3

A wide smile spread across his face.

“We already have an entire pigeon coop on the roof, and now you want birds too?”

She folded her arms firmly and pouted.

“Please, Dad. Pigeons are one thing, and birds are another. Besides, you know how much I love birds. Please say yes, Dad. For me.”

He nodded in agreement.

He simply couldn’t refuse her anything. She was his only spoiled daughter.

She immediately got up and hugged him happily.

“May God keep you for me, the best dad in the whole world!”

“Sweet-talking me again, huh? You’ve been taking advantage of me your whole life, and now you’re doing it again. By the way, where’s the food you brought?”

She narrowed her eyes in confusion.

“What food? I brought food?”

“The food you said you brought so we could have breakfast together.”

She laughed mischievously.

“Oh, that? It wasn’t food. It was just a little trick so you’d agree, Hajouj. And you already said yes! The container is actually empty. Look.”

She opened the container in front of him.

Sure enough, it was completely empty.

She continued laughing.

“Besides, I already had breakfast at home. I wasn’t about to wait until now without eating.”

Her father’s eyes widened in disbelief.

Before he could even open his mouth, she ran toward the exit, calling out hurriedly,

“Bye, Hajouj! I’m going to feed the pigeons. Don’t forget the cage and the bird!”

He remained standing there in shock, staring after her with wide eyes, unable to believe how easily she had managed to trick him.

❈-❈-❈

Ghalia climbed to the rooftop of their house, heading energetically toward the small coop at the far end.

It was her personal pigeon coop.

She approached it happily, her face glowing with excitement. She loved raising birds, especially pigeons, and carried a small basket filled with their food.

She placed the basket beside her before opening the coop, a beautiful smile adorning her lips.

After feeding the pigeons, she felt an overwhelming sense of happiness.

Whenever she saw her pigeons, her mood instantly improved.

She picked up a tiny pigeon that had been born only a few days earlier and looked at it happily, gently stroking its back.

The scarf covering her head slipped off, revealing her jet-black hair, which contrasted beautifully with her fair skin.

She pushed a rebellious strand away from her face before returning the little pigeon to its nest beside its mother.

Her task was done.

She picked up the basket, preparing to head downstairs. She needed to go to the market that day to buy some household supplies, including fruits and vegetables.

As she carried the basket, she adjusted the scarf around her head.

She turned around while still fixing it when she suddenly gasped in horror.

The basket slipped from her hands.

A man was standing in front of the small room at the beginning of the rooftop, staring directly at her.

The first thought that crossed her mind was that he was a thief who had come to rob them.

She screamed in fear.

“Help! Thief! Thief!”

Omar immediately rushed toward her, snapping out of his thoughts at the sound of her loud scream.

He placed both hands over her mouth to stop her from screaming, afraid that someone might hear her.

“Calm down! Calm down! You’re going to expose me! What thief? Do I look like a thief to you?”

She struggled to free herself from his hands, growling in annoyance at having his palm pressed over her mouth.

Omar glanced around to make sure no one had come upstairs because of her screaming, then looked back at her.

“I’m going to take my hand away, but don’t scream. I’m taking it away now…”

He removed his hand.

The moment he did, she screamed again.