Chapter 4: The Truth He Buri
961 Words
Sirens wailed in the distance.
The café was chaos — people shouting, glass crunching under shoes, the manager yelling for everyone to step back.
But Amara didn’t move.
She was staring at Ethan.
“You knew,” she whispered.
It wasn’t a question.
Ethan didn’t deny it.
His eyes stayed fixed on the street outside, scanning like he expected someone to step out of the shadows at any second.
“I was hoping they wouldn’t escalate this fast,” he said quietly.
Her stomach twisted.
“Escalate?” Her voice rose. “A window just shattered, Ethan!”
He grabbed her arm — not harshly, but urgently.
“We need to leave. Now.”
Before she could argue, he guided her toward the back exit of the café. The cold evening air hit her face as they stepped into the narrow alley behind the building.
The noise from inside faded.
Now it was just the two of them.
And the truth hanging between them.
She pulled her arm free.
“No. I’m not moving another step until you explain what’s happening.”
He exhaled slowly.
For the first time since she met him… he looked tired.
Not mysterious.
Not charming.
Just exhausted.
“I wasn’t always just a guy working at a café,” he began.
Her pulse pounded.
“What does that mean?”
“I used to work in private security,” he said. “High-level clients. Dangerous ones.”
Her breath caught.
“Like… bodyguard?”
“More than that.”
The way he said it made her skin prickle.
“I handled problems,” he continued. “And sometimes… I created enemies.”
The alley felt colder.
“So this is about your job?”
“No.”
His jaw tightened.
“It’s about something I did.”
Silence fell heavily.
Her heart sank.
“What did you do?”
He looked away.
“That’s the problem. I can’t tell you.”
Anger flared inside her.
“You can’t tell me? Someone just threw a brick through a window because of you!”
“Because of me,” he corrected quietly. “Not you.”
“Too late,” she shot back. “They sent me a message. They called me. I’m already involved.”
That hit him.
His composure cracked slightly.
“They contacted you directly?” he asked.
She nodded.
His expression darkened instantly.
“That wasn’t supposed to happen.”
Her chest tightened.
“Supposed to?”
He stepped closer.
“This was meant to be a warning to me. Not a threat to you.”
A chill ran down her spine.
“So I’m leverage?” she whispered.
He didn’t answer.
He didn’t need to.
Her heart shattered a little.
“All this time…” she said slowly. “Meeting me. Talking to me. Was that real? Or was I just… convenient?”
His head snapped up.
“Don’t do that.”
“Answer me.”
His voice dropped.
“Everything I feel for you is real.”
The intensity in his eyes made her breath hitch.
“But I should’ve stayed away,” he continued. “The moment I realized they were watching.”
“They?” she pressed again.
He hesitated.
Then finally said it.
“My former employer.”
Her mind raced.
“They’re doing this? Why?”
“Because I left.”
“That’s it?” she demanded.
“No.” His voice turned sharp. “Because I took something when I left.”
The air left her lungs.
“What did you take?”
His silence was confirmation enough.
Something serious.
Something powerful.
Something worth threatening her over.
Footsteps echoed at the end of the alley.
Both of them turned.
A tall figure stood beneath the streetlight.
Watching.
Not hiding.
Just… waiting.
Amara’s pulse spiked.
“Do you know him?” she whispered.
Ethan’s entire body went rigid.
“Yes.”
Fear laced his voice.
And that terrified her more than anything.
The man stepped forward slowly.
Calm.
Confident.
Like he knew he had control.
“Ethan,” the stranger called smoothly. “You really thought you could disappear?”
Amara’s fingers curled into fists.
This was real.
This wasn’t drama.
This wasn’t imagination.
This was danger.
Ethan subtly stepped in front of her.
Protecting her.
The stranger’s eyes shifted to Amara.
A small smile curved his lips.
“So this is the distraction.”
Amara felt her blood boil.
“I’m not a distraction,” she said firmly.
The man chuckled.
“Oh, sweetheart. You’re the pressure point.”
Ethan’s voice turned lethal.
“Stay away from her.”
The stranger tilted his head.
“Then give us what you took.”
Her heart pounded.
Ethan didn’t move.
Didn’t answer.
Didn’t surrender.
The stranger’s smile faded.
“You have 48 hours.”
“For what?” Amara demanded.
“For him to choose,” the man replied calmly.
“Choose what?” she pressed.
The man’s eyes locked onto Ethan.
“Return what belongs to us… or watch her pay the price.”
Amara’s breath stopped.
Ethan’s hand clenched at his side.
The stranger turned and walked away like he hadn’t just shattered her world.
Silence swallowed the alley.
Slowly, Amara turned to Ethan.
“What did you take?” she asked again.
His eyes were filled with something raw now.
Guilt.
Rage.
Fear.
“Information,” he said.
Her heart pounded.
“About what?”
He swallowed.
“About something that could destroy them.”
Her voice trembled.
“And now they’ll destroy us to get it back.”
He stepped closer.
“They won’t touch you.”
She stared at him.
“You can’t promise that.”
For the first time…
He didn’t try to.
- Writer
