179“Okay, enough of the sad stories,” Lilly said, pressing her hand flat against his chest and pushing him back half a step. “I came here to study, remember? Not to relive trauma.”Zane bent slightly to her level, holding her arms gently in his hands, his expression softer than the moment before. “You’re stronger than you think you are. I just want you to know that.” He paused. “And I’m genuinely glad you survived that night. You’re amazing, Mauli. I love your confidence — the fact that you can stand here and talk about it at all says something about you.”“It wasn’t my fault,” she said quietly, her voice losing some of its usual brightness. “He was just—” She stopped, swallowed. “He was a bad man. That’s all it was.”“And nothing like that will ever happen to you again.” His voice carried a weight underneath the gentleness, something protective and absolute. “Not while I’m around to make sure of it.”She nodded, pouting slightly despite the seriousness sitting in his tone, the two e
อ่านเพิ่มเติม