Solely Mine

Chapter. 3 Unravelling Secrets

Lerato’s POV:

The house was very quiet when Lerato returned. The thick, uncomfortable stillness pressed in on her from all sides. She hesitated at the front door, her hand hovering over the knob for a moment before finally pushing it open.

Inside, the air was heavy with unspoken words, as though the walls themselves were keeping secrets.Her parents were nowhere to be seen, and for that, she was grateful.

The message from the unknown number still lingered in her mind, . They’re not telling you everything.In the dim light of the hallway, Lerato’s unease deepened.

She headed for her room, her footsteps soft on the cold polished floor. Each step felt like a descent into something she didn’t fully understand yet a mystery that was slowly tightening around her.

Inside her room, she closed the door, leaning against it for a moment as she tried to collect her thoughts. The message, the strange tension between her parents, her father’s forced smiles, her mother’s too-casual demeanor—it all pointed to something bigger than she had realized.

But what was it?Lerato paced the length of her room, her mind racing. She thought about calling her grandmother, but something stopped her.

A strange, nagging feeling in the back of her mind whispered that her grandmother already knew what was happening. Her words from their last conversation replayed in her head: "Stay strong, and remember who you are."What did that mean?Suddenly, there was a knock at the door.

Lerato froze, her heart leaping into her throat. For a brief second, she considered ignoring it, but then the door cracked open slightly, and her father’s face appeared in the gap.“Lerato,” he said softly, stepping into the room.

“Can we talk?”Lerato stood still, watching him carefully. “About what?”Her father closed the door behind him and gestured to the chair by her desk. “Mind if I sit?”Lerato shrugged, her guard still up.

She crossed her arms, waiting for him to speak. He looked older tonight, his face worn with a kind of tiredness that hadn’t been there before.

His hands fidgeted in his lap, as though searching for the right words to say.“Lerato, I know you’re confused,” he started, his voice low. “And I know we haven’t been very open with you about why you’re here.

”She stayed silent, her eyes fixed on him. Finally, it seemed like the moment of truth was coming. But was she ready to hear it?“I...wanted to wait until we had everything settled, but it seems like you’re already picking up on things,” he continued.

“Your mother and I—we’ve been having some difficulties for a while now. Financial troubles, business issues, you name it. And it’s...it’s affected us more than we expected.”Lerato narrowed her eyes, her patience wearing thin. “What does that have to do with me? You made it sound like I was needed here for family reasons, but all you’ve done is avoid me since I got here.”

Her father looked away, his jaw tightening. “You’re right,” he admitted. “We haven’t been honest with you. And that’s because...well, we didn’t want to worry you. But now, I think you deserve to know the truth.”Lerato’s heart pounded in her chest. This was it.

Whatever had been hanging over them since her arrival was about to be revealed.“You see,” her father began again, “there’s more to this move than we initially let on.

It’s not just about starting fresh in a new city or finding new opportunities. It’s about protection.”“Protection?” Lerato repeated, confused. “From what?”Her father hesitated, glancing toward the window as though expecting something—or someone—to be watching. His voice dropped to a whisper.

“We owe money, Lerato. To the wrong people. Powerful people. People who don’t care about second chances.”Lerato’s breath caught in her throat. She hadn’t expected this. “What do you mean? How much money?”“More than we can repay,” her father answered, rubbing his forehead.

“Your mother and I got caught up in some bad investments. At first, we thought we could fix it, but it spiraled out of control. And now...we’re in deep trouble.”Lerato felt a surge of anger rising in her chest. “So, what? You dragged me here because you’re running from these people?”Her father looked pained, as though the weight of the truth was crushing him.

“We didn’t want you to get caught up in this. But things have gotten dangerous. We thought bringing you here would keep you safe.”“Safe from who?” Lerato demanded. “Who are these people?”Before her father could answer, the door to her room swung open again, and her mother appeared, her face cold and unyielding. “That’s enough, Neil,” she said sharply, glaring at him.

“She doesn’t need to know everything.”Her father stood up, his posture shrinking under her mother’s gaze. “She deserves to know the truth, Sarah,” he muttered.Lerato looked between them, her frustration boiling over.

“What truth? What are you both hiding from me?”Her mother stepped forward, her expression hard as stone. “Lerato, this isn’t your problem.

You need to trust that we’re doing what’s best for you.”Lerato shook her head, her voice trembling with anger. “No, I’m done with that. You don’t get to decide what I need to know. You’ve already dragged me into this mess.”Her mother’s face darkened, but before she could respond, a loud crash echoed from downstairs, followed by the sound of the front door slamming open.

All three of them froze, their eyes wide with shock.“What was that?” Lerato whispered.Her father’s face drained of color. “They’re here,” he muttered, barely audible.Lerato’s heart raced as the sound of heavy footsteps approached, growing louder with each passing second.

The walls seemed to close in on her as her father turned to her, panic in his eyes.“Lerato, stay in here,” he ordered, his voice hoarse. “Don’t come out, no matter what you hear.”Her mother, for the first time since Lerato arrived, looked genuinely terrified.

She nodded stiffly before rushing out of the room with her father, leaving Lerato standing alone in the sudden, suffocating silence.Her mind raced as the footsteps grew closer. She grabbed her phone, her hands shaking as she opened the last message she had received.

They’re not telling you everything.Whoever had sent that message knew what was coming. And now, so did she.The storm had finally broken, and there was no turning back.

After 5minutes the house quiet down ,all she could hear were voices softly speaking beneath her room.with anger and pains in her heart ,Lerato stormed out of the house.