LINE That Shouldn't Be Crossed
604 Words
Chapter 10: Lines That Shouldn't Be Crossed
Morning came, but peace did not.
Tife had barely slept after the chaos of the night. Every time she closed her eyes, flashes of Idris, Umar, and broken memories pulled her back into confusion.
Umar stood by the window when she woke, silent as always.
Idris was gone.
That alone made the tension worse.
Tife sat up slowly.
"Where is he?"
Umar didn't turn.
"Gone."
"Just like that?" she asked.
"Yes."
Tife frowned.
"Did you chase him away?"
Umar finally looked at her, his expression unreadable.
"He left on his own."
Silence stretched between them.
Tife got to her feet, frustration written across her face.
"Both of you keep doing this. Appearing, disappearing, speaking in half-truths... do you even realize what it's doing to me?"
Umar stepped closer, his voice calm but firm.
"I know exactly what it's doing."
That made her pause.
He stopped in front of her, close enough that she had to lift her chin to meet his eyes.
"You're being pulled apart," he said quietly. "Between who you've been told you are... and who you truly are."
Tife swallowed.
"And you think you know who I am?"
For the first time...
Umar hesitated.
The confidence in his eyes faded for a brief moment.
"No," he admitted softly.
"But I know who wants to use you."
Before Tife could respond—
A sharp sound echoed from outside.
Footsteps.
Fast.
Umar's expression changed instantly.
His hand moved toward the weapon hidden beneath his jacket.
"Tife..."
His voice was barely above a whisper.
"Get behind me."
The footsteps stopped right outside the door.
Then—
Three hard knocks shattered the silence.
Someone was waiting on the other side.
And whoever it was...
Hadn't come to talk.
Umar reacted instantly, pulling Tife behind him.
The door burst open.
But it wasn't Idris.
It was someone else.
A man in a tailored suit, holding a thick file.
"Miss Tife," he said calmly. "You've finally been located."
Tife froze.
"Who are you?"
The man offered a faint smile.
"Someone who works for the family you don't remember."
Umar stepped forward.
"Leave."
The man ignored him and opened the file.
"Real name: Tife Kareem. Sole heiress to the Kareem Dynasty."
Tife's breath caught.
Umar stiffened.
The man continued.
"You are legally engaged... and scheduled to inherit control of the Kareem family empire once your identity is officially confirmed."
Silence filled the room.
Tife whispered,
"That's not me..."
But even as the words left her lips...
Something inside her cracked.
The man closed the file.
"Your guardians were ordered to keep you hidden after the betrayal within your family."
Umar's voice turned icy.
"That's enough."
But Tife stepped forward.
"Betrayal...?"
The man met her gaze.
"Ask Idris what really happened."
Without another word, he turned and walked away.
The silence he left behind was even louder.
Tife slowly turned to Umar.
"You knew."
Umar didn't answer immediately.
That silence was enough.
Her voice trembled.
"You knew parts of this."
For a moment...
Neither of them moved.
Then Tife stepped back, breathing unevenly.
"Everyone is lying to me," she whispered.
Umar's voice softened.
"Not everyone."
That made her look at him again.
The silence stretched.
Something unspoken lingered between them.
Tife's heartbeat slowed... just slightly.
Umar reached out—
But stopped before touching her.
His hand hovered in the space between them.
A dangerous almost.
Then—
Footsteps echoed outside once again.
Both of them froze.
Tife whispered,
"Idris?"
Umar's eyes darkened.
"No."
His gaze remained fixed on the door.
"And this time..."
His voice dropped to a whisper.
"It sounds worse."
- Writer
