Why is he lying to me?

As we finalize our plan, Colette suddenly changes the subject.

-Nice bouquet of flowers, she suddenly notices

-Thank you, I smiled at him

-And about Koen, she said, taking out a stack of documents from her bag. "I did some research on him to make sure he's clean."

I take the documents she hands me, intrigued but also slightly worried. She looks at me with undisguised pride.

-I wanted to make sure you didn't get fooled by someone shady.

As I read the documents, my heart sinks. I quickly find out that Koen lied to me. It was not his mother who committed suicide, but his aunt. And his father died not because he could not live without his wife, but because he drove drunk and got into a fatal accident. The truth hits me hard, and I feel a wave of betrayal and confusion wash over me.

I decide to keep everything to myself, not wanting to alarm Colette or further complicate the situation. I force a smile.

-Thank you, Colette. It's really good that you did these checks

She looks at me intently, probably noticing my discomfort.

-Is everything alright? Koen is clean, right?"

I take a deep breath, trying to hide my emotions.

-Yes, he's clean. It's just... I'm tired of this whole thing."

Colette places a comforting hand on my shoulder. "I understand. We're going through tough times, but we'll get through this, okay?"

I nod, trying to sound convinced. "Yes, we'll get there."

-Besides, where did you find all this information?, I questioned her, looking down at the document

-I have my sources but I promise you that they are reliable, she assured me

-I know…, I replied, I trust you

Colette wasn't the type to lie. So that could only mean that Koen probably wasn't a good person. But what was his purpose in approaching me? Make me suffer? Or something else ?

After talking a little more, I finally leave Colette's house. On the way back, my thoughts are tormented by the discovery about Koen. Why would he lie to me about such an important thing? What else is he hiding? These questions swirl through my mind, but I know I must stay focused on our main goal: taking down Donovan and Visha.

Once home, I place the bouquet of flowers on the table then I collapse on the sofa, exhausted. I pick up my phone and look at Koen's message, hesitant to reply to him. Finally, I decide to call him.

-Hello?, he replies, his voice full of tenderness

-Hi Koen, I said softly. "I wanted to thank you for everything today. It really made me feel good."

-The pleasure was all mine, he replies. "Are you doing well?"

-Yes, I'm fine, I lied. "I'm just a little tired."

-I understand, he said gently. "Take a good rest. See you soon?"

-Yes, I said.

-Would you like to go to the cinema tomorrow evening?, he suggested.

-Yeah

-Okay I'll come pick you up

-OK, I replied, pretending to yawn, I'll leave you, I'm a little tired

-Good night, rest well, he said to me

-Good night, I replied before hanging up

I hang up and stare at the ceiling, trying to make sense of everything that's happening. The truth about Koen haunts me, but I decide not to act impulsively. I have to stay focused and not let this new discovery stop me from knowing the truth about why Koen is trying to get closer to me.

I don't know how the days to come will unfold. But I'm going to need all my strength and determination to face Donovan and Visha.

Deep down, I know that I will have to confront Koen about his lies too, sooner or later. For now, I put these thoughts aside.