LOGINThe next morning, sunshine filled the apartment. Naomi woke up feeling peaceful. The competition was moving forward. Her classes were going well. Leo was healthy and happy. And for the first time in years, she felt like life was finally becoming stable. She walked into the kitchen and found Martha preparing breakfast. "Good morning," Martha said with a smile. "Good morning." A few seconds later, small footsteps came running. Leo appeared, his hair messy and his eyes still sleepy. "Mama!" Naomi laughed. "There is my little lion." Leo climbed into his chair. "Martha made pancakes!" Martha smiled proudly. "Of course." Leo looked at Naomi. "Mama, don't forget Family Day." Naomi smiled. "I won't." "You promise?" "I promise." Leo nodded happily and continued eating. Martha noticed something. "He's very excited." Naomi smiled softly. "I know." But deep inside, she noticed something else. Whenever Family Day was mentioned, Leo smiled. But there was always somet
Lucas did not move.For a few seconds, he simply stood there holding the phone.His heart was beating so fast that he could hear it.On the other end of the line, the investigator waited quietly.Lucas finally spoke."What do you mean you think you've found Naomi?"He tried to sound calm.He failed.The investigator noticed."I said I think I found her."Lucas closed his eyes briefly."Tell me everything."The investigator opened a file."I have spent months following different leads."Lucas listened carefully."Most of them went nowhere.""I know.""But a few weeks ago, I found something unusual."Lucas gripped the phone tighter."What?""A woman entered an international art competition in London."Lucas frowned.At first, it did not sound important.Thousands of people entered competitions every year.The investigator continued."Her profile matches Naomi in several ways."Lucas remained silent."The age matches.""The timeline matches.""The educational background is similar.""And
The apartment was quiet.Very quiet.Leo was already asleep.Martha had gone to her room.Outside, the lights of London shone through the windows like tiny stars.Naomi sat alone in her small art corner.Paintbrushes were scattered across the table.Sketchbooks were stacked in neat piles.Several tubes of paint sat inside a wooden box.She had planned to do some work before bed.Instead, she found herself cleaning.Sometimes cleaning helped her think.And tonight, her mind was unusually busy.The competition.The next round.Her future.Everything seemed to be changing little by little.Naomi picked up a stack of old sketchbooks.Most of them were filled with practice drawings.Faces.Buildings.Flowers.Random ideas.Years of work.Years of growth.She smiled as she flipped through them.Some drawings were good.Some were terrible.Very terrible.She laughed softly."I really drew this?"The proportions were completely wrong.The eyes looked strange.The hands looked even worse.She
Naomi could not stop smiling.The email was still open on her phone.She had read it at least ten times before going to sleep the night before.And every time she read it, the words still felt unreal.Congratulations. Your work has successfully advanced to the next stage of judging.She had done it.She was moving forward.The competition was not over yet.There were still many talented artists remaining.But this was a step.A very important step.And for Naomi, every step mattered.For years, she had fought to build a new life.Now, for the first time, she felt that life was finally opening its doors to her.The next morning, sunlight filled the apartment.Naomi entered the kitchen and found Martha preparing breakfast.The older woman looked up and smiled."You are smiling already."Naomi laughed."Can you blame me?""No."Martha placed a plate on the table."I cannot."Naomi sat down.For a few moments, neither woman spoke.Then Martha reached across the table and squeezed Naomi's
The next morning, Naomi woke up before her alarm.She lay in bed staring at the ceiling for a few moments.The competition was already underway.Somewhere in London, judges were looking at hundreds of paintings.Artists from different schools.Different backgrounds.Different countries.All hoping for the same thing.A chance.Naomi took a deep breath and sat up.She refused to spend the whole day worrying.There was nothing she could do now.The painting was already submitted.The decision no longer belonged to her.Still, a small nervous feeling remained in her chest.It was impossible to ignore completely.---At breakfast, Leo immediately noticed something."You are thinking."Naomi looked up from her coffee."What makes you say that?""You always make that face when you're thinking."Martha laughed."What face?"Leo copied Naomi's serious expression.The imitation was surprisingly accurate.Naomi groaned."I do not look like that.""You do.""I don't.""You do."Martha nearly spi
The morning of the competition arrived faster than Naomi expected.For weeks, students had talked about nothing else.The competition.The judges.The prizes.The opportunities.Every hallway conversation eventually returned to the same subject.But when Naomi woke up that morning, she was not thinking about prizes.She was thinking about breakfast.More specifically, she was thinking about the small boy standing in her kitchen trying to pour orange juice into a glass much too quickly."Leo!"Orange juice splashed across the table.Leo froze.The glass remained in his hand.The table was now wet.For a moment, neither of them spoke.Then Leo sighed dramatically."I was trying to help."Naomi burst into laughter."I know."Martha entered the kitchen just in time to see the mess."What happened here?"Leo pointed at the juice."The orange attacked me."Martha laughed so hard she had to sit down.Naomi shook her head."This child will become a lawyer one day."Leo grinned proudly."Becau
Naomi’s POVThe darkness was not black. It was a strange, heavy gray. I felt like I was underwater, trying to swim to the surface, but the water was made of lead. I could hear voices, but they sounded like they were coming from a long, metal tunnel."She’s waking up! Look, her eyes are moving!"I f
No, I told myself sternly. He won't care. He has Valentina now. He has the money. He has his life back.I thought about Abigail. She was the only person who knew I was here. I had called her from a payphone near the train station. She had cried, promising to bring me some money and food tomorrow."
Naomi’s POVThe smell of the hospital was finally behind me.I sat in the passenger seat of Martha’s old, small car. My body felt like it was made of glass. Every bump in the road made me squeeze my eyes shut and hold my belly. I was still in pain, but the doctor had said my blood pressure was stab
Lucas’s POVThe Ashford mansion had become a place I no longer recognized. It was a factory of luxury. Two days remained until the wedding, and the air was thick with the smell of expensive flowers and the sound of frantic voices. Every room was filled with workers. They were hanging silk drapes, p







