บททั้งหมดของ The reluctant vow: บทที่ 241 - บทที่ 250

The morning sun was only just beginning to break through the pale blue sky when Zara stirred awake in the backseat of the car. Her body felt stiff from the awkward sleeping position, but the dull ache in her back and the weight of her belly weren’t enough to overshadow the fire in her chest. Today was different. Today, she would stand face-to-face with the woman who might hold every answer they had been searching for — the woman who could finally tell her where Zainab was.Kemi yawned softly from the passenger seat and stretched, while Nathan rubbed his eyes and switched off the car engine they had left running through the night for the air conditioning. None of them had truly slept — anticipation had kept their minds awake even if their bodies had shut down for a while. The night spent parked in the heart of Ajegunle-Oke’s tiny main square felt like a blur now. Villagers had laughed and played music deep into the night, the kind of easy, joyful noise that small communities thrived on

The inside of Matron Halimah’s hut felt like stepping into another world — a world frozen in time. The air was cool and faintly scented with woodsmoke and old herbs. Faded photographs, browned by age, lined the walls: children smiling in school uniforms, a young woman cradling a baby, a much younger Halimah standing beside a man with proud eyes. Shelves stacked with worn books and clay pots filled the corners. It was simple, modest, yet there was an undeniable warmth within its walls — a reflection of the woman who had lived so many lives inside them.“Please,” Halimah said, motioning toward three low stools around a rickety wooden table. “Sit.”They obeyed, still slightly dazed by the sudden shift from broom-swinging hostility to cautious hospitality. Halimah poured them water from a clay jug, her hands trembling slightly, then lowered herself onto a seat opposite them. For a while, silence hung heavy, broken only by the distant bleating of goats outside.Then she sighed — a long, we

The trio had barely walked ten steps away from Halimah’s hut when her voice suddenly pierced the quiet evening air.“Zara!”They froze, startled. Nathan turned first, followed by Kemi, and then Zara, who clutched the side of her belly and squinted back toward the small figure now standing outside the hut. Halimah’s frail silhouette was framed against the fading gold of the sunset, her shawl fluttering softly in the breeze.“Come back for a moment!” she called, her tone urgent yet oddly gentle.They exchanged puzzled glances before retracing their steps. By the time they reached her, Halimah had stepped a little closer, her lined face illuminated by the last streaks of daylight.“I almost forgot,” she said, a faint smile tugging at the corners of her lips. “There’s something I should give you. It might help.”They waited in silence, the sound of cicadas beginning to rise from the tall grass around them. A minute later, Halimah returned — in her hands was a single, slightly crumpled she

The night was unusually quiet as Nathan slowly pulled the car out of the hospital parking lot. They were only heading out to grab food — something light for Zara and a quick meal for themselves — but the silence in the car felt heavier than the long day they’d just endured.The doctor finally gave Zara permission to step out briefly. Her vitals had stabilized, and although she still needed plenty of rest, a short trip to get some fresh air and food would do her more good than harm — as long as she didn’t exert herself. Relieved, Nathan and Kemi agreed to keep the outing short.As the evening sky deepened into shades of indigo, the three of them made their way to the hospital parking lot. Nathan eased the car out slowly, planning to stop by a nearby restaurant to pick up food for Zara and themselves before returning to the hospital. “They planned to sleep in the hospital overnight, just so Zara could be closely monitored — and if anything changed, doctors and nurses would be on standby

The day everything changedZainab grew quiet again, her eyes distant — as if replaying a memory she had tried to bury for years. When she finally spoke, her voice trembled slightly.“There’s something else you need to know,” she said. “Something that changed everything for all of us.”Zara leaned forward, her heartbeat pounding in her chest. “What is it?”“It happened more than twenty years ago,” Zainab began. “We were all in the garden that day — Regan, Rami, and I. They were playing like they always did, chasing each other around. It was supposed to be a normal afternoon.” She paused, swallowing hard. “But then it happened.”Kemi frowned. “What happened?”“Regan pushed Rami. It wasn’t hard — just a playful shove. But Rami lost his balance, stumbled back, and fell. His head hit a sharp rock on the ground.” Zainab’s voice cracked. “It was over in seconds. He didn’t even cry. He just… stopped breathing.”The room fell silent. Zara’s breath caught in her throat. Nathan stared blankly at