Chapter 5: Secret revealed

As Caleb and Eve continued to work together, their bond deepened. At first, their interactions were strictly professional, filled with discussions about work, deadlines, and projects. But as time passed, their conversations became more personal. They shared stories about their lives, their dreams, and their fears.

Caleb found himself drawn to Eve in a way he couldn't quite explain. There was something familiar about her—something that tugged at a distant memory buried deep within him. He tried to shake the feeling, convincing himself that it was nothing more than a coincidence. But the more time he spent with her, the stronger his curiosity grew.

Eve, on the other hand, seemed unaware of his growing interest in her past. She spoke freely about her present life but never mentioned anything about her early childhood. Every time he tried to ask subtle questions, she would either brush them off or simply admit that she didn't remember much.

One day, during a break at work, Caleb found himself lost in thought. The name Freya echoed in his mind. It was a name that had haunted him for years, a name from his past that he had never been able to forget. He had spent so much time searching for her, only to find nothing.

And now, here was Eve—someone who looked, spoke, and even acted like Freya.

The thought wouldn't leave him alone.

Determined to find answers, he decided to do some digging.

First, he tried searching online. He typed Freya Wikipedia into the search bar, hoping to find some clue, some piece of information that would connect the dots. But nothing useful came up—only results related to mythology and random historical figures.

Frustrated but not ready to give up, he turned to another source: the company's archives. It was a long shot, but he felt a strange pull toward the idea, as if his instincts were telling him that this was the right path to follow.

Slipping away from his desk, he made his way to the archive room. The place was dimly lit, filled with rows of old files, newspapers, and records. The air smelled of aged paper, and dust clung to the shelves, a sign that few people ever came here.

He started searching through the files, scanning article after article, unsure of what exactly he was looking for.

Then, his fingers froze.

A worn-out newspaper clipping caught his eye.

The headline sent a chill down his spine:

"Tragic Fire Leaves Many Dead – Young Girl Rescued from the Flames"

Caleb's breath hitched.

His hands trembled slightly as he picked up the fragile paper and read the article. It described a devastating fire that had engulfed a building in their hometown years ago. Many had perished, but there was one survivor—a little girl who had been pulled from the flames by a firefighter.

Her name?

Freya.

Caleb's heart pounded.

His eyes widened as he saw a grainy black-and-white photograph of the young girl, her face smudged with soot, her expression filled with fear and confusion.

And then, he felt the ground shift beneath him.

Because the girl in the photograph…

It was Eve.

Or rather, a younger version of her.

A rush of memories flooded his mind. The laughter, the childhood games, the moments they had shared before everything was taken away. Could it really be possible? Could Eve actually be Freya, the girl he had spent years searching for?

His mind raced with questions. If Eve was Freya, why didn't she remember? What had happened to her after the fire? Why had no one ever told her the truth?

Caleb knew he needed more proof.

Determined, he spent hours poring over old records, piecing together the truth. He tracked down adoption documents, spoke to people who had known about the incident, and finally, he uncovered the missing link:

Freya had been taken to an orphanage after the fire. She had been adopted. Given a new name. A new identity.

And that identity was Eve.

The realization was overwhelming.

He had finally found her. The girl he had been searching for all these years.

But now that he knew the truth, what was he supposed to do?

His hands clenched into fists. He wanted—needed—to tell her. But at the same time, he hesitated.

Would she believe him? Would she even want to know?

What if learning the truth shattered her?

What if she resented him for digging into her past?

The weight of the secret pressed down on him, heavy and suffocating. He looked over at Eve as she sat at her desk, completely unaware of the storm raging inside him. She was smiling, talking to a colleague, completely at ease in the life she knew.

And for the first time, Caleb felt real fear.

Because he knew that once he told her, everything would change.

So he made a decision.

For now, he would keep it to himself.

He would continue to get to know her as Eve, to love her for the person she had become. But deep down, he knew he couldn't keep the secret hidden forever.

The truth had a way of revealing itself.

As the days passed, Caleb struggled under the weight of what he knew. Every time he looked at Eve, his heart ached with the knowledge that she didn't remember who she really was. He wanted so badly to tell her, to help her remember, to bring back the pieces of their shared past.

But he was afraid.

Afraid of losing her.

Afraid that the truth might push her away.

So he waited.

Waited for the right moment.

Waited for the courage to finally tell her everything.

But as the days turned into weeks, he realized something:

There might never be a perfect moment.

And no matter how much he wanted to protect her, the truth was always there, lurking beneath the surface, waiting to be uncovered.

One evening, as they sat together after work, Caleb found himself staring at her, memorizing every detail of her face.

Eve caught his gaze and smiled.

"What is it?" she asked, tilting her head.

Caleb hesitated.

There were so many things he wanted to say.

So many questions he wanted to ask.

But instead, he just smiled back.

"Nothing," he said softly. "Just thinking."

Eve chuckled. "You do that a lot."

He swallowed hard. If only she knew.

If only she knew that she was the one thing he could never stop thinking about.

That she was the missing piece he had been searching for all this time.

But for now, he would keep his secret.

For now, he would hold onto the truth, even as it burned inside him.

Because some secrets were too heavy to share.

And some risks were too great to take.

At least, not yet.

He knew that he had to tell her the truth eventually.

Caleb's heart is on the line.

Will eve's reaction be worth worth the risk?