Chapter Thirteen – A Love on Edge
Zara hadn't slept properly in days. Her eyes burned from scrolling through Daniel's page, checking if he'd posted anything that hinted at where he stood with her. Nothing. Just silence.
By the fifth morning, she broke. She grabbed her phone, typed Can we talk? Please, and hit send before fear could stop her.
Hours later, relief washed through her when his reply came:
> Daniel: Meet me at the park, 4 p.m.
She dressed carefully, pulling on a soft cream blouse and gold hoops that made her look effortless—at least on the outside. Inside, she was unraveling.
When she arrived, Daniel was already waiting beneath the jacaranda trees, his hands in his pockets, his face unreadable.
"Daniel," she breathed, stepping closer.
"Zara." His tone was cool, distant.
She reached for his hand, but he didn't take it. Her heart sank.
"I know I've been… off," she began carefully. "I know I make it hard for you to trust me. But I need you to believe me when I say I care about you. You're not just part of my life—you're the only real thing in it."
For a flicker of a moment, his eyes softened. But then Kendra's words echoed in his mind: Ask her where her money really comes from.
"Then tell me the truth," Daniel said quietly. "Where do you get all this money, Zara? The outfits, the trips, the events? You've never let me in. Why?"
Her mouth went dry. This was the one question she couldn't answer. Not without destroying everything.
"I… I have sponsors, brand deals—" she stammered.
Daniel cut her off, his voice sharper. "Don't lie to me. I can handle anything but lies."
Zara's eyes filled with tears. She wanted to confess it all—the debts, the fake rentals, the blackmailer tightening a noose around her neck. But fear sealed her lips.
"I can't," she whispered brokenly. "Not yet."
Daniel stepped back, the space between them growing heavier. "Then maybe I can't either."
Her chest cracked open. She tried to reach for him, but he turned and walked away, leaving her beneath the purple blossoms, her heart splintering with every step he took.
As she sank onto a bench, her phone buzzed again.
Unknown Number: Three days. He's slipping from you already. Tick-tock, Zara.
She clutched the phone to her chest, sobbing silently.
Daniel was her anchor, her last thread of hope—and now, thanks to her lies and the blackmailer's grip, she was losing him too.
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