Part 13

"Gibran, wait!"

"I made this cake for you. It's the first cake I've ever baked. Please, try it."

Silence.

I heard Gibran let out a deep sigh. He slowly removed my grip from his arm, but in doing so, his hand accidentally hit the cake in my left hand. The cake fell to the floor with a soft thud.

My eyes widened in shock as I stared at the ruined cake lying on the ground. It was gone—completely wasted before I even got the chance to taste it.

"Oh my god!" I gasped, quickly crouching down.

Why did it have to turn out like this? Everything was ruined. The cake was no longer edible. I looked up at Gibran. He was still standing in front of me, unmoving, his expression unreadable. But then, without a word, he turned and walked up the stairs.

My tears, which had been tears of hope just moments ago, turned into tears of sorrow. This wasn't his fault. It was mine. I shouldn't have asked him to eat the cake. I shouldn't have expected anything more than what he had already given me. Blowing out the candle should have been enough. But I ruined the moment. Maybe he only did that out of pity for me.

I quickly gathered the fallen cake, cleaning the floor meticulously. I scrubbed it over and over again, ensuring there wasn't a single stain left. I was terrified that Gibran would be upset with me if I didn't clean it properly.

Once I finished, I threw the cake away and dragged myself to my room. I sat on my bed, hugging my knees, letting my tears silently fall down my cheeks.

Gibran's POV

I never expected Thania to give me such a surprise. But how did she even know today was my birthday?

"Happy birthday, Gibran," she said, her voice soft, her eyes filled with hope.

I blew out the candle, but then, to my confusion, she started crying. I had only blown out the candle—was that really something to cry about?

"Thank you, Gibran, for blowing out the candle," she whispered.

I didn't respond. I simply walked past her. But then, she grabbed my hand, stopping me. She wanted me to eat the cake with her. Since it was my birthday, maybe it wouldn't hurt to indulge her this once.

But as I tried to pull my arm away, my hand accidentally knocked the cake from her grasp. It fell to the floor.

I hadn't meant to do that.

I looked down at her as she crouched next to the ruined cake, staring at me with those sad eyes. I didn't know what to say, so I turned and walked away, heading straight to my room.

5:30 AM

It was still early, but I was already awake. I didn't feel like sleeping anymore, so I decided to do some light exercise to loosen up my muscles.

After a quick warm-up, I went outside for a jog around the neighborhood. The fresh morning air helped clear my mind. By the time I returned home at 6:00 AM, I was sweaty and starving.

As soon as I stepped inside, the rich aroma of home-cooked food filled the air, making my stomach growl. I walked towards the kitchen, and there she was—Thania, completely absorbed in cooking.

For a brief moment, I considered apologizing for last night. I didn't mean to knock her cake away. Maybe she thought I didn't appreciate her effort.

But instead of saying anything, I turned away. I'd just eat out like I always did.

At the Office

As soon as I stepped into my office, I was met with the sight of two familiar figures lounging in my chair.

"What are you two doing here?" I asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Relax, bro," Jo said, grinning.

"Yeah, don't be so grumpy," Kevin chimed in.

"Just get to the point," I sighed, already losing patience.

Jo smirked. "Well, we just came to say—"

"You had a birthday yesterday, and you didn't even invite us for a meal!" Kevin cut in dramatically.

"Exactly!" Jo nodded in agreement.

I rolled my eyes. "Not important."

"Wait, wait, wait!" Kevin held up a hand. "It may not be important to you, but to me, it's very important."

"I don't care."

Thania's POV

"Thania."

"Yes?" I turned to see one of my coworkers approaching.

"Can you watch my computer for a minute? I just need to grab some water."

"Sure, no problem."

I always enjoyed helping my coworkers, and thankfully, they seemed to appreciate it too.

"Thania," my boss called out.

"Yes, Ma'am?"

"Can you revise this section? I'm still not satisfied with how it turned out."

"Oh, I see. Sure, I'll fix it, but I'll need to finish my current task first."

"That's fine. Take your time."

7:30 PM

I was so focused on my work that I lost track of time.

"Thania, you're not heading home yet?" one of my colleagues asked.

"Not yet, I still have some reports to finish."

"Alright, take care!"

"You too!" I waved as they left.

9:30 PM

I finally looked at my phone. It was already late. I quickly packed my things and left the office. I had already informed my manager that I wouldn't be working at the bakery tonight.

But the streets were silent with an eerie atmosphere.

Then, I saw them.

Two men standing ahead, eyeing me in a way that made my stomach churn with fear. My heart pounded as I turned around, but the moment I did, I heard footsteps behind me. They were following me.

Suddenly, one of them grabbed my arm.

"Hey, where do you think you're going?" he sneered.

"Let go of me!" I struggled. "Leave me alone!"

"Relax, sweetheart. Why don't you keep us company for a bit?"

"No! Get away from me!"

The grip on my arm tightened. My breath hitched.

"Stop struggling! We won't hurt you—if you cooperate," the other man said menacingly.

"Let go! Help! Somebody help me!" I screamed, but the streets were empty.

"Scream all you want. No one's coming," one of them chuckled.

Desperate, I kicked one in the stomach and stomped on the other's foot, yanking myself free. I ran as fast as I could, stumbling along the way. My arms scraped against the rough pavement, but I didn't stop.

Then, headlights blinded my vision.

A car screeched to a halt beside me.

I knew that car. I knew the man who stepped out.

Relief flooded me.

"Thania?"

"Please," I choked out. "Let me come with you."

"Of course—but what happened?" Andre's eyes widened in concern.

"Just drive. Please. Get me out of here."

"Alright, alright. Get in."

Without hesitation, I climbed into the car, my hands trembling.

I was safe. For now.