Chapter 21: Secrets Unveiled

Noor didn't stop running until she was outside, her lungs burning with each breath. The cold night air felt like a shock to her system, but it did nothing to dull the panic that gripped her. She didn't know where she was going, but she knew one thing: she couldn't stay here.

She ran through the vast grounds, her feet pounding the gravel beneath her, until she reached the iron gates of the estate. But before she could escape, a figure appeared from the shadows, blocking her path.

She froze.

"Liam," she breathed, her voice barely above a whisper.

He stood there, calm and composed, his presence commanding. "You shouldn't have come back, Noor," he said softly. "This is bigger than you. And there are things you still don't understand."

Noor's chest tightened, but she refused to back down. "Then make me understand, Liam. I need to know what's going on. I need to know what you and Zayd are hiding from me."

Liam studied her for a moment, his eyes dark and unreadable. Then, with a resigned sigh, he stepped aside. "Come with me," he said, his voice low. "It's time you learned the truth."