Chapter 10 — New City
The bus stopped as the sun began to set. Alya stepped off slowly, carrying her small suitcase. She didn't know anyone in the city. That was exactly what she wanted.
Alya drew a deep breath. “From now on, I really have to start everything over.”
She walked toward a modest inn she had found through information on her phone. But after only a few steps, Alya suddenly felt dizzy.
She stopped at the side of the road and gripped a lamppost. Her face went pale. “Oh...”
A woman who happened to be passing by immediately approached her. “Are you all right?”
Alya shook her head. “I'm just a little dizzy.”
“You should sit down first.”
The woman helped her sit on a bench.
Alya gave her a small smile. “Thank you.”
“Sorry, if you don't mind me asking, where are you going?”
“I'm looking for a place to stay,” Alya replied.
“Oh, did you just arrive?”
Alya nodded.
The woman introduced herself. “My name is Nisa.”
“Alya.”
Nisa smiled. “If you don't have anywhere to live yet, I know there's an empty room at my aunt's house.”
Alya fell silent before answering, “But I don't want to be a burden.”
“You won't be. You can help out at my aunt's café. As it happens, she's looking for someone to work there.”
Alya looked at her hesitantly. She needed to be more careful around someone she had just met.
“Don't worry. My aunt's a good person.”
Alya took a deep breath, hoping she wasn't making the wrong decision. Finally, she nodded. “All right.”
Alya felt that perhaps fate was still giving her a chance.
That night, Adrian was still in the previous city. He stood in front of the terminal's information board, reading the bus departure list.
His assistant arrived with a report. “Sir, we've found the bus Mrs. Alya took.”
Adrian immediately turned. “Where did it go?”
“Kota Arwana.”
Adrian took the report. “When did the bus arrive?”
“It arrived a few hours ago.”
Adrian fell silent. Once again, he was too late. But this time, he wasn't angry. Instead, he became even more certain that Alya had deliberately avoided him.
“Get the plane ready.”
His assistant nodded. “Are we leaving tonight?”
“Yes.”
Adrian stared at the name of the city. “This time, I'll find her.”
In Kota Arwana, Alya was helping Nisa arrange a simple bedroom.
“The room is pretty small,” Nisa said.
Alya smiled. “It's more than enough.”
She placed her suitcase in the corner of the room.
Then she sat on the bed. Her heart felt a little calmer. However, when she opened her bag, her gaze fell once again on the white envelope she had kept all this time. Alya picked it up with trembling hands. Inside was the test result that had changed her entire life. She drew a deep breath, then put it away again.
Alya rubbed her stomach. “It's not time yet.”
She didn't know how long she could keep it hidden. But she knew one thing: Adrian must not find out about the child growing inside her.
Several hours later, a private plane landed. Adrian stepped off quickly. He hadn't brought many people—only his assistant.
“Start at the terminal,” he ordered.
“Yes, sir.”
But when Adrian searched the area around the terminal, there wasn't a single trace of Alya. There was no clear footage, and not even one person recognized her. It was as if Alya had truly vanished.
Adrian clenched his fists. “Alya...”
This time, he felt helpless despite his immense wealth. He could buy buildings, take control of companies, even purchase the most luxurious things. But he couldn't find one woman who had been by his side for two years.
In her small room, Alya stood beside the window. In the distance, she could see the city lights. She didn't know that Adrian was searching for her in the same city. They were only a few kilometers apart. Yet fate still hadn't brought them together.
Alya closed the curtains. “I hope you don't find me, Adrian.”
She didn't know that Adrian's search would soon bring someone from their past to this city—someone who knew the real reason their marriage had happened in the first place.
And if that person revealed the secret Alya had kept hidden all this time, she would no longer be safe.