Chapter 18: The date
653 Words
Amara barely slept.
The date kept running through her mind.
October 17, 2020.
Her father's death.
The photograph.
Daniel.
And now the missing file.
There had to be a connection.
By morning, she had made up her mind.
She wasn't going to confront Kian.
Not yet.
Instead, she would start with something simple.
She wanted to know what had happened on that date.
At work, she arrived earlier than usual and went straight to the archive room.
She checked the old records again.
There were several files.
Company meetings. Financial reports. Contracts.
Nothing obvious.
Then she noticed a thin folder tucked behind a row of documents.
There was no label.
Amara pulled it out.
Before she could open it, the door behind her opened.
She jumped.
Mrs. Carter stood there.
“What are you doing?”
Amara quickly held up the folder.
“I was looking for the 2020 records.”
Mrs. Carter's expression changed.
“That one isn't for you.”
“Why?”
“Because it's confidential.”
Amara looked down at the folder.
“What's inside?”
“I don't know.”
“You don't know?”
Mrs. Carter sighed.
“Some files are restricted even from me.”
Amara nodded reluctantly.
“Okay.”
She put the folder back.
As she turned to leave, Mrs. Carter said quietly,
“Amara.”
She stopped.
“Don't let curiosity get you into trouble.”
Amara gave her a small smile.
“I'll try.”
Outside the archive room, she found Noah waiting.
“You disappeared.”
“I was looking for something.”
“What?”
“Nothing.”
Noah looked unconvinced.
“That's becoming your favorite word.”
Amara laughed.
They walked back toward their desks.
Halfway there, Noah stopped.
“Wait.”
“What?”
He pointed toward the executive hallway.
“Kian's looking for you.”
Amara turned.
Kian stood at the end of the hallway.
Their eyes met.
He gestured for her to follow him.
She sighed.
“Wish me luck.”
Noah grinned.
“You'll need it.”
Inside Kian's office, he closed the door.
“You were in the archive.”
Amara's heart sank.
“How did you know?”
“I know everything that happens in my company.”
“That sounds exhausting.”
“It is.”
She smiled slightly.
Kian didn't.
“What were you looking for?”
“Nothing important.”
“Amara.”
She looked away.
“I found a date.”
His expression changed.
“What date?”
“October 17, 2020.”
Silence.
Kian's face became unreadable.
“Where did you see it?”
“On the back of a photograph of my father.”
He slowly walked toward his desk.
“Where is the photograph?”
“In my bag.”
“Give it to me.”
“No.”
His eyes lifted.
“Why?”
“Because it's mine.”
Kian stared at her.
Then, surprisingly, he nodded.
“Fair enough.”
Amara studied him.
“You know what happened that day.”
It wasn't a question.
Kian remained silent.
Finally, he said,
“Your father came to see me that evening.”
Amara's breath caught.
“You saw him?”
“Yes.”
“What did he want?”
Kian looked toward the window.
“He wanted to tell me something.”
“What?”
Kian's jaw tightened.
“I never found out.”
“Why?”
He turned back to her.
“Because he never got the chance.”
Amara felt a chill move through her.
“What happened?”
Kian looked at her for a long moment.
Then quietly said,
“He left my office that night.”
He paused.
“And he never made it home.”
Amara's heart sank.
For six years, she'd been told her before.
And suddenly, the story she'd grown up believing didn't feel like the truth anymore.
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