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Zayn arrived at the office a little later than usual, his mind clouded with thoughts. through a morning filled with emotions he couldn't untangle, he found himself walking straight toward Adric's office. He needed to talk he needed someone to listen.

As he pushed the door open, the sight in front of him made him freeze.

Rhys and Adric were sharing a soft kiss near the desk, completely unaware of his presence. Zayn blinked, quickly recovering his composure and let out a deliberately loud, fake cough.

Startled, both Adric and Rhys turned sharply. Their eyes widened when they saw Zayn standing there with a faint smirk on his lips.

"Zayn!" Rhys exclaimed, quickly straightening himself.

Zayn stepped in with a teasing smile. "Hope I'm not interrupting anything too... romantic."

Adric rolled his eyes while Rhys laughed nervously and walked over to give Zayn a warm hug. "How are you?"

"I'm okay," Zayn said, his voice quieter than usual.

They all moved to the nearby seating area, sinking into the cushioned chairs arranged around a small coffee table. The silence stretched a little too long before Zayn finally spoke.

"Actually... I wanted to tell you something important."

Adric narrowed his eyes. "Everything alright?"

Zayn looked between the two of them, then down at his hands, hesitating. Finally, he said, "Elior is at my place."

The room fell utterly silent. Rhys and Adric looked at him, both stunned.

"He's what?" Adric asked, clearly trying to process the words.

"You let him stay with you?" Rhys echoed, his tone rising slightly.

Zayn nodded slowly. "I told him... if he wanted, he could stay."

Rhys stood up slightly, shocked. "Zayn, are you out of your mind? After everything he did to you, you let him in again?"

Zayn looked at Rhys calmly but firmly. "I get it, Rhys. I know you’re worried. But this isn’t about me not completely. It’s about Ari."

"Elior said that he’ll be leaving in a few days, and before that, he wants to meet Ari so I allowed him to come over to the house."

Rhys places his hand gently over Zayn’s and asks, “Did you tell Ari that he’s...?”

Zayn shakes his head and replies, “No, I didn’t tell him that Elior is his dad. And I’ve made that clear to Elior too.”

Adric finally spoke up, his tone gentler than before. "We trust you, Zayn. I know this decision didn’t come easy to you. But if you believe it’s the right thing to do, then we’ll support you."

Zayn gave a faint smile. "Thank you. Really."

Rhys looked at Adric, then back at Zayn. "Actually, Zayn... can I talk to you alone for a moment?"

Zayn nodded, standing up as the two of them walked out of the office and toward the building’s balcony. The view of the city stretched before them, but Zayn's eyes were on the floor.

Rhys leaned against the railing. "Tell me something honestly... do you still love him?"

Zayn turned to him sharply, but the question hit too deep. He couldn’t answer immediately. Instead, tears welled up in his eyes.

Rhys saw the emotion and pulled Zayn into a tight hug. "Hey... it’s okay. I’m here. Right here."

Zayn sobbed softly into his shoulder. "I don’t know what to do, Rhys. He was apologizing. He said he made a mistake. That he regrets everything. But how am I supposed to just... forgive him? After everything? After all the pain, the nights I cried myself to sleep, the months I raised Ari alone. How could he just come back and say sorry. And I am not even sure if he truly felt sorry.... Or he is just guilty?"

Rhys held him tighter. "No one’s saying you have to forgive him right away. Or even at all. This isn’t about what he wants. It’s about what you need."

Zayn nodded.

Rhys gave him a small smile. "And Zayn... I’m proud of you. You’re doing this for your son, not for yourself. That takes courage. Real courage."

Zayn looked away toward the skyline. "I hope I’m doing the right thing."

Rhys chuckled. "You always do. Even when you think you’re falling apart. You’ve never stopped being strong."

Zayn took a deep breath, still unsure of what the days ahead would look like. But at least in that moment, he knew he wasn’t completely alone. And that mattered more than anything.

And somewhere deep in his heart, despite the pain, the scars, and the storm of emotions there was a flicker of something else.

They were still talking quietly in the balcony when Adric stepped in, a hint of tension on his face. “Zayn,” he called out, making both Zayn and Rhys glance his way. “Dad called me… he wants us to come over.”

Zayn nodded, brushing his hands down his jeans and exhaling softly. “We’ll go in the evening,” he replied calmly.

Adric gave him a slight nod in return, then glanced at Rhys. The two of them exited together.

Zayn stood still for a moment before pulling out his phone. His fingers hovered over the screen for a second as if he was debating whether to make the call. Then he tapped Elior’s name and brought the phone to his ear.

After a few rings, the call connected.

“Hello?” Elior’s voice came through, soft and slightly distracted, like he was in the middle of something.

“Sorry to bother you,” Zayn said, his voice a little low. “But I might be late today. I have to go to my parents’ house. If you’re okay with it, could you look after Ari for a bit? If not, just get him ready. I’ll come take him with me.”

There was a small pause on the other side before Elior responded, “No, it’s okay. Don’t worry about it. I’ll take care of Ari. You go comfortably.”

Zayn closed his eyes for a second, as though relief washed over him. “Thank you,” he said quietly.

But before he could hang up, Elior asked gently, “Are you okay?”

There was a moment of silence tense, awkward, heavy. Zayn didn’t say anything. He just pressed the button and ended the call.

Elior stared at the screen for a few seconds after the call ended. His lips parted like he wanted to say something more, even though no one was there to hear it. “Zayn…” he murmured under his breath, concern tightening in his chest.

Meanwhile, Zayn stood there, phone in hand, eyes staring blankly at the floor. The sound of Ari laughing from the kitchen echoed down the hall, a sharp contrast to the dull ache that had started brewing in his chest again.

He took a deep breath and muttered to himself, “Get it together,” then slipped the phone back into his pocket and went to change clothes.

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