Chapter 8 — The Clues Begin to Surface
That morning, Alya woke up earlier than usual. For some reason, she had felt restless since the night before. She walked to the window and pulled the curtain open just a little.
The street was still quiet. No vehicles passed by. There wasn't even a single person walking outside.
Alya let out a relieved sigh. "Maybe I'm just too scared."
She then got ready for work. Before leaving the room, Alya took the white envelope from the drawer and slipped it into her bag.
She stared at the envelope for a moment. "I have to protect it." Then she zipped her bag tightly shut.
The bakery was fairly busy that morning. Alya was busy serving customers when Mrs. Sari suddenly called her.
"Alya."
"Yes, Mrs. Sari?"
"Someone came to the house last night."
Alya's hand, which was holding a loaf of bread, immediately froze.
"Who?"
"He said he was looking for someone."
Alya's heart began to race.
"Looking for whom?"
Mrs. Sari shook her head.
"He didn't mention a name. But he asked if there was a new woman living with me."
Alya fell silent, her face slowly turning pale.
"Mrs. Sari..."
"Relax." Mrs. Sari clasped her hand.
"He doesn't know anything. I told him there was no one here."
Alya took a deep breath. "Thank you, Mrs. Sari." But that sense of calm didn't last long.
At noon.
A man entered the bakery. Alya, who was carrying a tray, turned toward him.
It was the same man who had stood outside Mrs. Sari's house the night before. Alya immediately lowered her face. Her heart pounded.
The man walked toward the cash register. "Excuse me."
Alya didn't answer. She pretended to be busy arranging the bread.
The man stared at her for several seconds. "I'm sorry."
Alya finally looked up. "Yes?"
"Have we met before?"
Alya was startled, but quickly smiled. "I don't think so."
The man continued to stare at her. "I don't know why, but your face seems familiar."
Alya held her breath. "I just started working here."
The man nodded. "Maybe I'm mistaken."
He bought several loaves of bread and left.
Alya could finally breathe again after the man walked out. Her hands were visibly trembling.
Mrs. Sari, who had been watching from behind, immediately came over. "Alya."
"I'm fine, Mrs. Sari."
"Do you know him?"
Alya shook her head. "No."
But deep down, Alya knew. That man wasn't an ordinary customer. He was looking for someone. And most likely, the person he was looking for was her.
Meanwhile, in Jakarta, Adrian was sitting in his office. His assistant stood in front of his desk.
"We've found a new lead, sir."
Adrian looked up. "What?"
"There was a transaction made with a card believed to belong to Mrs. Alya."
Adrian immediately stood. "Where?"
"At a bakery in a small town."
Adrian's heart began to race. "When?"
"Within the last few days."
Adrian stared at his phone screen. "The address."
His assistant handed him a sheet of paper. Adrian read it. But before he could make a decision, his phone began to ring.
It was a call from his mother.
Adrian frowned.
He ignored it.
A second call came in.
He ignored that one too.
Finally, a message appeared. "Come home. There's something I need to discuss with you about Alya."
Adrian fell silent.
About Alya?
What did his mother know?
He immediately grabbed his suit jacket.
"Cancel all my appointments tomorrow."
His assistant was startled.
"Sir, where are you going?"
Adrian looked at the paper in his hand. "To that town."
That night, Alya sat in her room. She stared at her old phone. She was using a new number now. She had gotten rid of her old number long ago. Yet tonight, for some reason, she desperately wanted to know how Adrian was doing.
Alya opened a news article online. Adrian Mahendra's name appeared on the homepage. The young CEO had just won the biggest business award of the year.
Alya read the article in silence. There was a photo of Adrian standing onstage. His face was still the same. Cold and stern. Perfect in every way.
Alya smiled bitterly. "Looks like you're doing just fine without me."
She turned off her phone. Then she lay down. But a few minutes later, a sudden wave of nausea hit her. Alya quickly got up and ran to the bathroom.
After a while, she leaned against the wall. Her hand moved to her stomach again. Tears slowly streamed down her face.
"I have to move faster."
She knew she had less and less time. Not only because Adrian was beginning to pick up her trail, but also because something would soon become visible. Something she couldn't possibly hide forever.
The next morning, Adrian arrived in the small town. His car stopped not far from the bakery where the transaction had been recorded.
Adrian got out. His eyes fixed on the small building in front of him.
"Sir," his assistant said, "the bakery is over there."
Adrian stepped forward.
One step.
Two steps.
Three steps.
Before he reached the door, a woman came out of the bakery carrying a cardboard box. Long hair, a petite figure—even the way she walked was so familiar to him.
Adrian suddenly stopped. "Alya..."
The woman turned around. But just as their eyes were about to meet, a customer walked past Adrian and blocked his view.
When Adrian looked back toward the woman, she had already entered the alley beside the bakery.
Adrian immediately chased after her, but the alley was empty. There was no one there. Only a cardboard box that had fallen beside a trash can.
Adrian stood still, his hands clenched into fists.
Once again, Alya had managed to get away.
And without Adrian realizing it, behind the door of a house a few yards away, Alya covered her mouth with both hands. Tears fell and streamed down her cheeks.
She had just seen Adrian, her husband. The man she had been trying to avoid all this time. Alya realized then that hiding might not be as easy as she had imagined. Adrian was getting closer.