Naomi stood in the kitchen, preparing the meal, while Adel entered his room, leaving behind a heavy silence. Nelly glanced toward the closed door of Adel’s room, then moved toward the kitchen, beginning to assist Naomi with quiet steps and a mischievous smile that barely concealed a cunning heat simmering beneath.
Naomi turned to her gently and asked:
— Nelly, was anyone in the house while Adel and I were out?
Nelly smiled slyly, as if she had achieved her goal and planted threads of doubt in Naomi’s heart, saying:
— Why do you say that?
Naomi responded seriously, laced with concern:
— I’ve been your friend since childhood. Don’t lie to me… the seductive scent that filled the house, and your shirt lying on the floor—it shows that someone was here.
A tear slipped from Nelly’s eye—a t
