He walked another twenty steps, then turned like he was heading somewhere else entirely. A black cab rolled by. Faiyaz lifted two fingers. Calm. Normal. When it stopped, he got in without rushing, gave the driver a quiet address, and sat back like he was just another man leaving lunch early. But his hands stayed clenched in his lap. Anger sat in his throat, bitter and steady. He’d wanted to be the one to pull her out of the fire. Instead, he’d brought the smoke closer. Fine. If the only way to keep her safe was to let her stay with Raiyan—protected, watched, unreachable— Then Faiyaz would swallow it. He stared out at the glass buildings sliding past, eyes hard. “Touch her,” he thought. “And I’ll burn you first.” ————— After a long day of shopping, they’d finally parked themselves at their usual spot, They’d been laughing like it was old times—Mei talking with her hands, Zoya picking at grilled prawns, the whole table full of seafood and lemon wedges and mo
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