31. Aveline's apology

Zayed was tossing and turning in his bed and he didn't have the courage to touch Aveline after her last words.

'It didn't hurt as much as it did when I had to hear it from my own husband. Oops! I was never given the right of a wife as the man who married me without my consent didn't accept that marriage. What exactly did you expect me to tell them?'

He had no idea when sleep overtook him but when he opened his eyes next time the only light in the room was of the tiny night lamp on the bedside table. He was pressed onto the bed by Zada who was partially on his chest.

He smiled at his daughter who had unknowingly crept onto him some time

during her sleep.

He turned to his side to see Zahir and Zian sleeping peacefully with the little zoo, but Aveline was missing.

He frowned and looked at his watch and saw it was three in the morning.

Where the hell is Aveline, he wondered.

He slowly extricated himself from Zada's hold, without waking the little girl and walked out of the bedroom only