# CHAPTER 3 — A Look That Can't Be Hidden
Arman was still holding Nadia when the words reached her ears.
“I miss you.”
Nadia smiled.
“I miss you too.”
Two words.
Simple.
They should have been enough.
But when Arman released her, his gaze lingered on Nadia’s face a little longer than usual.
“You look different.”
Nadia fell silent.
“Different how?”
Arman set his bag on the sofa.
“I don’t know.”
He gave a small smile.
“Brighter.”
Nadia laughed softly.
“Maybe because you’re home.”
Arman stepped closer and kissed her forehead.
That answer seemed to be enough.
At least for now.
Nadia quickly picked up her husband’s bag.
“Have you had breakfast?”
“Not yet.”
“I’ll make you something.”
She walked toward the kitchen.
But after only a few steps, her phone, left on the table, vibrated.
Nadia stopped.
Arman turned toward her.
“Forgot to bring it?”
Nadia turned around too quickly.
“Yeah.”
She picked up the phone.
The screen lit up.
One name appeared.
**Raka.**
Nadia’s heart seemed to drop to the floor.
The message was brief.
> *I know he’s home.*
Nadia froze.
How did Raka know?
She immediately turned off the screen.
“Who was it?” Arman asked.
“A friend from work.”
“This early?”
Nadia smiled.
“Work stuff.”
Arman nodded.
But Nadia knew.
Her husband’s gaze had changed.
Only slightly.
But enough to make the back of her neck turn cold.
Breakfast was more peaceful than Nadia had imagined.
Arman talked about his business trip. About a difficult client, exhausting meetings, and a hotel he thought was far too cold.
Nadia listened.
Laughed now and then.
Asked questions now and then.
She tried to be the same wife she had been before everything changed.
But there was one problem.
Her thoughts kept returning to one name.
Raka.
And that message.
After breakfast, Arman went into the bedroom to rest.
Nadia stood alone in the kitchen.
She opened her phone.
There were no new messages.
She opened her conversation with Raka.
Her finger hovered over the keyboard.
Then she typed:
*“How did you know Arman was home?”*
The message was sent.
The reply came two minutes later.
> *Because I pay attention.*
Nadia furrowed her brow.
> *What do you mean?*
> *His car is parked in front of your house.*
Nadia turned toward the window.
It was true.
Arman’s car was parked out front.
She let out a breath.
> *Don’t come here.*
Raka didn’t reply.
Nadia waited.
One minute.
Two minutes.
Five minutes.
Nothing.
Finally, she slipped her phone into her pocket.
But a few seconds later, another message appeared.
> *I won’t come.*
Nadia exhaled in relief.
The next message appeared.
> *Unless you ask me to.*
Nadia stared at the screen for a long time.
She knew this game.
Raka always left an opening.
He never forced her.
Never asked her to choose.
But that was exactly what made it harder for Nadia to walk away.
Suddenly, Arman’s voice came from behind her.
“Who are you chatting with?”
Nadia flinched.
She turned around.
Arman stood in the bedroom doorway.
“A friend from work.”
“The same one as before?”
Nadia nodded.
“What’s his name?”
For a moment, Nadia forgot to breathe.
“Raka.”
Arman didn’t react right away.
He only stared at her.
Then he walked into the kitchen and poured himself a glass of water.
“Raka, the one who works with me?”
“Yeah.”
“Does he contact you often?”
Nadia looked at her husband.
“No.”
The lie came out too quickly.
Arman took a drink of water.
“Good.”
One word.
But his tone made Nadia uncomfortable.
That afternoon, Arman took Nadia to lunch at a restaurant they used to visit before their busy lives began to consume them.
They sat across from each other.
For the first time in a long while, Arman looked genuinely relaxed.
“Nadia.”
“Hmm?”
“I want to fix something.”
Nadia lifted her face.
“What?”
“Our relationship.”
The words left Nadia silent.
Arman set down his spoon.
“I know I’ve been too busy these past few months.”
Nadia gave him a faint smile.
“It’s okay.”
“I’m not finished.”
Arman looked at her.
“I don’t want you to feel alone anymore.”
Nadia lowered her head.
A sudden wave of guilt rose inside her.
For the first time that day, she felt truly awful.
Because Arman was aware after all.
Maybe he hadn’t been completely uncaring all this time.
Maybe he had simply realized it too late.
“We can start over,” Arman continued.
Nadia looked at him.
“Start over?”
“Yes.”
Arman smiled.
“Like we used to.”
Nadia wanted to answer.
She wanted to say yes.
But suddenly, her phone vibrated inside her bag.
She didn’t need to look to know who had sent the message.
Somehow, she knew.
Arman watched her move.
“You don’t want to check it?”
Nadia shook her head.
“No.”
Her phone vibrated again.
Once.
Then once more.
Nadia clutched her bag tighter.
Arman gave her a faint smile.
“If it’s important, it’s okay.”
“It’s not important.”
This time, Nadia sounded more firm.
But Arman only grew quieter.
That night, after Arman had fallen asleep, Nadia sat alone in the living room.
She finally opened her phone.
Three messages.
From Raka.
> *I won’t bother you.*
The second message:
> *Take good care of your husband.*
And the last message:
> *I only hope that someday you’ll be honest with yourself.*
Nadia read them all over and over.
Then she locked the screen.
She stood and walked toward the bedroom.
Arman was asleep with his back to her.
Nadia lay down slowly.
A few minutes later, Arman suddenly spoke, half-asleep.
“Are you still thinking about him?”
Nadia froze.
“Thinking about who?”
Arman didn’t answer.
His breathing settled into a steady rhythm again.
Maybe he was dreaming.
Or maybe not.
Nadia stared at the bedroom ceiling.
The night felt far longer than usual.
The next morning, Nadia went to work as usual.
The moment she entered the office, she realized something.
Several people were looking at her.
Whispering.
Then falling silent when she passed by.
Nadia quickened her pace.
When she reached her desk, she found a white envelope.
There was no sender’s name.
No writing on it at all.
With hesitant hands, Nadia opened it.
Inside was a single photograph.
A photo of herself.
Standing with Raka in the lobby of the apartment building that night.
Nadia’s heart stopped for a moment.
Someone had photographed them.
And that person knew.
On the back of the photo, someone had written by hand:
**“Your husband needs to see this.”**
Nadia sat down immediately.
Her hands trembled.
For the first time, the game that had always felt like her own private secret had become something far more dangerous.
Because now it wasn’t only Raka who knew.
It wasn’t only her.
Someone was watching them.
And that someone intended to destroy everything.