I stared at Malik.
I couldn't hear anything else.
Not Daniel.
Not Elena.
Not even the sound of my own breathing.
Only one sentence kept repeating inside my head.
The person who saved you was someone you have been loving all these years.
Malik.
My Malik.
The man I had trusted with my heart.
The man I had defended when everyone told me there were things I didn't know.
The man who had held me when I cried.
The man who had looked into my eyes and promised he would never leave me.
Could he really have been there that night?
I slowly lowered the letter.
"Malik."
He didn't answer.
My voice broke.
"Was it you?"
His eyes closed.
That was all the answer I needed.
A sob escaped my throat.
"You knew."
"I was going to tell you."
"When?"
He looked at me.
"When I knew you were ready."
I laughed through my tears.
"Everybody keeps saying that."
I stepped closer.
"You were there."
"Yes."
"You saved me."
"Yes."
My knees almost gave way.
Daniel moved toward me, but I raised my hand.
"Don't."
He stopped.
I looked at Malik.
"Tell me everything."
He took a deep breath.
"I was there that night."
"How old were you?"
"Old enough to understand that you were in danger. Young enough to be terrified."
I stared at him.
"You were just a child too."
"Yes."
"Then how did you save me?"
His eyes became distant.
"I heard you screaming."
A memory flashed through my mind.
Darkness.
Smoke.
Someone running.
A little boy's hand gripping mine.
I gasped.
"You carried me."
Malik nodded.
"You were unconscious."
I covered my mouth.
"You carried me out."
"Yes."
"Where?"
"To your mother."
My tears wouldn't stop.
"I thought you didn't know me until we met again."
"I knew you."
"All this time?"
"All this time."
I turned away.
My chest hurt.
"You watched me grow up?"
"No."
He quickly shook his head.
"After that night, your mother separated us. She wanted you to forget everything."
"Then how did we meet again?"
"She brought you to the school."
I frowned.
"My mother?"
"Yes."
"She knew you?"
"Yes."
I looked at Elena.
"And you knew too."
Elena nodded.
"We all knew."
I felt betrayed all over again.
"So my entire life has been built on lies."
"No," Malik said.
I turned toward him.
"Don't."
"But there is one thing that wasn't a lie."
"What?"
He stepped closer.
"Us."
My heart cracked.
"You don't get to say that."
"I know."
"You knew me before I knew you."
"Yes."
"You knew my history."
"Yes."
"You knew Daniel was alive."
"Yes."
"You knew Elena was alive."
He hesitated.
"Yes."
I wiped my tears.
"And you still let me fall in love with you."
Malik's expression broke.
"I didn't plan that."
"But it happened."
"Yes."
"And you love me?"
He didn't hesitate.
"Yes."
The word was barely a whisper.
But it hit me harder than anything else.
Daniel looked away.
Elena remained silent.
I stared at Malik.
"I don't know what to believe anymore."
"You don't have to believe me."
"Then what am I supposed to do?"
"Remember."
I shook my head.
"Remember what?"
"Everything."
Suddenly, pain exploded through my head.
I screamed.
Malik caught me before I fell.
The room disappeared.
I was somewhere else.
I was eight years old.
I could see the warehouse.
I could smell smoke.
I could hear my mother's voice.
"Run, Lina!"
I was crying.
Daniel was fighting someone.
A man grabbed me.
Then Malik appeared.
A younger Malik.
He pushed the man away.
"Leave her alone!"
The man struck him.
He fell.
I screamed.
Malik got back up.
He grabbed my hand.
"Don't be afraid."
I looked at him.
"You'll leave me."
"No."
His little face was covered in blood.
"I'll find you."
The memory shifted.
I saw my father.
He was standing near the door.
He wasn't alone.
Beside him stood Elena.
And another man.
I couldn't see his face.
My mother suddenly ran inside.
She screamed when she saw me.
"Lina!"
She pulled me into her arms.
Then—
A gunshot.
I screamed.
My mother fell.
"No!"
I tried to reach her.
Someone grabbed me.
Malik.
He pulled me away.
"Come with me!"
The memory shattered.
I opened my eyes.
I was on the floor.
Malik was holding me.
Daniel was kneeling nearby.
Elena was crying.
"My mother…"
I whispered.
"She was shot."
Elena nodded.
"But she survived."
I stared at her.
"What?"
"She survived that night."
My heart stopped.
"Then where is she?"
Elena looked down.
"She disappeared three days later."
"Why?"
"She knew they would come after you again."
I sat up.
"Where did she go?"
"We don't know."
Daniel suddenly looked toward the door.
"Someone's here."
We all froze.
A shadow passed beneath the doorway.
Malik stood immediately.
"Stay here."
"No."
"Lina—"
"I am done hiding."
The door opened.
A man stood outside.
He was dressed in black.
His face was unfamiliar.
But the moment I saw him, something inside me screamed.
I knew him.
Not from today.
From my memories.
He looked directly at me.
Then smiled.
"Your mother was right."
My heart raced.
"About what?"
He stepped into the room.
"You were always going to remember."
Daniel moved toward him.
"Who are you?"
The man ignored him.
His eyes remained on me.
Then he said something that made the entire room go silent.
"Your mother isn't missing, Lina."
I stopped breathing.
"She has been alive this entire time."
My lips parted.
"Where?"
The man smiled.
"Very close."
Then he pointed behind me.
I slowly turned.
And there, hanging on the wall, was an old photograph.
My mother.
Standing beside the same mysterious man.
But that wasn't what terrified me.
It was the date written underneath.
Taken three days ago.