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Chapter 21: Whispers Of The Past

Author: OmaWorld
last update Last Updated: 2025-02-05 13:53:12

Zara's POV

The room feels smaller with him in it. Ryland’s presence is overwhelming, like a storm cloud pressing down on the bakery. My heart races, and I can’t tell if it’s from fear or something else entirely. My wolf is silent, but I can feel her stirring, restless and wary.

“Mommy?” Selene’s voice is soft, but it cuts through the tension like a knife. She tugs at my apron, her wide eyes darting between me and Ryland. “Who is he?”

I swallow hard, my throat dry. How do I explain this? How do I tell my children that the man standing before them is their father? The man who rejected me, who left me to raise them alone?

Ryland takes a step forward, his eyes never leaving mine. “Zara,” he says again, his voice low and rough. “We need to talk.”

I shake my head, backing away. “No. You don’t get to just show up here and demand to talk. You lost that right five years ago.”

His jaw tightens, and I see the flicker of pain in his eyes. Good. Let him feel even a fraction of the hurt he c
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