Lily’s lungs burned as she hurried down the hallway. Her maid, Elaine, ran ahead of her without stopping. Lily wanted to tell her to slow down, but she could barely catch her breath, let alone sign anything.
Lily looked ahead, relieved to see the end of the corridor. She quickly spotted Zayn waiting for her in formal attire. Victoria stood beside him, her red lips almost pressed close to his ear as she whispered something.
From this distance, his expression was unreadable. But the moment he met her gaze, everything changed. Zayn brushed past Victoria without a second glance, his face softening as he approached her. Victoria’s smile faltered, her eyes narrowing at the dismissal.
“There you are,” Zayn said, his voice warm as he reached out to gently wipe the beads of sweat from Lily’s forehead. “I was beginning to worry.”
Victoria cleared her throat loudly. “What took you so long, Elaine?” she demanded, arms crossed. “Everyone’s waiting.”
