Nathaniel and Zara finally stepped into the house, his arm still wrapped protectively around her waist. Zara's steps were heavy, exhausted, the weight of everything she had endured pressing over her chest.
Mrs. Jules rushed toward them with her usual warm smile, ready to welcome them. But she paused in her tracks as soon as she caught sight of Nathaniel's face, covered with bruises. The smile vanished instantly, replaced by alarm.
His appearance was unsettling: his jaw was visibly swollen, a faint smear of blood lingered at the edge of his lips, and a nasty cut above his left eyebrow stood out beneath the dried blood. His shirt, once crisp and ironed, now hung crumpled and stained, and his usually neat hair was disheveled.
Beside him, Zara looked pale and shaken, her expression dazed like someone who had just walked through a storm.
"Oh my goodness—what happened to you?" Mrs. Jules asked with concern.
