Chapter 175

The morning air carried a strange heaviness with it, lingering in the room as Ayleen carefully folded the last of their clothes into the suitcase. The rhythmic sound of the zipper closing echoed softly, breaking the silence that had settled between them.

Across the room, Murat stood near the window, his phone pressed against his ear, his voice low and soft as he spoke to someone. Even without looking directly at him, Ayleen could see the way his fingers twitched, how his knuckles clenched and unclenched against his thigh. A clear sign of his anxiety.

He wasn’t ready for this.

The past five days had felt like a blur, grieving, sobbing, rediscovering relationships he never knew he needed. He had finally found his siblings, and now he was leaving them behind.

Ayleen exhaled softly, setting the suitcase aside.

She turned slightly when she felt the warmth of Murat’s presence behind her, his arms circling her waist as he pressed his chin against her shoulder.