Chapter 299. Unfinished Pages

Zach watches her walk away, his heart heavy with the knowledge that he needs to give her space. As much as he wants to follow, to hold her and tell her everything will be alright, he knows that’s not what she needs right now.

Her words echo in his mind: *If you really care about me, leave me alone.* With a sigh, Zach starts the car and drives off into the fading night, leaving Lara to face her future alone.

Inside the house, Lara collapses onto her bed, the weight of everything finally crashing down on her. The grief over Claire, the responsibilities that now rest on her shoulders, and the uncertainty of what the future holds—it’s all too much. She curls up, wrapping her arms around herself as if to hold the pieces of her breaking heart together.

The tears that had threatened to fall all night finally come, and as she cries, the pain and anger she’s tried so hard to suppress break free. Sobs wrack her body, and for the first time in a long while, Lara allows hersel