The rain had eased into a soft drizzle by the time they arrived at her place, her body aching with exhaustion. Her soaked clothes clung to her skin, and her fingers trembled from the cold. As she pushed the door open, a rush of warm air and the scent of seasoned stew greeted her nose.
Inside, Sara was pacing the living room.
"Linda!" she shouted immediately when she sighted her and rushed forward, flinging her arms around her.
Linda barely had time to close the door behind her before Sara's embrace wrapped her in warmth.
"I thought something bad had happened! I couldn't reach you, and with everything going on, I thought he might've hurt you."
Linda exhaled heavily, too tired to form a full sentence.
"I'm fine," she murmured.
Sara pulled back, eyes scanning Linda's face. She frowned when she noticed a bruise on her cheek. But before she could say anything, her gaze drifted behind Linda, and she froze.
A tall man stood in the doorway, dressed in a drenched, expensive suit. Water dripped from his clothes, his short dark hair plastered to his head. He looked utterly out of place.
Sara glanced at Linda in confusion, but Linda offered only a quick nod before stepping inside and gently closing the door.
"There's food, right?" Linda asked, noticing the dishes laid out on the table.
"Yes. I prepared something earlier," she said, still trying to make sense of the situation.
Linda turned to the man. "Come in. You need to change before you get sick."
She disappeared briefly into her room and returned holding a dry set of clothes: a pair of casual slacks and a dark grey T-shirt. She handed them over as she said,
"My dad left these behind the last time he visited. They should fit you, they're about your size."
The man accepted the clothes with a grateful nod. "You can change in the bathroom. It's the first door on the left," she added.
The man offered a polite smile and left the living room. Sara watched him go, then turned quickly to Linda. "Who is he?" she asked.
"I don't know him, but I saved his life today," she said tiredly.
Sara blinked and exclaimed, "What!"
She sighed and said. "It's a long story. Let me bathe and rest first."
As they were talking, the man returned from the bathroom, dressed in the dry clothes, looking refreshed, though the lines of fatigue still showed on his face. He seemed better now. He sat quietly at the dining table.
Sara, still uncertain, walked over and placed a mug of steaming coffee in front of him.
"Here," she said. "This will help with the cold."
"Thank you," he replied, wrapping his hands around the mug. "That's very kind of you."
Seeing that the man had settled down, Linda left for the bathroom. When she returned, she was freshly dressed. After the man finished eating, he strolled around the living room and stopped silently before a photo hung on the wall. It was a framed picture of Linda and her family, standing together and smiling sweetly. The picture was taken during a visit, a family of five smiling under a golden sky, standing in a wide field at the park they had gone to.
She cleared her throat softly, drawing the man's attention. The man turned, "You've bathed," he said smiling.
Linda answered with a nod, smiling back at him. He pointed to the corner. "Your friend's baby?" he asked.
"Yes," Linda said, walking toward the cot where baby Jack lay in a small crib, bundled in light blankets. The man followed, his hands folded behind his back.
"He's breathing loudly. I mean, the baby's breathing is not stable. That's a sign of an uncomfortable sleeping position," he added.
Before Linda could respond, he walked quietly over to the cot, leaned down, and gently adjusted the baby's position. He lifted Jack's arm slightly and turned his head just a bit.
At that moment, Jack straightened his tiny arms and continued sleeping. His breathing softened into a peaceful rhythm, his small chest rising and falling evenly.
Linda stared in amazement. How could a man, clearly someone who had spent his life in boardrooms and offices, know exactly what was wrong with a child's sleeping position?
Most men these days barely noticed their own kids, let alone someone else's child. And this man, he could probably be her father's age, had noticed something she couldn't.
"Do you have a kid?" The question slipped out before she could stop herself.
"I have a son who is almost twenty. I raised him myself."
"Oh…" Linda said softly.
"His mother died when he was very young," he added, his voice low. "I couldn't trust anyone else to raise him. So I stayed involved. Even when I couldn't always be there, I hired nannies, but I still bathed and fed him myself. I would take him and his nannies with me to the office." His tone grew sad, making Linda's heart ache.
"I'm sorry for your loss," Linda said gently. "I hope I didn't push you into talking about something painful."
"No. It's alright," he said with a sigh. "What scares me now… is his character."
He looked away, frustration clouding his eyes.
"He's so irresponsible. Always out partying, clubbing. Spending money he didn't know how I earn, acting like nothing matters. Sometimes I wonder if I failed him after all."
Linda sat down slowly beside him. She studied his face before carefully choosing her words.
"Maybe… maybe you didn't fail him," she said softly. "Maybe he's still finding himself. People don't grow at the same pace. Some kids stumble before they stand."
The man glanced at her, thoughtful. Her words touched the softest part of his heart.
She smiled faintly, then shifted the conversation.
"Now that we've settled in… I think it's time you told me who you are. Who were those men after you? What kind of business are you involved in that gets you targeted like that, in broad daylight?"
His jaw tightened as her question lingered in the air. For a moment, he almost spoke the truth, but the thought of her eyes widening, her voice faltering the instant she learned who he really was, stopped him. Mr. Adam. The name alone carried too much weight, too many walls. If she knew, she'd pull away. The easy honesty she gave him now would vanish, replaced with hesitation, with caution. He couldn't risk that. Not yet.
He didn't know who Linda truly was yet. He couldn't risk telling her the truth himself.
After consideration, he finally said,
"I'm Fang Leng," with a soft tone. "I work in a business company. I'm the CEO's personal secretary. He continues, my boss had two meetings at once today, at the same time, so he asked me to attend one on his behalf. He's a powerful man, with enemies everywhere. I'm sure those people thought I was him."
Linda squinted, skeptical.
"But… the driver? Shouldn't he have known you weren't the CEO?" she asked, studying his expression.
"That was a new driver," he answered. "He started just this evening."
"Oh, I got it," Linda said, standing up. "You can sleep here tonight. Have breakfast with us in the morning."
As she was about to leave, the man said,
"I don't know your name."
"My bad," Linda said with a sheepish smile. "I'm Linda, and a student in my final year."
Mr. Adam smiled. "It's a pleasure, Linda. Truly. You saved my life today. Where did you learn your skills? You were… incredible."
Linda's lips curved slightly. "Well, I was trained in both karate and guns. That's a long story for another day."
"I see," he said, clearly impressed. "Thank you, Linda. I don't know how to repay you."
"You don't have to," she replied softly. "Just rest, and remember to warn your boss. I hope you'll be comfortable tonight."
"I will," he said sincerely. "Good night, then."
Linda smiled and headed toward the cot. She gently picked up baby Jack and went into her room. Inside, she found Sara curled up on one side of the bed, already fast asleep.
She laid baby Jack close to her, gently pulled the blanket over him, then lay down on the other side of the bed.
Her thoughts wandered as her mind ran through the events of the day, wondering at the same time if everything the man told her was the truth.
Why did she feel like there was more to him than he was letting on?
But soon, the weight of the night pulled her under, and she surrendered to sleep.