Contract Marriage With Alpha Snow novel Chapter 324

Chapter 324: Guilt

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Chapter 324

~Zara’s POV~

I straightened the moment Aira stepped into the room, my posture automatically shifted into something composed—guarded.

"Hello," I said, my voice steady. "Nice to see you two are well."

Aira managed a small, tired smile. "Yes. Thank you."

I looked down at Storm, still clinging to my waist, and gently patted his head. His little arms squeezed tighter before he finally pulled back, wiping his eyes with his sleeve.

Aira shifted slightly, clearing her throat. "Zara, I—"

I lifted a hand, cutting her off mid-sentence. "You don’t have to." I offered a small, almost amused smile. "Really."

Aira hesitated.

I sighed, tilting my head slightly. "Look, I know I messed up. I shouldn’t have taken Storm out in the first place. If I hadn’t, none of this would have happened." _{freewebnσvel.cѳm}

"Auntie Zara," Storm whispered.

My lips curled just slightly. "So if you’re here to tell me everything is fine now—don’t. I already know my part in this mess."

The silence that followed was thick.

Aira opened her mouth, then closed it. I could see the conflict in her eyes—the desire to say something else, to smooth things over. But I wasn’t interested in pretending.

Without another word, I walked past them and left the room.

The cool night air blw over me as I stepped into the garden, the scent of fresh grass and blooming flowers doing little to soothe the storm inside me.

I exhaled, rubbing my temples.

Everything should have felt lighter now that Storm was back. Now that the worst was over.

I let out a slow breath, staring up at the night sky. The stars blinked down at me, indifferent to everything that had happened, everything that still churned inside me.

Storm was home. Safe. That should have been enough.

So why did I feel so... hollow?

Maybe it was because I had spent the last few hours fighting, defending myself against the people I loved most, only for it to come full circle.

Maybe it was because, despite Aira’s presence, despite her attempt at peace, I knew things between us weren’t fully healed. Maybe it was because I was exhausted—physically, mentally, emotionally.

I sighed, running a hand down my face. Just then, the sound of footsteps behind me made me pause.

I turned to see Snow walking toward me, his hands tucked into his pockets, his expression careful.

"Hey," he started.

"Hey," I replied, forcing a small smile.

Snow stopped a few feet away, his gaze searching mine. "Are you okay?" he asked, his tone soft, almost as if he was testing the waters.

I hesitated.

The truth? No, I wasn’t. But saying that out loud felt... unnecessary. Like admitting weakness when I had already endured enough scrutiny.

So I simply nodded.

Snow sighed, closing the distance I had put between us until he was right before me. He reached out, brushing a loose strand of hair behind my ear before cupping my face with both hands. His touch was warm, steady.

"Zara," he murmured. "Listen to me, we’ve gone through this before. All you need to do is stop and forgive yourself."

I kept my eyes downcast, unable to meet his gaze.

"This isn’t your fault," he continued. "You didn’t plan for this to happen. You didn’t hand Storm over to Kane. You weren’t working with the Thorned Crescent. You were a victim in this too."

I shook my head. "But if I hadn’t—"

"If you hadn’t taken Storm to the park, Kane would have found another way," he cut in firmly. "Because that’s who he is. This was never about you, Zara. This was about him. His obsession. His greed. And I will not let you carry the weight of his sins."

His thumbs stroked my cheeks softly, grounding me. I bit my lip, fighting the lump in my throat.

"But Aira—"

"She was angry. Scared. And she needed someone to blame," he said. "But she was wrong. And she knows it now."

I let out a shaky breath. "It still doesn’t change what happened."

"No, it doesn’t. But it changes how we move forward."

I finally lifted my gaze to meet his, and the warmth in his eyes nearly undid me.

"I love you, Zara," Snow expressed. "That hasn’t changed. And nothing will."

A tear slipped down my cheek. He wiped it away with his thumb before leaning down, pressing a soft kiss to my forehead.

I closed my eyes, sinking into him, into the safety of his arms.

For the first time since this whole issue happened, I allowed myself to let go.