The next morning, I took the bus to work, yesterday's events buzzing in my head like a swarm of bees. If I really am in danger, I can't stay at home—I have to find a place to hide, at least for a while. On my way to the restaurant, I pulled out my phone. Even though my best friend and I hadn't spoken for a year, I knew she was the only person I could truly trust.
"I missed you so much, so I'm coming over to stay for a few days," I quickly typed out. I didn't include any details; this wasn't a conversation for a phone. The reply came instantly: "Okay, Gabi, I'll be waiting for you. Love you."
Feeling slightly more at ease, I slipped the phone back into my pocket and pushed open the doors to Dyva. However, the moment I stepped inside, Dimitri met me. His gaze was stern, his face tight with tension.
"Today, Ralkaite, you will work only in the warehouse and the kitchen," he snapped, without even a greeting.
"But Director... everything was fine yesterday?" I asked, confused, though deep down I already knew the answer.
"Don't argue with me!" his voice boomed louder than I expected. "Just do as I say."
I realized he was trying to hide me from prying eyes, but that man from table five had already seen me. Could the warehouse walls really protect me from the shadows of my father's past? I walked toward the kitchen, feeling fear tighten its grip on my throat once again.
I worked in the warehouse, moving boxes, but my movements were mechanical, and my body trembled uncontrollably. Every creak of the door made me flinch. My thoughts kept drifting back to what I had overheard at home last night, when my father was secretly talking to Karlas.
"He was only twenty back then," my father had said in a hollow voice. "I thought it was just a young man's obsession, a foolish whim. I hoped that over time he would forget, find someone else, and that it would all end."
The more I thought about it, the more terrified I became. Who was this man, who would be around thirty-six now? Why did my father feel he owed him something so great that he promised me—his own daughter—when I was only sixteen? It didn't sound like an agreement; it sounded like a death sentence. What does he want from me now, after all these years?
"Gabi, do you hear me?" Gintarė's voice made me jump. She was standing in the doorway, holding an empty tray. "You're as white as a sheet. Dimitri told you to take these products to the fridge, but you've been standing here clutching that box for five minutes."
"I... I just didn't sleep well," I muttered, trying to steady my shaking hands.
"Listen, that guy from yesterday... he showed up again," Gintarė whispered, stepping closer. My heart felt like it stopped. "Not the older one, but someone else. A black luxury car is parked right by the back exit. The man won't get out; he's just watching the door. Gabi, what is going on?"
I felt the blood freeze in my veins. He was here. Maybe not the one who had sat at the table, but the other one—"him." The one who had been waiting for me for eight years.
"Gintarė, I need to leave. Right now," I said, tearing off my apron. There was no time to wait for the end of my shift. I had to reach my friend before they caught me in this restaurant like a mouse in a trap.
"But the director will kill you!" she cried out, but I was no longer listening. I grabbed my bag and headed for the kitchen window, because leaving through the door was far too dangerous.
I stood near the back door, clutching my phone. My fingers were shaking so violently that I could barely hit the letters. "Kate, I'm sorry, I can't meet up. There's too much work, we'll meet another time. Love you," I sent the message and felt a tear roll down my cheek. Lying hurt, but I couldn't risk her life. If that man was as dangerous as my father said, he would stop at nothing.
I looked around. The car Gintarė mentioned was nowhere to be seen. Maybe she was mistaken? Or maybe he had intentionally retreated into the shadows, waiting for me to come out?
I decided not to go to the bus stop via the main street. I turned into the narrow courtyards of Kaunas Old Town, pressing my bag to my chest. Every step echoed sharply against the pavement. It felt as if someone was standing around every corner, as if every tinted window was an eye watching me.
Suddenly, I heard the slow rumble of an engine behind me. The sound was low, growling, not at all like a regular car. My heart began to hammer against my ribs. I didn't look back; I only quickened my pace. The engine sound stopped, but then I heard a car door slam shut.
"Gabi," a voice called out.
It wasn't my father. It wasn't Dimitri. The voice was young, calm, and terrifyingly confident. I froze in place, afraid even to breathe.
"Gabi, don't hide. We both know this meeting was inevitable," he spoke, his footsteps slowly drawing closer to me. "Your father thought he could hide you, but he forgot one thing... I always take back what belongs to me."
I slowly turned around. Standing before me was a man wearing a dark coat. He didn't look like a monster—he was handsome, but his eyes... there was no warmth in them, only a cold, possessive joy. It was him. The same man my father had promised me to eight years ago.
"What do you want?" my voice was barely a whisper.
He stepped closer, so close that I could smell the scent of his expensive cologne mixed with tobacco. He reached out and gently, almost cautiously, touched a strand of my hair.
"I want what was promised to me," he said with a smile that made me feel sick. "And your father will give you to me himself. Tonight."