LOGINShare
Chapter 7
Last Updated:
2025-06-27 20:17:40
Latest chapter
The Cobra of Smoke - The Burden of Sight Chapter 18
"Thank you," she said, touched by the gesture's significance. "This is perfect.""I've had three more cases since Maria," Dr Hassan said quietly. "I've been sending them to you for coffee meetings. I hope that's alright."Shantali nodded, thinking of the conversations she'd had over the past months, helping others navigate their own crossroads without falling into the trap of obsession."It feels right," she replied. "Like passing on what I've learned."Later that evening, as they shared their first dance as husband and wife, David whispered in her ear, "Any regrets about not pursuing the mystery further?"Shantali looked around at their gathered loved ones, Marcus and Sophia, Elena and her new boyfriend, David's grandmother, watching proudly from her wheelchair as she recovered from hip surgery. In the corner, Maria and Marcus laughed together, their move to San Francisco just weeks away."N
The Cobra of Smoke - The Burden of Sight Chapter 17
As she walked toward the subway that would take her to David and his grandmother, Shantali realised the cobra's true gift hadn't been prophecy at all. It had been clarity, the sudden, stark understanding of what truly mattered when all the noise of fear and ambition fell away.Three weeks later, their apartment fully furnished and the novel nearly complete, Shantali received another text from Maria: *I talked to Marcus. He applied for transfers to museums in San Francisco. We're moving together. Thank you for helping me see there was another option.*David read the message over her shoulder as they sat at their new kitchen table, Sunday papers spread between coffee mugs. "Another happy ending for the cobra's collection.""Not an ending," Shantali corrected, setting down her phone. "Just a better beginning."Outside their window, the park's trees had shed most of their leaves, preparing for winter's dormancy. In sp
The Cobra of Smoke - The Burden of Sight Chapter 16
Maria's response was immediate: *Yes, please. Tomorrow afternoon?*After arranging to meet at a café near the museum, Shantali set down her phone with a sense of purpose she hadn't expected. Not the desperate need to understand that had driven her to the library, but the gentler impulse to help someone else avoid the same pitfalls."You're going to become the unofficial cobra counsellor, aren't you?" David said with an amused smile."Maybe. If it helps people choose love over obsession." She curled back into his arms, feeling the rightness of it. "Dr Hassan mentioned that Dr Thorne left instructions about helping others. Maybe this is how it's supposed to work: each person who learns the lesson becomes a guide for the next."
The Cobra of Smoke - The Burden of Sight Chapter 15
Shantali paused, hand on the heavy glass door. Part of her was curious, but the larger part recognised this as another test of her commitment to moving forward."Maybe someday," she said finally. "But not today. Today I'm choosing to live in the mystery rather than solve it."Dr Hassan nodded approvingly. "Dr Thorne would have been proud of that answer."Outside, the October wind scattered leaves across the museum steps. David pulled Shantali close as they descended toward the street, the familiar weight of his arm around her shoulders grounding her in the present moment."How do you feel?" he asked as they reached the sidewalk."Free," she answered, surprising herself with
The Cobra of Smoke - The Burden of Sight Chapter 14
The Tuesday meeting at the museum felt like a visit to a bygone era. Shantali walked through the familiar corridors with David beside her, their footsteps echoing against marble floors that had once been the backdrop to her nightly obsessions. Now, the Egyptian wing held no mystery for her, just artifacts behind glass, ancient but safely contained in their climate-controlled cases.Dr Hassan was younger than Shantali had expected, perhaps mid-thirties, with intelligent dark eyes and prematurely silver-streaked hair pulled back in a practical ponytail. She greeted them in the conference room with a firm handshake and an appraising look that lingered on Shantali's face."Thank you for coming," Dr Hassan said, gesturing to chairs around a polished table. "I hope you don't mind that I asked Mr Chen to join us. Given that h
The Cobra of Smoke - The Burden of Sight Chapter 13
As the women admired the engagement ring, Marcus pulled David aside. Shantali couldn't hear their conversation, but she could imagine her protective older brother giving some version of the "hurt her and I'll kill you" speech."So," Marcus said when they were all seated, menus open before them, "this seems rather sudden."Shantali felt David tense beside her. "Not really. We've been together eight months.""And living together for approximately zero of those," Marcus pointed out. "Don't you think a cohabitation trial period would be prudent before marriage?""Actually," David interjected smoothly, "we just signed
You may also like
Addicted to Loving You: The Paranoid and Domineering Boss's Convicted Wife
Gu family's Little Bamboo682.2K viewsWatch Out, CEO Daddy!
Wine Warms The Flowers1.4M viewsPunished by His Love
Suzie4.3M viewsMaster Odell’s Secret Ex-wife
Eggsoup1.2M viewsMr CEO Is My Baby Daddy
Diosagray382 viewsDesired by the Billionaire Playboy
Rolando329 viewsKissing My Husband's Tattooed Brother
vancleefer105 viewsCountdown to Goodbye: You Can Burn Now
Big Drop200 views
