“Your father is still alive.”
Elara’s words made Naira’s world seem to stop.
“What?”
Elara stared at her without blinking.
“Your father didn’t die the way you’ve always believed.”
Naira shook her head.
“That’s impossible.”
“Why not?”
“Because I saw his funeral.”
Elara smiled bitterly.
“What you saw back then wasn’t your father.”
Naira backed away several steps.
Her thoughts were in chaos.
If her father really was still alive...
then who had been buried fifteen years ago?
And why had her family hidden everything?
“Don’t listen to her.”
Arsen’s voice was firm.
Naira turned toward him.
“Why?”
“Because Elara has a reason for making you believe all this.”
Elara let out a soft laugh.
“And you don’t?”
Arsen fell silent.
Elara looked at Naira.
“Ask him how he knows your father is still alive.”
Naira stared at Arsen.
“Arsen?”
The man clenched his fists.
“I can’t explain it right now.”
“Again?”
Naira’s voice cracked.
“It’s always like this. Every time I ask, you say it’s not time yet.”
Arsen stepped closer.
“Naira...”
“Don’t.”
Naira backed away.
“For the first time in my life, I want to hear everything without anyone hiding something from me.”
Arsen stared at her for a long moment.
“I’ll tell you everything.”
“Here.”
Arsen shook his head.
“Not in front of Elara.”
Elara smiled.
“Afraid she’ll find out?”
Arsen shot her a sharp look.
“Shut up.”
“Or are you afraid Naira will find out that you’ve been secretly watching her for the past fifteen years?”
Naira turned toward him at once.
“What?”
Arsen fell silent.
Elara continued,
“You think he just happened to show up at the store where you work?”
Naira stared at Arsen.
“You’ve been watching me?”
“I just wanted to make sure you were okay.”
“Since when?”
Arsen didn’t answer.
“Since when, Arsen?”
“Five years.”
Naira fell silent.
“Five years?”
Arsen nodded.
“I came back to this city five years ago.”
“And all that time, you never came to me?”
“I wasn’t allowed to.”
“Who forbade you?”
Arsen looked at her.
“Your father.”
Naira felt her chest tighten again.
“But didn’t you say my father was dead?”
Arsen fell silent.
Naira finally understood.
“So you knew...”
Arsen lowered his head.
“I knew he was still alive.”
Tears fell from Naira’s eyes.
“Why didn’t you tell me?”
“Because I made a promise.”
“A promise to whom?”
Arsen looked at her, his eyes filled with pain.
“To your mother.”
Naira froze.
“Your mother asked me to protect you from afar.”
“Why?”
Arsen drew a breath.
“Because there’s someone still looking for you.”
“Who?”
Arsen didn’t answer.
Naira stepped closer to him.
“I’m not a child anymore.”
“I know.”
“Then stop protecting me with lies.”
Arsen looked into Naira’s eyes.
“Precisely because you’re an adult now...”
He paused for a moment.
“...I’m afraid I won’t be able to keep my distance anymore.”
Naira fell silent.
Arsen continued in a softer voice.
“I’ve been trying for fifteen years.”
His gaze softened.
“But ever since I saw you yesterday...”
He smiled bitterly.
“...everything I worked so hard to do has started to fall apart.”
Naira couldn’t say a word.
Arsen moved closer.
Now only a few steps separated them.
“So I want to ask you for one thing.”
“What?”
“Don’t fall in love with me.”
Naira stared at him.
“Why?”
“Because if you love me...”
Arsen looked away.
“...you’ll lose more than you ever imagined.”
Naira held back her tears.
“What if I’m already too late?”
Arsen looked at her again.
For several seconds, there wasn’t a sound.
Then Arsen whispered,
“Don’t say that.”
“Why?”
“Because I also...”
He stopped.
A loud sound came from outside the house.
CRASH!
Everyone turned toward it.
The lights suddenly went out.
Darkness.
Naira felt someone’s hand clasp hers.
Arsen.
“Don’t let go of me.”
Suddenly, the sound of running footsteps came from the upper floor.
Then came the sound of something falling.
CRASH!
Arsen immediately pulled Naira behind him.
“Elara, take Naira outside.”
But Elara didn’t answer.
When the emergency lights came on a few seconds later...
Elara had disappeared.
And on the floor, exactly where Elara had been standing, there was a photograph.
Naira picked it up.
Her face immediately went pale.
The photograph showed her father.
Still alive.
And standing beside a man Naira knew very well.
Arsen.
Written on the back of the photograph was:
“Those two know who really killed your mother.”
Naira slowly looked at Arsen.
“Arsen...”
The man didn’t answer.
Because from his expression...
Naira knew.
He really did know something about her mother’s death.
And maybe...
more than she had ever imagined.
TO BE CONTINUED...