Semua Bab When We Fall: Bab 21 - Bab 30

CHAPTER 21 PART 1 FIRST WARNING SIGNS Maya sank onto the edge of her bed, the city lights spilling faintly across the floor. The apartment was quiet eerily so except for the occasional hum of distant traffic. She thought she would feel relief, maybe even a sliver of peace, after the exhausting week of pretending, of smiling, of holding herself together while standing beside her fiancé in public. But there was no relief. Only heaviness. It started the night after the faculty dinner. Her fiancé had walked her to the apartment door, his hand firm at her lower back, guiding her inside. Everything had seemed normal, polite, public affection that anyone could observe and admire. He smiled, whispered casual pleasantries about her day, and leaned in for a light kiss on the temple. Then the door clicked closed behind them, and the mask fell. The first warning sign came as a whisper. “You shouldn’t laugh like that,” he said, almost casually, brushing a strand of hair from her face. “It

CHAPTER 23 PART 1 THE WEIGHT OF SILENCE Maya woke to the sound of her fiancé’s voice echoing softly in the apartment. He was speaking on the phone, the tone calm, professional, polished the perfect image for anyone who might overhear. But the calm carried a subtle edge that Maya had learned to fear. She lay still, staring at the ceiling, heart heavy, body tense. The night’s dreams had been restless: Ethan’s face appeared in flashes, sometimes smiling, sometimes looking at her with confusion and hurt, and the imagined laughter of the “hot girl” haunted her. I can’t reach him, she whispered silently. I can’t say anything. I can’t… I can’t. Her fingers trembled as she reached for her phone, but she didn’t call him. She couldn’t. Not yet. Breakfast was a quiet affair. Her fiancé poured coffee with precise movements, his eyes occasionally flicking toward her, measuring, assessing. His smile was warm, public, comforting to anyone who might watch. Maya knew better. The warmth was a tra

CHAPTER 25 PART 1 CAGED HEARTS The morning sunlight streamed through the apartment window, brushing across Maya’s face. But it brought no warmth, no comfort. It only reminded her that she was trapped in a life she hadn’t chosen, in a love she could not reach, and in a silence that had begun to feel permanent. Her fiancé’s presence filled the apartment even before he entered. He had already left notes and reminders of the schedule for the day, meticulously planned down to the minute. Breakfast had been prepared, coffee poured, and her outfit selected for her. It was meant to feel thoughtful, generous but it was a cage disguised as care. Maya rose quietly, moving through the motions. She placed herself at the table, nodding when he glanced her way, offering the practiced smile she had perfected over months. It fooled everyone else. It didn’t fool her. At the office, she immersed herself in work. Every contract, every meeting, every decision was a distraction. Yet, even the satisfa

CHAPTER 27 PART 1 NO SAFE SILENCE Maya didn’t delete the message. She couldn’t. It stayed on her phone like a pulse proof that she wasn’t imagining things, proof that someone had crossed from watching to warning. She read it again and again, searching for clues in the wording, the timing, the number that didn’t exist when she tried to call it back. Nothing. Just fear. She sat at the edge of the bed as the city woke outside, the early light slipping through the curtains, exposing the night she hadn’t slept through. Her body felt heavy, as if every muscle was bracing for impact. Be careful who you trust. The words echoed louder than they should have. Elena arrived before noon, face tight with concern. Maya hadn’t even finished explaining before her sister’s expression changed from worry to something sharper anger edged with fear. “They contacted you directly?” Elena asked. Maya nodded. “An unknown number.” Elena exhaled slowly. “That means they’re done observing.” Maya’s

CHAPTER 29 PART 1 WHEN WORLDS OVERLAP The silence inside the safe house was unnatural. Not peaceful. Not calm. It was the kind of silence that existed only when everyone in the room knew something irreversible was unfolding but no one was ready to name it. Maya stood between two worlds. On her left was Ethan. On her right was the man she was supposed to marry. She could feel the gravity of both pulling at her, tearing her apart in opposite directions. Her fiancé was the first to move. He adjusted his cufflinks slowly, deliberately, as though he had all the time in the world. His gaze drifted around the room over Elena, the folders on the table, the barely concealed panic in the air before finally settling on Ethan. The look was polite. Almost kind. “You must be very confused,” he said calmly. Ethan didn’t answer. He had gone very still, the way predators did when they were deciding whether to attack or retreat. Maya recognized it immediately. It frightened her not beca