Unmasking the Past

“Khm-hm.”

He briskly brushed the stain from his trousers and composed himself, feigning as though his rather undignified fall had never happened.

"So... what kept the lot of you so engrossed?" he asked, striving to sound indifferent, though the jealousy in his voice betrayed him.

"They stopped by to see how I was doing," I said. "They also told me we've been assigned a semester-long project."

"Then why haven't I received an email?" he questioned, his brows knitting together in confusion.

I let out a quiet chuckle.

"More likely because you haven't bothered checking your inbox," I replied matter-of-factly.

"Raihan," I called out, stopping him in his tracks. "Why didn't you seize the opportunity to apologise to Drey while he was here?"

“Lol… I was going to apologise to him,” he said with a shrug. “Then I realised he didn’t deserve one.”

"Mate, you cracked a bottle over the bloke's head and still couldn't swallow your pride long enough to apologise?" I said, staring at him in disbelief. "That's really below the belt, even for someone like you."

"You came to the hospital with every intention of apologising, but you lost your nerve and walked away. Then today handed you another opportunity on a silver platter... and you let that slip through your fingers as well."

"I'll apologise when I become convinced he's deserving of one. Until then... don't hold your breath."

The shrill ring of my phone abruptly shattered the silence.

Tring… Tring… Tring…

Before I even had a chance to react, Raihan swooped in, grabbed it, and answered the call as though it belonged to him.

I pried the phone from Raihan's hand and instinctively glanced at the caller ID.

The name staring back at me made my stomach tighten.

Victor.

“Hi, Victor,” I answered, unable to suppress the smile that tugged at my lips.

“…Yeah, I’m alright,” I replied, a faint smile creeping onto my face.

I cast a fleeting glance at Raihan before redirecting my attention to Victor.

"Yes," I said into the phone. "I'll be available this evening."

Raihan levelled me with a razor-sharp glare, the kind that could kill a conversation stone dead. It was obvious he had something to say, but he was holding his tongue.

"Sounds good. I'll see you this evening. Take care," I said before disconnecting the call.

"What the fuck do you think you're doing?" Raihan growled, his eyes blazing. "Have you lost your bloody mind?"

What the hell’s with the attitude?” I fired back, locking eyes with him.

“I’m not your lover , and I’m certainly not one of your lackeys.”

“So mind your fucking mouth before you start barking orders at me,” I snapped, meeting his glare head-on.

“You’ve really grown wings, haven’t you?” Raihan said with a cold, mocking laugh.

His gaze hardened.

“I thought I’d made myself perfectly clear.”

“Whatever I lay claim to, no one else dares lay claim to.”

“So don’t test me.”

"Seriously?" I scoffed. "Just because we had fucking sex doesn't mean I belong to you."

I held his gaze without flinching.

"You don't own me, Raihan. Never have. Never will."

“I still can’t wrap my head around why your father was grilling me with those suspicious questions,” I snapped, anger flaring in my chest.

"Who's to say he doesn't know how my parents died?" I roared, my voice trembling with fury.

"What the fuck are you on about, Lucas?" Raihan barked, staring at me as though I'd completely lost the plot.

"Yes," I replied firmly. "Your father is concealing something—I can feel it in my bones."

"You're really going to jump to conclusions over a handful of questions?" Raihan scoffed. "That's a hell of a leap."

“I’ll uncover the truth if it’s the last thing I do,” I choked out between bitter sobs. “Whoever’s responsible for my parents’ deaths won’t escape the consequences.

And when I finally unmask the people behind my parents’ deaths, they’ll pay with their lives. That’s a promise.”

Raihan closed the distance between us, his usual arrogance melting into quiet remorse.

"I didn't mean to dredge up those painful memories," he murmured, his voice uncharacteristically gentle. "I'm sorry."

"I understand what you're going through," he said, his voice gentler than before. "And I can see why you believe my father knows more than he's letting on about your parents' deaths."

"I give you my word, Lucas," Raihan said, his voice calm yet resolute. "I'll stand by your side until we get to the bottom of this. We'll unearth the truth, no matter how deeply it's buried, and whoever's responsible for your parents' deaths will answer for what they've done. They won't slip through the cracks."

He held my gaze without wavering.

"But hand on heart, I don't believe my father had anything to do with it."

He shook his head slowly.

"I've known that man my entire life. He wouldn't hurt a fly, let alone have blood on his hands."

"I miss them every single day," I murmured through broken sobs.

"They were the only people I'd ever called family... and in the blink of an eye, death robbed me of them."

The walls I'd built around myself finally crumbled. I rested my head against his chest and wept, letting the grief I'd carried for so long pour out.