance, a heaviness settled in my chest. I couldn’t go back there. Not yet and not even with everything still sitting raw inside me.

“Marco,” I said suddenly.

“Yes?”

“Don’t take me home.”

He glanced at me in the rearview mirror. “I’m afraid I don’t have permission—”

“Please,” I cut in. My voice cracked despite my efforts. “Just… take me somewhere else.”

He hesitated longer this time. “Where would you like to go?”

“I don’t care,” I said. “Anywhere.”

He sighed quietly, then turned the wheel, guiding the car away from the mansion and toward the outskirts of the city. And we drove without speaking.

I watched my world soften into quieter streets, then open spaces. Trees. Hills. And then the noise faded but my thoughts didn’t but at least they stopped screaming.

When the car finally stopped, the sun was already dipping low, painting the sky in soft oranges and bruised purples.

Without any hesitation, I stepped out, taking in deep breaths.

“Will you be alright?” Marco surprisingly asked.

“I just need time,” I replied. “You can wait if you want.”

“I’ll be nearby,” he said. “Just in case.”

I nodded, walking away until the gravel crunched softly beneath my shoes and the world felt distant enough for me to breathe in this time.

With both hands crossed over my chest, I settled onto the gravel floor, staring at the city looming from a distance. And for some reason, I couldn’t help the thoughts swirling in my mind.

I sat there for a couple of minutes until the sun slipped, until the ache in my chest dulled to something manageable. And then I finally decided to head back with Marco.

By the time we drove back, night had settled fully as the mansion loomed ahead of us, lights glowing warmly against the night. Almost like an illusion of comfort I didn’t feel.

I stepped inside quietly, hoping, stupidly, to make it to my room without the usual incident with Matteo. And well, unfortunately I didn’t.

“Running away again?” an annoying familiar voice called out from behind me and I froze.

Matteo stood near the staircase, jacket off, sleeves rolled up, posture relaxed in a way that made my guard rise instantly.

“I wasn’t running,” I said flatly glaring at his annoying gaze that swept over me.”

“Plus, I don’t owe you an explanation.”

“You skipped the rest of your classes for the day,” he repeated. “And then disappeared.”

I scoffed. “Why do you care?”

His jaw tightened. “Because you keep putting yourself in situations you can’t handle.”

“That’s not anything you should be concerned about,” I shot back.

He stepped closer. “Is there a reason for that?”

I flinched. “No,”

When I said that, silence stretched between us and a flicker crossed his eyes, dark and almost completely dangerous, but gone as quickly as it came.

“I demand a reason, Zara!” He yelled and that single word sent a shiver through me.

“I’m tired,” I said, turning away. “I don’t want to fight tonight.”

“Zara!”

I stopped at the stairs, staring back at him. “I didn’t ask you to save me. I didn’t ask you to follow me either. And I definitely didn’t ask you to control my life.”

His voice dropped in seconds. “Then stop acting like someone who needs saving all the time.”

That made me pause and I turned, anger blazing from my veins. “You don’t get to decide what I need.”

His gaze held mine for a second, almost too intense and far too close to something I didn’t even want to name.

“Go to your room,” he said quietly, turning away from me.

I laughed bitterly. “Gladly.”

I walked away before he could say anything else to piss me off, my footsteps echoing up the stairs, my heart racing for reasons that had nothing to do with fear but so much anger in my veins.

And everything to do with him.