The bus Alya was riding continued speeding away from the city.
She sat by the window, her head resting against the glass.
The view outside slowly changed.
The high-rise buildings disappeared.
They were replaced by trees, modest houses, and a long, deserted road.
Alya hugged her bag tightly.
Her entire life was inside it.
A few changes of clothes.
Important documents.
A little money.
And an envelope she had not let go of since earlier.
Alya touched her stomach again.
“I'm sorry...”
Her voice was barely audible.
“Looks like from now on, it'll be just the two of us.”
Tears welled in the corners of her eyes.
She had never imagined leaving Adrian like this.
Back when she married him, Alya had dreamed of having a small, happy family.
But reality had turned out differently.
To Adrian, she was nothing more than a wife who had to fulfill her obligations.
And now...
Alya didn't want her child to grow up in a home filled with the same silence she had endured for the past two years.
Several hours later, the bus stopped in a small town.
Alya got off alone.
She drew a deep breath.
No one here knew her.
No one knew she was the wife of a CEO.
And that was exactly what she wanted.
Alya walked toward a small house not far from the market.
A middle-aged woman opened the door.
“Alya?”
Alya smiled.
“Yes, Mrs. Sari.”
The woman immediately embraced her.
“Oh my goodness, you finally made it.”
That embrace shattered Alya's defenses.
Her tears fell.
“Mrs. Sari...”
“Come inside. You must be tired.”
Alya nodded.
She entered the modest house.
For the first time in a long while, she felt truly accepted.
Meanwhile, back in the city.
Adrian still hadn't given up.
Ever since finding Alya's hair clip, he hadn't been able to calm his mind.
He returned to the penthouse that night.
But instead of sleeping, Adrian opened every one of Alya's belongings.
One by one.
The closet.
The drawers.
The vanity.
Even the small box that had always sat beside the bed.
Empty.
Adrian let out a sigh.
Then his eyes fell on an old photograph.
A picture of him and Alya when they had just gotten married.
Adrian picked it up.
For the first time, he noticed Alya's smile in the photo.
The smile he had never cared about before.
His phone rang.
“Sir.”
“Well?”
“We've found several CCTV recordings.”
Adrian stood immediately.
“Where?”
“At the terminal.”
Adrian's heart pounded.
“She took a bus.”
“Where to?”
His assistant fell silent for a moment.
“We haven't been able to confirm that yet. But one recording shows the bus Mrs. Alya took heading north.”
Adrian grabbed his suit jacket.
“Get the car ready.”
“Sir, tonight?”
“Now.”
The next morning.
Alya sat on the porch of Mrs. Sari's house, enjoying a cup of tea.
The morning air felt so fresh.
There were no honking horns.
No towering buildings.
No luxurious lifestyle that had made her feel so alone all this time.
Mrs. Sari came out carrying a plate of food.
“Eat something first.”
Alya smiled.
“Thank you, Mrs. Sari.”
Mrs. Sari sat beside her.
“Are you sure you don't want to go back?”
Alya fell silent.
“Back where?”
“To your husband.”
Alya lowered her head.
“He never truly wanted me, Mrs. Sari.”
Mrs. Sari took her hand.
“But he's still your husband.”
Alya smiled bitterly.
“Sometimes someone can be our husband on paper...”
She looked up at the sky.
“...but never become a home for our hearts.”
Mrs. Sari fell silent.
She didn't know how to respond.
That afternoon, a black car entered the small town.
Adrian sat in the back seat.
His sharp gaze studied every road they passed.
“According to the data, the last bus stopped at this terminal, sir.”
“Stop.”
The car stopped.
Adrian got out.
He walked toward the terminal.
But before he could enter, he stopped.
Across the street stood a small shop.
In front of it, a woman stood holding a shopping bag.
Long hair.
A simple dress.
A figure he knew all too well.
Adrian froze.
“Alya...”
The woman slowly turned around.
But a bus suddenly passed between them.
Adrian lost sight of her.
“Sir?”
He immediately ran across the street.
But when the bus had passed...
The woman was already gone.
Adrian stood there, stunned.
His eyes searched in every direction.
Nothing.
Once again, he was too late.
But this time, he was sure.
That had been Alya.
He recognized the way she walked.
The way she held her bag.
Even the way the wind blew through her hair.
Adrian clenched his fists.
“She really is here.”
Meanwhile, several hundred yards away...
Alya was walking home with Mrs. Sari.
She had no idea Adrian had just been so close.
And she also didn't know...
That from that day on, Adrian's search would draw ever closer to her hiding place.
But Alya had already made her decision.
No matter what happened, Adrian must not learn the secret inside her.