His voice was smooth, and his mannerisms were perfectly reasonable.Too reasonable. I didn’t trust it. But exhaustion tugged at my limbs, and my questions—no matter how pressing—could wait.
“Well… good night, then,” I murmured, suppressing a yawn.
Malik smiled broadly. “Pleasant dreams, you two.”
But his gaze stayed locked onto me. It didn’t match the warmth of his smile. It watched. It waited.
His hands perched on his hips, his stance casual but expectant. He was waiting for us to leave.
I hesitated. Then, almost without thinking, I asked, “In the journal… you had a child. What happened to her?”
The room’s energy shifted.
Malik’s expression darkened into something unreadable. He didn’t speak.
Emily, ever gentler in her approach, tried again. “Will you tell us what happened?”
His face closed off entirely, leaving only a cold, empty regard. “It’s late. I will answer that question another day.” A pause. Then, with finality, “Good night.”
His fingers curled around the doorknob; his silent command clear.
Emily and I exchanged glances before stepping out into the dimly lit hallway, our unspoken questions trailing behind us. We parted ways, heading for our respective rooms.
As I padded along the plush carpet, I couldn’t shake the sensation of his eyes tracking my every move.
***
A soft scratching against my door the next morning pulled me from sleep.
I blinked groggily, stretching out the stiffness in my limbs. “Who’s out there?”
“It’s me,” came Emily’s hushed voice. “Can I come in?”
“Sure.”
I pulled myself upright, swung my legs off the bed, and reached for the delicate lace-and-silk robe hanging in the armoire. As I tugged it around me, Emily slipped inside, looking as disheveled as I felt—her face pale, dark circles clinging beneath her eyes.
“What’s wrong? Sleepless night?” I crossed the room and wrapped my arms around her.
She melted into the embrace, nodding into my shoulder. “I tossed and turned all night.”
“Me too.” I kissed the top of her head before pulling away. “I couldn’t stop thinking about everything we learned about Mom in the journal.”
Emily focused on the floor as she hugged herself tightly. “That missingpage. I know it’s important. We need to ask Malik about what it said and where it is. Why it was removed.”
Nausea coiled in my stomach as last night’s revelations resurfaced. There was too much to process, too many pieces missing from the puzzle.
A sudden patter of tiny feet broke through my thoughts.
Rosie.
I hadn’t even thought to ask about her last night. Guilt prickled at me.
The door burst open without warning, and Rosie hopped into the room like a bunny, her curls bouncing with each step.
“I’ve been having a tea party!” she announced, spinning in a circle.
“A tea party?” I crouched down to her level, forcing a smile. “That sounds fun! But isn’t it a little early for tea?”
