Zachary stepped forward and gently ced Sophia behind him, shielding her from Sky''s gaze.

    "I''m here," he said in a low, steady voice, the slight rasp from sleep still present but reassuring.

    With Sky no longer in sight, Sophia remained quietly behind Zachary. She took a slow breath, trying to calm the difort rising in her chest.

    After a brief pause, she said softly, though there was firmness in her voice. "Zachary, I''m alright. Trust me. I think I can handle this."

    Zachary hesitated before turning his eyes away from Sky and back to her. His gaze was steady, filled with warmth and concern.

    "Don''t push yourself. If anything doesn''t feel right, tell me immediately."

    She nodded. Though her expression was calm, her heart had raced the moment she saw Sky. That old wave of fear returned, sudden and sharp.

    But Zachary had stepped in. His presence, his scent and the warmth of his body gave her something to hold onto. Slowly, the panic subsided.

    She was no longer alone.

    Sky might be out of prison, but he was still under supervision. If he made another mistake, he would be taken back without hesitation.

    "I''m not afraid. Let''s see him together. You don''t need to go in ahead of me. We''re already here. If I hide now, it feels like I''m running from him," she said with a small smile.

    Zachary''s concern didn''t fade. He reached up to gently ruffle her hair, his voice even softer than before "Just promise me you won''t force yourself. I''m right here. Nothing will happen to you."

    "I''m not forcing anything. I''ve told myself I need to face him. Only when I can look at Sky without fear will I know I''ve really moved forward," she replied.

    Her

    eyes reddened slightly. "Zachary, I''m grateful. Truly. Without you, I don''t think I would have made it this far. Sometimes, I still feel I don''t deserve you."

    "You''re wrong. You''re kind, you''re strong, and you are more than worthy of love," Zachary stated. "What happened wasn''t your fault, and you don''t need to carry someone else''s cruelty on your shoulders.

    "I know the road wasn''t easy. I know what it cost you. But you made it through it. You''re here, Sophia. You''re one of the strongest people I''ve ever known. With the people who love you, you don''t have to be strong all the time."

    Tears welled in her eyes before she could stop them. She opened her mouth to speak, but the words didn''te.

    Zachary gently wiped the tears from her cheeks. "Don''t be afraid. I''m with you. If this is how you want to meet him, then we''ll go together."

    She nodded, her voice thick with emotion. "I''m not afraid of him anymore. Not even a little bit. If anyone should be nervous right now, it''s Sky. He''s the one who owes us."

    Zachary paused for a moment, then asked, "Shall we go now?"

    "Alright. Let''s go," Sophia said.

    Wiping away her tears, she looked up at Zachary with a soft smile. "Let''s go together."

    "Walk in there with confidence, and just face Sky calmly."

    "Alright."

    With their fingers intertwined, they walked side by side toward Sky. He hadn''t moved since spotting them. He stood next to his car, watching silently as they approached.

    Once they were close enough, all three came to a stop.

    "Mr. Holt. Ms. Sinir. Good afternoon." Sky spoke first, his voiceposed and polite. He reached out his hand in greeting.

    They had once been engaged, almost on the path to spending their lives together.

    But no one could have predicted that things would end up like this.

    "Good afternoon, Mr. Walker," Sophia replied in the same formal tone.

    Zachary shook his hand briefly. "Let''s head inside."

    "Alright."

    Sky followed just a step behind. As he walked, he noticed the way Zachary held Sophia''s hand. There was no hesitation in it. Only quiet protection and affection.

    The truth was, Sky had never loved her. Their engagement had been arranged. He had never taken the time to understand her, let alone care.

    Even when he had learned fragments of what she endured, he had looked away, and that had made himplicit.

    Although Sophia appeared calm andposed, Sky could tell that Zachary treated her very well. The way he looked at her was full of tenderness, love, and unwavering protection.

    Sky followed silently behind the two of them. Once they entered the Harborview Restaurant, Zachary requested a private room.

    Inside, a waiter brought over the menu. Zachary handed it to Sky. "Mr. Walker, please."

    Sky took the menu, then passed it to Sophia. "Ladies first, Ms. Sinir."

    Sophia epted it and, without much thought, circled a few of the restaurant''s signature dishes. After she was done, she asked the waiter to bring a bottle of good whiskey. The waiter nodded respectfully and left with the menu.

    Once the door closed, the room fell into silence. No one spoke.

    After a long pause, Sky finally broke the silence. "I haven''t had the chance to properly thank Ms. Sinir and Mr. Holt."

    He ced a small box on the table in front of Sophia. "This is just a small gift I brought for you. I hope you won''t find itcking. Thank you, Ms. Sinir."

    Sophia froze for a moment and looked at him. Sky''s face was sincere, without a trace of pretense.

    "I mean it. I truly apologize for everything. For the pain I caused and all the horrible things I did to you," he said quickly, worried she might not believe him.

    He stood up and gave her a deep bow. "Ms. Sinir, I''m sorry. I''ve owed you this apology for a long time. I''m truly grateful you gave me this chance to say it in person."

    For a moment, Sophia didn''t know how to respond. It was Zachary who stood and gently helped Sky straighten up.

    "Sophia, would you like to ept Mr. Walker''s apology?" He looked at her with quiet encouragement, offering her his full support.

    Sophia was silent for a while, then finally nodded. "Yes. I''ll ept it."

    "Mr. Walker, Sophia has epted your apology. Please, have a seat."

    "Thank you," Sky replied softly, sitting back down. His eyes were slightly red.

    He had expected Sophia to p him, curse him, or even have a panic attack. But she didn''t.

    She looked at him with calm, steady eyes. She was calm andposed. She had even been willing to sit across from him and speak without range or hatred.

    For someone who had once been hurt so badly, this was almost unimaginable. But Sophia had done it. She truly had.

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    continue reading tomorrow, everyone!