After washing her face and tying her hair back loosely, she walked out of her room. The guesthouse was quiet in the morning, filled with soft sounds. Dishes clinking somewhere downstairs. Low voices. The smell of food drifting up.
As she stepped into the hallway, she almost ran into Lennox.
“Oh,” he said quickly, stepping back. “Good morning.”
“Good morning,” she replied.
He looked at her carefully. “You’ve probably seen it already.”
She nodded. “Yes.”
“I’m really sorry,” he said, genuine concern in his voice. “I had made sure we didn’t attract attention, but airports are difficult. Someone always recognizes.”
“It’s okay,” Riyana said calmly. Her voice surprised even herself. “I understand how it works for you.”
He looked relieved but still uneasy. “If this causes you trouble...”
“It won’t,” she cut in gently. “At least, not the kind I can’t handle. News like this disappears in a few days. People move on.”
He studied her for a second, as if trying to read what she wasn’t saying. “Still, I should have been more careful.”
She shook her head. “You don’t need to apologize. I agreed to come.”
He let out a breath. “Thank you for understanding.”
They walked downstairs together. Breakfast was simple but warm. Fresh bread, eggs, fruit, tea. Riyana realized she was actually hungry.
As she ate, she felt her body slowly relax.
After breakfast, Lennox leaned back slightly and asked, “Would you like to walk around? The area is quiet in the mornings.”
She thought about it for a moment, then nodded. “Yes. I’d like that.”
They stepped outside together. The air was cool and fresh, carrying the scent of grass and earth. The road was narrow, lined with trees. A few locals passed by, nodding politely.
As they walked, neither of them spoke for a while.
Riyana liked the silence.
It didn’t feel awkward. It felt peaceful.
After some time, Lennox said, “You seem different today.”
She glanced at him. “Different how?”
“Calmer,” he replied. “But also… distant.”
She smiled faintly. “I’ve had a lot on my mind.”
He nodded. “You don’t have to talk about it.”
“I know,” she said. “But thank you.”
They stopped near a small open area where the hills stretched out in front of them. The view was wide and quiet, nothing like the city.
Riyana stood there, hands loosely folded in front of her, breathing it in.
For now, this was enough.
No shouting. No questions. No threats.
Just space.
And for the first time since everything started falling apart, she felt like she could stand on her own again.
After two days, Riyana finally returned to the city.
During those two days, her phone stayed switched off. Not even once did she check it. She knew if she turned it on, Jabco would find her. She did not want that. She needed space. She needed silence. More than anything, she needed to breathe.
Jabco, on the other hand, had almost gone mad.
The moment he found out she had disappeared, panic hit him harder than he wanted to admit. He searched everywhere. He contacted people. He even tried to use his connections. But the moment Lennox’s name came up, everything stopped.
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