Shadows of the past

Zainab didn't cry. She had cried enough for one lifetime. Finding out Yusuf had another daughter—a secret he kept buried—felt like yet another crack in a wall that was already damaged. But this time, she didn't crumble. She simply stepped back.

Yusuf tried to explain, his voice low and broken, but she didn't interrupt. She just listened, and then walked away. Silence became her answer.

Meanwhile, Khalid remained close, always showing up when she least expected. But Zainab had learned—comfort can sometimes become confusion, and she didn't need another man's arms to feel whole. Still, Yusuf's younger brother kept lingering, as if waiting for her to break again.

But she didn't.

Everything shifted the day Lana returned, not alone this time—but with a little girl holding her hand. The child had Yusuf's eyes. And that was the beginning of chaos.

Yusuf's family, shocked and embarrassed, summoned him immediately. They wanted to fix the scandal before it leaked to the press. "Marry Lana again," his father said coldly. "Do what's best for the family."

Yusuf refused.

"I've made mistakes. But Zainab is still the only woman I ever loved."

Zainab heard about it later, not from Yusuf—but from a newspaper headline the next morning. "Billionaire Rejects Second Child for Estranged Wife?"

She closed the paper, her heart heavy. It wasn't just about Yusuf anymore. It was about peace. About choosing herself, her daughter, and her future.

And maybe… walking away from love to protect her soul.