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Chapter 116

Author: Crystal hart
last update Last Updated: 2025-06-01 19:40:58

The front door clicked shut behind her with a soft finality. Zara stepped into her childhood home, a space that once promised warmth and safety, but now felt like a holding cell for half-truths. The scent of lavender and disinfectant still lingered in the air—a scent she had grown up with, one that used to soothe her. Today, it didn’t.

Mrs. Tunde looked up from the sofa, her reading glasses perched low on her nose, and smiled gently. “Zara. I didn’t expect you.”

“I needed some air,” Zara replied. “Somewhere… less tense.”

Mrs. Tunde nodded slowly and rose to embrace her. But Zara’s arms were stiff around her mother’s frame, and the hug dissolved quickly.

They sat in the living room, the clock ticking like a metronome in the background. Zara had barely touched the tea her mother served. Her fingers curled tightly around the edges of her phone instead.

After a prolonged silence, Zara slid her phone across the table.

A photo displayed on the screen—grainy, dimly lit, but unmistakable: a l
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