152

The villa was quiet except for the soft rustling of fabric and the occasional sigh escaping Yalda’s lips as she packed. Clothes were folded and stacked in her suitcase, shoes lined up neatly by the door, and small essentials tucked carefully into her travel bag. The sunlight spilling through the windows seemed too bright, almost harsh, as if trying to illuminate every anxious corner of her mind.

Her hands trembled slightly as she folded a silk blouse. Each motion felt heavy, burdened by the weight of what she was about to do.

She hadn’t told Ioannis yet.

The door clicked softly, and Yalda’s heart jumped. She glanced toward the entrance just as Ioannis stepped inside, his posture relaxed but his eyes sharp, instantly picking up the tension in the room.

“You’re packing." he observed, setting down his briefcase. “What’s going on?”

Yalda swallowed hard. The lump in her throat made it difficult to speak, but she knew she couldn’t keep it inside any longer.

“I got a call from New York,” she said, voice shaking slightly from emotions she was trying so hard to contain. "Alexander’s been admitted to the hospital. He’s unconscious... for more than twenty-four hours.”

Ioannis’s brow furrowed, his expression darkening. “Alexander? Alexander again?"

She nodded, avoiding his gaze. “Yes.”

His jaw tightened, and the air seemed to grow colder between them.

“You want to go see him?” His voice was quiet but sharp, the underlying tension unmistakable.

“I... I have to,” she said softly, almost pleading. “He’s very sick. I don’t know what to expect, but I need to be there. For myself.”

How could she leave Alexander alone now? How could she turn her back on him like this? After everything.

Ioannis ran a hand through his hair in frustration, pacing a few steps before stopping to face her again. “Yalda, after everything we’ve been through, after all we've done to piece you back together, you want to run back to him?”

The accusation stung. Yalda’s eyes welled with tears, but she blinked them back stubbornly.

“This isn’t running away,” she insisted, her voice firm despite the ache inside. “It’s complicated. I don’t understand my feelings right now. But I know I can’t just ignore this. Not after everything.”

He crossed his arms, his face taut with emotion. “I thought we were building something here. Something new.”

“We are,” she said, stepping closer, desperate to reach him. “But my past isn’t something I can erase overnight. Alexander was a big part of my life, even if it ended badly. I need to see him. For closure. For peace.”

Ioannis’s eyes flashed with anger and pain, she'd never seen him this way before and it broke her heart. “And what if seeing him just drags you back into that darkness? What if it destroys what little stability you've built?"

Yalda shook her head, tears slipping down her cheeks. “I don’t want to lose you. I want us to work. But I can’t pretend that the past isn’t part of me.”

He moved closer, voice low but firm. “Then you need to decide what you want, Yalda. Because I won’t be waiting around if you'll go running back to him."

She looked down, ashamed that she didn’t have an answer.

“I’m scared,” she admitted. “Scared that if I don’t go, I’ll regret it forever. But if I do go, I risk losing you.”

Ioannis’s features softened for a brief moment, but the tension quickly returned.

“Then this is it,” he said, voice hardening. “If you leave now, don’t expect me to wait. I’ll move on. I can’t keep fighting for someone who isn’t fully here.”

The room seemed to close in on her, the walls whispering doubts and fears she had tried to push aside. Yalda reached out, her fingers trembling as they brushed against his hand. “Please, Ioannis... I’m asking you to trust me. For the last time, please. I need you.”

He pulled back gently, shaking his head. “I want to. God knows I want to. But you’re walking into the unknown, and I’m standing here hoping you come back.”

A heavy silence fell between them, thick with unspoken words and broken promises.

Yalda glanced at the suitcase by the door, then back at Ioannis’s resolute face.

The choice loomed before her, a cliffhanger suspended in time. Would she stay and fight for what they had, or would she go running back to Alexander?

~~

The moment Ioannis’s footsteps receded down the hall, Yalda collapsed onto the edge of the bed, the walls around her closing in with a suffocating weight. Her breaths came in ragged gasps, tears spilling uncontrollably down her cheeks as the floodgates of grief and regret opened wide.

She wrapped her arms around herself, trying to hold together the pieces of a heart fraying at the edges.

She couldn't stop the memories from flooding back, Alexander had once been her sanctuary. He had looked after her, had ensured she was fine, had ensured she grew up well and became someone worthy of respect. Alexander had truly done everything for her and she knew it.

She recalled how he'd say beside her bed in a hospital more than once. She remembered how he had held her hand when she cried, how he'd hug her and tell her she was fine, how he'd gently remind her of how far she'd come when she was in doubt.

In those moments, he had been her family, the only one she had when the rest of the world had turned its back.

Those memories clawed at her, sharp and bittersweet.

She remembered the quiet afternoons they had spent together on his island. Days of working together in his office.

And now? Now he was lying in a hospital bed, unconscious, fragile, with only Carl by his side because he had no one else.

The thought broke her heart in a way she hadn’t anticipated.

She pictured the sterile hospital room, cold and lonely, stark white walls reflecting the harsh fluorescent light. Alexander, motionless, disconnected from the world she was about to return to.

It was almost unbearable.

Yalda wiped at her tears with trembling hands, her chest tightening with sorrow and a desperate urgency.

She had to see him. She owed him that much.

Through her tears, she thought of Ioannis; the man who had opened a new door for her, who had shown her kindness, patience, and passion. He had been her anchor when she had drifted for so long.

Her protector, her lover, the one who had made her feel alive again.

And yet, she was leaving him. Her heart ached with the enormity of the decision. Tears streamed down again, hot and relentless.

She rose slowly, pulling on a soft cardigan and gathering her bags and Loki.

Every step toward the door felt like walking through a storm.

When the plane lifted off, Yalda pressed her forehead against the cool window, watching the clouds blur beneath her. She closed her eyes and let the tears fall, mourning what was lost, what might have been, and what she still hoped to find.

The hours passed in a blur of restless thoughts and fragile hopes.

Landing in New York, the city buzzed around her, indifferent to the turmoil inside. She hailed a cab, her voice tight as she gave the hospital address. Her heart pounded as the taxi weaved through traffic, each second stretching into eternity.

Finally, she arrived at the hospital; its cold, clinical exterior a stark contrast to the storm raging inside her. Inside the waiting room, she spotted Carl sitting silently, his face a mask of quiet concern.

He looked up as she approached, eyes softening.

“Ms. Harris,” he said simply, standing to offer a tentative smile.

“Carl... thank you for staying with him,” she whispered, her voice raw.

He shook his head. “We're the closest he's ever had to family. He’s been stable, but still unconscious. We don’t know what’ll happen.”

Her chest tightened again, but she nodded, drawing strength from the kindness of this small act.

Yalda moved toward Alexander’s room, heart hammering as she pushed the door open. There he was, pale and still, the steady beep of the heart monitor the only sound.

She reached out, gently taking his hand in hers. And for a long moment, she just sat there, the tears spilling freely as she traced the familiar lines of his fingers.

“I’m here,” she cried quietly. “I’m so sorry I didn't come sooner.”

The weight of her emotions crashed down in waves; regret, love, fear.