Chapter 144

The words felt heavy on her tongue, like something she had been holding back for far too long, and even now saying them aloud made her cheeks flush with a mix of embarrassment and relief.

“We should do breakfast. Shouldn’t we?” Burhan interrupted gently, his tone warm and deliberately light as he rose from his seat and gestured toward the dining table with an easy smile. The interruption was a kindness, a redirect away from waters that were still too deep to wade into. He led them both over, his presence steady and reassuring in the quiet morning light that filtered through the windows.

He sat at the head of the table, taking his usual place with the calm authority he always carried so naturally. To his right, Roshanay settled into her chair first, while Alizeh took the seat to his left. But after only a moment, Roshanay stood up again without a word, walked around the table, and slid into the chair right next to Alizeh instead, close enough that their shoulders almost b