The night had deepened, shadows stretching long across the walls, and inside the small house Mariam's patience was wearing dangerously thin.
It had been sometime since she arrived, and yet the place was empty with no sign of Kira anywhere.
"Just where did this girl go?" Mariam muttered, scowling as she jabbed the call button on her phone again.
The unanswered rings only fueled her frustration.
She had come here with one purpose — to check on her niece. Kira's sudden silence these past few days had unsettled her, and Mariam couldn't shake the unease gnawing at her gut. But now that she was here, that unease was turning into full-blown worry.
Her eyes swept over the living room. Things looked… off. A few items were missing — small but noticeable — and the watch Daniel had gifted her for her years of loyal service was gone from its usual spot.
The kitchen counter was worse. Dirty dishes piled high, a faint stench rising from the sink.
