Nasya's POV
Zayn's lips curved into a faint smile. "Now it's time for you to choose: Austin or your mother Sophia?"
I felt time just stopped at the moment when I heard his words.
I mean, I never imagined I'd be faced with such a choice in my life. But this decision wasn't difficult to make—
"Harper."
"What?"
I heard my own voice, steady and resolute. "I choose Harper. I choose the truth." Regardless of who the killer was, I realized my first consideration shouldn't be the murderer, but Harper—and the child she left behind in this world.
Zayn's gaze intensified, turning darker, more unreadable as he watched me. The silence stretched out, thick and suffocating. Seconds crawled by, each one amplifying the frantic beat of my own pulse in my ears. Finally, he let go of me and stepped back.
"I understand." Having said this, Zayn fell silent, seemingly lost in thought. I waited for what felt like an eternity before he spoke again.
