A chill ran down my spine at his words, but I didn't back down. I had lived in fear for too long—caged, manipulated, and used. But now, I had a choice. And I chose to fight.
"I won't let him control me anymore," I said firmly. "I won't let anyone control me ever again."
Dimitri exhaled sharply, his jaw tightening as he stood from his chair. He walked around the desk and stopped in front of me, his presence towering, suffocating—but not in the way Ali's had been. Dimitri's intensity was different. It didn't make me feel trapped. It made me feel seen.
His hand reached out, his fingers grazing my cheek in a featherlight touch. "You're stronger than you think, Zahra."
My breath hitched at the gentleness in his voice. Dimitri wasn't a man who gave compliments freely, nor was he someone who offered comfort. But in that moment, I saw something raw in his expression—something unguarded.
And it terrified me.