Tin Tin!
The blaring of a car horn stopped me. I darted back to the curtain, pulling it wide open, and my stomach dropped.
It was Tsabinu’s car!
What? He’d said late. Why was he back now?
My hands went cold. How was I supposed to leave now? What if Zioh arrived? What could I possibly say to Tsabinu? My heart slammed in my chest as I ran a hand through my hair.
I’m staying over at Zioh’s… to record—
What a disaster.
If Tsabinu everfound out…
The thought alone suffocated me. Because no matter how little he said it out loud, I knew he wanted me away from the Danudara family. Away from their shadows. If he learned the truth that, after everything, I was crawling back to Zioh—
Would he feel betrayed?
Or worse… disappointed?
The last thing I wanted to do was to make him feel let down. I didn’t dare tell him, mainly because my relationship with Zioh was still so gray after all this time.
I stood on a thin rope that could snap and break at any moment. Yet, I insisted on staying there, balancing, and walking forward, because…
I couldn’t ignore Zioh. I just… couldn’t.
There was something vast and dark in him—a weight pulling him slowly under. Something was drowning him, and I couldn’t walk away. I was going to hear it from Zioh, so that I could finally escape the darkness that had swallowed me for ten years.
My brother was my life, but I couldn’t deny that the life we had in the past was… better.
And I wanted to know what stole that life away from me.
I turned off my bedroom light and pressed my ear against the door. The footsteps were coming upstairs. Then they suddenly stopped; in that moment, I knew my brother was looking toward my room. I held my breath, praying, “Please go to your room. Please.”
Silence.
Then, at last, there was a sound of his door closing.
“Thank God,” I whispered, exhaling in relief.
Quickly, I shrugged into my denim jacket, grabbed my bags, and pulled out my phone.
Tshabina:Zioh, let’s meet at the cafe near my complex. I’ll share the location.
Tiptoeing through the hallway, I peered downstairs. The kitchen lights were still on—our maid wasn’t asleep yet. Good. That meant the gate wasn’t locked.
I crept past Tsabinu’s room, the faint sound of running water drifted from his shower, along with... a voice. A woman’s voice?
I frowned. “Seriously, Mas? You’re so busy that you even take calls while showering?” I muttered at his door.
Shaking my head, I hurried downstairs, slipped out the gate, and sent one last text—this time for Tsabinu.
Tshabina:Mas, sudden overtime. I’m heading to the office and don’t want to disturb you while you’re in the shower. Don’t look for me, I’ll be back tomorrow.
Tin!
“Akh!”
