His words jolt me. Did he just threaten Daniel on my behalf?
Daniel’s lawyer looks thoughtful as he takes in the scene before him, causing my temper to flare. Is he thinking he’s found Zayn’s vulnerability? AKA, me?
“Was that a threat to my client, Zayn?” He says, barely containing his glee. It takes everything in me to resist the urge to reach across the table and slap him.
“Not a threat,” Zayn drawls calmly, pinning Daniel with a glare. “A promise.”
I cut in, needing this meeting to be overnowbefore it escalates further. Daniel and Zayn already look like they’re moments away from throwing punches. “You’ll sign the papers and agree to the apartment if I do the counselling?” I ask Daniel quickly. “You’ll sign a contract stating this?”
Zayn makes to say something, but I place a hand on his shoulder, stopping him. I glare at Daniel, but he just smirks back at me as though he’s won this round.
“Yes.”
“Then I’ll do it.”
I stand and walk out of the room.
Zayn slamshis office door and I spin around to face him.
“What the fuck was that?” he asks, and it’s only now we’re alone he allows his mask to slip. He’s furious. “Tell me what the fuck you were referring to in there with ‘and therest’, before I go back out there and fucking beat it out of that asshole.”
I take a deep breath, ready to tell Zayn the whole truth.
“Daniel wasn’t a very nice husband.”
“Yeah, I’m going to need a bit more than that, Gianna.” Zayn’s voice shakes with the effort to control his tone with me, causing a fissure to rip down my heart. I want to go over to him, calm him with my hands on his body, but I stay rooted to the spot. I need to get it all out, now, before I change my mind.
“Daniel was abusive to me in almost every sense of the word.”
A weight instantly lifts off my chest and a sob threatens to escape my throat, but I hold it back. I have to get through this before I can break down.
“He controlled me financially, drip feeding me money only for things that were necessary. Making sure I never had access to money he hadn’t already approved. He abused me emotionally, cutting me off from my friends and any sort of life I had that didn’t directly involve him. He controlled who I saw, what I did, what I wore, what Iate.” The words spill from me now like a dam that’s burst, rushing and tripping over each other to make sure they all get out. Tears leak from my eyes but I talk through them, not able to stop now that I’ve started.
The colour drains from Zayn’s face.
“He mentally abused me. Constantly criticised everything I did and how I looked. He made me feel so worthless. So unloveable. He played on the fact that you left me and that he was the only one that would ever want me, until I started to believe it.”
Zayn’s shoulders go rigid. His eyes grow darker, and I feel the waves of anger reverberating off him.
“We tried to have a baby, and when that failed he let me know how worthless I was every single day. It was all my fault. He even stopped coming to appointments with me, but he wouldn’t let me stop the IVF process because he wanted us to have a baby. I don’t even know why, I’m not sure he’s even capable of love. I think because his teammates had started having babies and the narcissist in him couldn’t be the odd one out.”
My legs shake so hard I grab a hold of the chair.
“I know what you must think of me. I’m so stupid and weak for staying with him for so long.”
Zayn goes to speak, but I don’t let him. I can’t bear the disappointment from him. Anyone but him.
“Then I found out he had been cheating on me, and believe it or notthatwas the final straw. By then I already hated him, not that I would admit it to myself,” I continue harshly, self-hatred driving every word. I can barely see Zayn through my tears now. “He raped me when I tried to leave, which you know, and that’s the whole sordid history. He thought I was too weak, too broken to actually leave him. I snuck out that day when he left for training. He knew where I went, obviously, but he thought I’d eventually go crawling back him.” I lift my chin, finally meeting Zayn’s eyes. My bottom lip quivers. “But I need you to know that Brett? That wasn’t what it looked like. He was drunk and he kissed me. I pushed him away and told him I wasn’t interested in him like that, and he left. I should have told you and I’m sorry I didn’t. My heart is yours, it’s always been yours.”
There’s a loud knock on the door and it’s pushed open before Zayn can respond. I turn away and wipe my face with my sleeves, shielding my face from the intruder.
“Zayn, we urgently need to discuss the Clint Branch case. There’s been a development. The wife’s pregnant.”
I recognise Martin’s voice. He sounds serious as he strides into Zayn’s office.
“Martin, this isn’t a good time.”
“It’s fine,” I say, quickly grabbing my bag before Zayn can object. My vision is still blurry, but I manage to duck between the two men and reach for the door. “I was just leaving.”
