005

Zina's POV 

Back at my uncle’s mansion, I couldn’t stop pacing in my room. My heart felt like it was about to burst from my chest. Ava was safe, and that thought gave me some solace, but the weight of everything else crushed me. I hated being here, hated being under Luther’s thumb again. Every corner of this house felt suffocating, and every passing second made me miss Tyson even more.

I grabbed my phone and called Naomi. If anyone could bring me some news, it was her.

“Zina?” she answered quickly.

“Come over,” I whispered, my voice trembling. “I need to see you. Now.”

“On my way,” she replied without hesitation.

When she arrived an hour later, I let her into my room and locked the door behind her. My paranoia was justified. Luther had spies everywhere, and I couldn’t afford anyone overhearing us.

“Did you find anything?” I asked, my voice barely above a whisper.

Naomi’s face was tense, but she reached into her bag and pulled out a folder. “Yes, but we need to keep this quiet,” she said, mirroring my caution.

“Of course,” I said quickly, grabbing the folder from her hands.

She leaned closer. “Zina, we think we’ve found something.”

My hands trembled as I opened the folder. At first, I wasn’t sure what I was looking at. The pictures were grainy, and the figures blurred. But then, my breath caught in my throat. My eyes locked onto one photo. It was Tyson. I didn’t care how blurry it was—I’d recognize him anywhere.

“It’s him,” I whispered, tears welling up in my eyes. My heart felt like it stopped for a moment. “Naomi, it’s really him.”

Naomi nodded. “This photo was taken six months ago near the outskirts of Rome. It’s not far from where you were hiding with Sister Mary.”

My mind raced with questions. How had he been so close without me knowing? Why hadn’t he come to find me?

Naomi’s voice broke through my thoughts. “Zina…I need to say this. Maybe—” She hesitated before continuing. “Maybe Tyson doesn’t want you anymore.”

Her words hit me like a slap. I stared at her, my tears replaced by a surge of anger.

“No,” I said firmly, shaking my head. “That’s not true. He thinks I betrayed him, but I didn’t. I left a note in his pocket. I told him everything.”

Naomi gave me a sad smile. “You’re holding on to hope, but what if—”

“I know him,” I interrupted, my voice trembling with emotion. “He’s angry and hurt, but he’ll understand. He has to.”

Naomi sighed, then gave me a small, reassuring pat on the shoulder. “You’re incredible, Zina. Most people would’ve given up by now, but you’re still fighting.”

I wiped my tears and nodded. “Because I love him. He’s the father of my child. And I’ll do whatever it takes to find him.”

Naomi smiled softly. “Then let’s keep going. But you need to be careful. Luther and Ethan are always watching. If they catch wind of this…”

“They won’t,” I said, cutting her off. “No one will know.”

“Good.” She took a deep breath and gestured to the folder. “This is just the start. My team is still digging, but we’re getting closer.”

I looked at the picture again, tracing Tyson’s face with my fingers. My chest ached with longing, but there was also a flicker of hope. He was alive. He had to be.

“We’ll find him,” I said softly, more to myself than to Naomi. “I won’t stop until I do.”

Naomi gave me a firm nod. “Then neither will I.”

I turned to Naomi and said, "I need to meet the detective. In person."

Her eyes widened in disbelief. "Zina, are you insane? How do you expect to pull that off? Your family can’t know you’ve hired a private detective. Luther will have you locked up the moment he finds out."

"I know," I said firmly. "That’s why he needs to come here. My family’s holding a masquerade gala soon. He can sneak in under the radar."

Naomi shook her head, her expression full of doubt. "This is risky, Zina. If something goes wrong—"

"I don’t care," I interrupted. "I can’t just sit here and do nothing. We’re running out of time."

Her shoulders sagged, but she nodded. "Fine. I’ll arrange it. But you better have a solid plan for how to pull this off."

I walked over to the large oak chest in the corner of my room. I opened it, revealing stacks of cash and small but valuable pieces of gold and jewelry. It was everything I’d managed to gather over the last few months, saving little by little without Luther noticing.

I grabbed half the cash and handed it to Naomi. "Pay the detective this as an advance. Tell him I expect results."

Naomi took the money, her expression softening. "And the rest?"

I grabbed the remaining cash and placed it in my bag. "I’ll transfer it to my account. If things go south, I’ll need enough to escape this house for good."

Naomi nodded, determination replacing the hesitation in her eyes. "I’ll handle it. Just…stay safe, okay?"

"I will," I promised.

As she left, I couldn’t help but feel the weight of my decision. This wasn’t just about me anymore. Ava’s future depended on me finding Tyson.

I decided to take a walk in the garden to clear my head. The cool breeze did little to calm the storm inside me. My thoughts kept circling back to the photo Naomi had shown me. It had to be Tyson. But if he was alive, why hadn’t he come looking for me? Why hadn’t he reached out?

I paced the garden, replaying the image in my mind. The more I thought about it, the more I doubted myself. What if Naomi was right? What if Tyson didn’t want me anymore?

As I wandered deeper into the garden, a familiar scent caught my attention. My heart skipped a beat. That cologne…could it be?

"Tyson?" I whispered, my voice trembling. I moved toward the bushes where the scent seemed strongest. My hands shook as I pushed the branches aside, desperate to find him.

"Zina!”