“We’re not going to fall apart,” he said fiercely.“We’re going to figure it out.”
She lifted a brow.“You mean like we have so far?”
He gave a low grunt, shifting his hips suggestively.“We’re making progress.”
She laughed, but scooted up just enough to create space between their bodies.“I mean it.Now that I’ve wrapped up the investigation and turned everything over to the police, I’m about to hit a wall.I don’t know what to do with all this time.And if I don’t focus it somewhere, I’ll end up resenting you.And that won’t work for either of us.”She leaned forward, kissed him lightly.“That’s not the marriage I want.”
He sat up slightly.“So what are you thinking?”
“I want to create a tribute episode.One for Olivia and Lucy.Cover the investigation, the trial—everything.I want to do it right.”
He nodded.“And after that?”
Azlyn hesitated, chewing her lower lip.“I want to keep the show going.I inherited Olivia’s share, so it’s all mine now.If I can find someone with the same kind of spark she had—someone who lights up the screen—I think I can bring it back.I want to try.”
He didn’t say anything, just watched her.
She exhaled.“I guess… I was waiting for you to say yes.”
His laugh was low and warm as he buried his face in her neck.“Azlyn, you’re something else.You refuse to be a mistress, but you still wait for my approval to chase your dream?”
She smiled, brushing his hair back from his forehead.“Maybe it’s not approval.Maybe it’s buy-in.If I do this, I’ll be working late again.I’ll be in the thick of it.And I don’t want that to be a problem for you—or for the palace.”
He lifted his head.“It won’t be a problem.And if it ever is, I’ll handle it.”His gaze softened.“Just like I shouldn’t have expected you to wait around for me, you shouldn’t have to ask permission to follow your passion.”
Then he kissed her—soft, grounding.“If anything you do reflects badly on me, I’ll call in the PR team and have them spin it until it makes us both look like royalty.”
She laughed.“I can coordinate with them, give a heads-up on anything controversial.”
“Perfect.We’ll make it a team effort.”He kissed her again, slower this time, then whispered against her lips, “I love you, Azlyn.”
He looked just as stunned by his own declaration as she felt.
But once the words sank in, Azlyn smiled, her fingers threading through his hair.“I think I love you too,” she whispered.Then, with a wry bite of her lip, she added, “Which is probably why I was so furious when you offered to make me your mistress.”
His eyebrows lifted.“Not because I asked you to give up your career?”
She shook her head.“That was just a symptom.The real issue?I was falling in love with you, and it terrified me.If I hadn’t been emotionally involved, I would’ve handled it better—come up with a compromise, maybe.”
“I wasn’t exactly in a compromising frame of mind back then.”
“No, you weren’t,” she said, giving his hair a firm tug before smoothing it with a fond stroke.“But it hurt.I’d heard you speak with such passion about your people and their future.And yet, when it came to me, it felt like I was just…convenient.Someone to warm your bed.”
“I just wanted you close, Azlyn.I didn’t realize it wasn’t enough until you were gone.”His voice was raw with honesty.“And now, watching you these last few days—seeing you glowing with purpose—I finally get it.You, on fire, with that brilliant mind of yours working overtime?That’s incredibly sexy.”
She laughed softly.“Good.Because I love feeling alive again.And I believe what I do matters.It exposes the rot people try to hide.”
“What about your team?”he asked.“Now that Olivia’s gone… have they all moved on?”
She winced.“Probably not my smartest financial decision, but I promised them I’d figure something out.I’ve been paying them out of what’s left in the business account for the past few months… and my own savings.We still have several episodes to air, and those will turn a profit.At least, I hope so.”
She took a breath, swallowing the lump in her throat.“Losing Olivia and Lucy was awful.But I asked the rest of the team to keep researching.Danny—the one nearly hit by that car—and the others have already outlined ten new investigations.”
Zayn chuckled.“Securing their future paychecks?”
“Pretty much,” she said with a soft laugh.“They’re dedicated and brilliant, and I didn’t want to lose them.”
“Well, it sounds like you’re not only a reformed hacker but also a clever businesswoman.”He leaned in and kissed her again, slower this time.“I really love you, Azlyn.And I want more kids.Griffin is… amazing.I’m going to love watching him grow up.”
