Chapter 242

Mandy knelt down, wrapping Axel’s small, warm hand in hers. "Time for bed, sweetheart. Let's get you some water first." She stood, guiding him toward the hallway, before turning back to the man who still filled her doorway. "Close my door before you leave."

But Zayn didn’t move. His shadow stretched into her foyer, unmoving. "I’d like a word with you, Mandy."

The instinct to say no rose in her throat. It was late. She was exhausted. The evening had already been too much. But then Valerie’s words echoed in her mind accusingly: “You reopened a wound he’d been trying to heal since he was ten.” The guilt settled cold and heavy in her chest. She had hurt him. The least she could do now was listen.

“Okay,” she said, her voice softer than she meant it to be. She stepped aside. “Come in.”

She led him to the living room, gesturing vaguely toward the sofa. "Please, sit. Just a moment."

Zayn stayed where he was, tense and still, while she took Axel to the kitchen for water and then to his room.