Chapter 139: The past should stay where it belongs.

Words : 1219 Updated : Sep 27th, 2025

Across the city... The stillness of the night was broken by the shrill buzz of Roberto’s phone. He stirred with a groan, dragging a heavy hand across the nightstand until his fingers brushed against the device. Without even opening his eyes, he muttered, "Hello?" "Roberto, save me!" The voice on the other end was ragged, laced with terror. "They are going to kill me." His drowsiness vanished in an instant. The voice was unmistakably familiar. It was his informant, whom he had planted close to Riya and Zachary. But the panic in his tone jolted Roberto. He hadn’t expected the man’s cover to burn this fast. Roberto jerked upright, his pulse hammering. "Where are you?" "Behind the Grand Hotel, there is a narrow alley that leads to an abandoned site. I am hiding there. Hurry. They are looking for me. Come and pick me up before they find me." "I’m coming. Stay put." The call ended, and Roberto swung his legs out of bed, adrenaline wiping away any trace of sleepiness. His bare feet hit the floor, carrying him quickly around the room. His mind churned, running faster than his steps. Grabbing the car key, he hurried toward the door, but he halted abruptly as something hit his mind. "Why would he call me?" Roberto muttered, his brow tightening with suspicion. They had agreed never to reach out through calls or messages, always relying on safer, more discreet channels. Yet tonight, the informant had broken that rule. The thought unsettled him. "This isn’t right," he muttered, his instincts bristling. "It’s a trap." A shiver crept up his nape. He was well aware of how dangerous Zachary was. If he had traced the informant, it meant he was already on his trail. His chest tightened as the image of Zachary surfaced in his mind. Roberto knew he couldn’t survive. ’I have to get out of here before it’s too late,’ he thought. His legs moved before fear could root him in place. He tore open the closet, shoving clothes and documents into a suitcase. His gaze flicked to the small packet of evidence—the last thing the informant had given him. He snatched it, burying it deep inside the case. He yanked a hoodie over his head and strode out of the apartment. ~~~~~~~~~~~ When Nathaniel woke up, the room was awash in sunlight, so bright it forced him to squint as he sat up. The bed beside him was empty. ’She didn’t wake me?’ he thought as he got off the bed. He left the room with a faint crease in his brow, scanning the hallway. It was quiet with no sign of Zara. "Mrs. Jules," he called out. The housekeeper appeared almost instantly, her brisk steps carrying her toward him. "Sir, you are awake. Shall I serve breakfast?" "Where is Zara?" Nathaniel asked as he made his way down the stairs. "In the backyard, sir." Nathaniel gave a brief nod, though curiosity still tugged at him. What could she be doing there at this hour? Was she with Zane? He recalled Zane mentioning the toy house was finished, and he hadn’t yet laid eyes on it. "Thank you, Mrs. Jules." Crossing the hall, he stepped out into the morning air, ready to surprise them. But the sight that greeted him froze him in place. Zara sat in the far corner of the yard, crouched by a small fire, smoke curling upward into the sky. "Zara," Nathaniel called as he walked closer. "What are you burning?" Her movements quickened at his voice. She tossed the last pages clutched in her fingers and with them, the small wooden chest, straight into the fire. The flames caught instantly, devouring everything. "I’m just getting rid of some old, unnecessary things," she said, her tone flat. Nathaniel’s gaze dropped to the chest as the fire consumed it. His brows furrowed further as disbelief crossed his face. He remembered her curled up with it only hours ago as though it were her most precious possession, yet here she was reducing it to ashes. He couldn’t make sense of it. "Really?" he murmured with confusion. His eyes shifted back to her. "But that box meant so much to you just last night. You held it as if it were something precious. How did it suddenly turn worthless by morning?" Zara pushed herself up from the ground, her face set in a grim calm. "If we keep clinging to old things, they’ll only turn into clutter. At some point, we have to let them go." Her eyes lifted to his. "It mattered once. But not anymore. The past should stay where it belongs. If we drag it with us, we’ll never be able to walk freely in the present." She turned sharply on her heel and strode back into the house. Nathaniel remained rooted to the spot, watching her retreating form. The implications of her words weighed down on his chest, squeezing until it hurt to breathe. He had spent years shackled to memories, blind to the people around him, and even had ignored his son. By the time clarity came, it was late. Zara had been left utterly disheartened by him, and they had even suffered the loss of their first child. He had heard the pain in her voice, and it rattled him. But it was not the only thing that had unsettled him. A troubling thought struck him: Had she misunderstood what happened last night? He hadn’t walked away from her to hurt her. He had done it to stop himself from causing more harm. But in her eyes, it might have looked like rejection, as though he was still bound to Nora’s memory. Panic surged through him. "Zara, wait—" He hurried after her. As he entered the house, he saw her walking up the stairs, her steps quick and determined. "Zara..." He closed the distance in a rush. Zara didn’t slow her pace and slipped into the bedroom, but before she could take another step, Nathaniel was already there. He caught her arm, pulling her back until her body pressed against his chest. "I didn’t mean to hurt you," he said quickly. "Last night—I left because I was afraid I might hurt you. You are still recovering. Eugen told me to give you time, to wait until you were fully healed. I... I nearly lost control, but I stopped myself at the right time. I remembered his warning, and I pulled away." He turned her gently in his arms, making her face him, his hands steady on her shoulders, his eyes searching hers. "Tell me you didn’t misunderstand. You didn’t think I was pushing you away, did you?" Zara froze, his words sending ripples through her chest. ’So that’s why he left... he was afraid of hurting me.’ Embarrassment burned her cheeks. All this time, she had twisted the meaning, believing he had rejected her, believing Nora’s ghost still stood between them. But it wasn’t that at all—he had been protecting her. Her lips pressed into a tight line as her eyes lowered, too mortified to meet his gaze. She had misunderstood everything, letting her insecurities run wild while he was thinking only of her well-being. She felt her throat tighten. Shame and guilt pooled inside her, leaving her speechless.

Chapter 139: The past should stay where it belongs.

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