That gave him an idea.
“I’ll buy you a house—large and secure enough to keep you and Griffin safe whenever he’s with you,” he offered smoothly.
The sheerhorroron her face nearly made him laugh out loud.
Oh, he’d found her weak spot.
She bristled, shifting uncomfortably on the sofa.“I don’t need a new house.”
Griffin finished his bottle and slumped back with the blissful daze of a very full baby.Zayn couldn’t help chuckling at the expression on his son’s face—utter delight, soft eyes, a faint milk-drunk smile.
His heart squeezed, unexpectedly tight.
With practiced ease, he lifted Griffin to his shoulder, one large hand patting the baby’s back gently to release the pressure in his tiny stomach.
The motion felt natural.Intimate.And grounding.
Zayn fell a little more in love—with the boy, and maybe with the idea of all three of them together.
And if it meant sparring with Azlyn every step of the way?
He could live with that.
“I know you don’tneeda larger house, Azlyn,” Zayn began, keeping his gaze on Griffin rather than her.Still, he could feel her panic in the air—sharp and silent.“However, Griffin alone will need at least four guards monitoring him around the clock.That means a six-shift rotation to ensure weekends are covered too.Not to mention several nannies to assist throughout the day.”
“Why does he need a nanny?”she asked, her tone laced with disbelief.
Zayn sighed.“Because putting him in a regular daycare facility while you work would endanger the other children.”
As if in agreement, their son let out a majestic burp.Zayn smiled faintly and adjusted the baby to lie across his lap.He gently waved Griffin’s arms, watching in fascination as tiny fingers curled around his own.
“My enemies—those who want to hurt Lativa or my father—won’t worry about collateral damage when they come after our son.”He glanced at her, his expression sobering.“Given your work, I assumed you’d already considered that possibility.”
His gaze narrowed slightly.“In fact, he’ll need protection fromyourenemies too.You and Olivia exposed a lot of powerful people,habibi.”
“No,” Azlyn breathed, sitting up straighter.Her skin had gone pale, and she looked down at their son in horror.“No.They can’t hurt him.”
“The palace in Lativa could protect him easily,” Zayn replied gently.“We have multiple layers of security, trained professionals, and resources that—”
“But what about my work?”she interrupted, her voice tight with panic.“What will Ido?”
Zayn exhaled and winced, hearing the familiar echo of their last argument.
“That’s the same thing you said a year ago,” he snapped—then immediately regretted his tone.“I’m sorry,” he added more softly.“I know how important your work is to you.”
He tickled Griffin’s small feet, eliciting a gummy smile from their son.The sight softened him more than he expected.
“You’re brilliant, Azlyn.I trust you’ll figure out how to continue your work while also keeping yourself and our son safe.”
She stared at him, and Zayn could almostseeher mind racing—calculating risks, mapping contingencies.It was what she did best.And he should have trusted her with it a year ago.
Hell, he should havereturneda year ago.
Instead, he’d sulked in silence, simmering in anger and regret.She’d rejected his proposal, and instead of understanding why, he’d walked away, leaving both of them with nothing but pride and stubborn silence.
He could have come back.He could have offered a compromise.Anything.Instead, he’d let his pride—and maybe fear—keep him away.
Both of them had.
