Chapter 4 - Chapter four

🦋 Chapter Seventeen 🦋

The Church

Anita sighed in relief the moment she drove into the driveway and finally parked.

Without wasting time, she stepped out of the car, running her fingers through her curly hair before tightening her grip on her purse. Her eyes scanned the countless cars before settling on the small gray church ahead—neither too far nor too close.

Her phone beeped.

She pulled it out, glanced at the message, and her expression dimmed with disappointment.

"Huh…"

Taking a deep breath, she slipped the phone back into her purse and locked the car. Then, with steady steps, she made her way toward the church.

Her pace was calm—neither hurried nor slow.

Soon, she stood before the slightly opened brown wooden door. A quick glance at her wristwatch made her exhale softly.

"It's just 5:45."

She stepped inside.

A wave of choral humming welcomed her, wrapping around her like a familiar embrace.

Her gaze wandered across the small church. The scent of polished wood mixed with a faint hint of roses filled the air. Members were immersed in worship, lost in their own world of song and devotion.

At the front stood the pastor—eyes closed, hands raised—singing along with the choir.

"Where's Barnabas?" she wondered silently.

Her eyes searched until she found him among the choir, holding a microphone and humming along.

A warm smile spread across her face.

She quietly took a seat at the back, closing her eyes as the song sank deep into her heart.

"Powerful… Powerful… Lord…"

The chorus echoed.

Her hand rested gently on her stomach as she prayed silently.

When she opened her eyes, the pastor was already holding his Bible. The congregation followed—except Anita, who had come without one.

"My beloved," the pastor began, his voice calm yet firm, "today, we will be talking about love."

Barnabas

Barnabas smiled softly the moment he spotted his mother.

"What are you staring at?" one of the choir ladies asked.

He pointed proudly.

"That's my mummy."

She smiled and gently tapped his head before turning back.

But Barnabas wasn't listening anymore.

His gaze drifted toward the window.

There—

A white figure.

Bright.

Majestic.

Not for the first time, he saw it among the crowd. And yet, each time left him breathless.

"Beautiful…" he whispered.

"What are you looking at this time?" the lady asked again, her voice softer now.

"An angel."

She ignored him, assuming it was childish imagination.

But Barnabas knew what he saw.

The glowing figure moved gently among the congregation, placing its hands on people's heads.

"Love your neighbor as yourself."

The pastor's voice cut through the moment.

Barnabas stilled.

He remembered those words.

His mother had said them the night before.

"Love those who hate you… and forgive those who forsake you."

After the Service

"That's hard…" Anita murmured under her breath.

Still, she knew—it was what every Christian must strive for.

The sermon continued for another hour before it ended.

Seated at the back, Anita watched as members slowly filed out. Her hand absentmindedly rubbed her stomach until she felt a tug on her sleeve.

"Mummy!"

She blinked back to reality.

Barnabas beamed at her.

"So, did you enjoy the service?"

Anita's fingers curled tightly against the fabric of her dress.

That feeling…

It wasn't just unease anymore.

It was a warning.

"Mummy…"

Barnabas called again, this time gently tugging at her hand.

She blinked, snapping out of her thoughts, forcing a faint smile that didn't reach her eyes.

"I'm fine," she whispered.

But she wasn't.

Not even close.

Her gaze drifted back to the hallway that led to the office.

Empty.

Too empty.

The air around it felt… still.

Like something had just been sealed behind closed doors.

Inside the Office

The door shut with a soft but final click.

Silence.

Heavy. Suffocating.

Anita's father-in-law stood still for a moment, his back turned, his hands clasped behind him. His calm posture betrayed nothing—but the tension in his shoulders told another story.

"Why are you here?" he asked coldly, not bothering to turn around.

The stranger stepped forward, his polished shoes echoing faintly against the tiled floor.

"You weren't answering your calls."

His voice was smooth.

Too smooth.

"I assumed you valued your privacy," the older man replied.

A quiet chuckle escaped the stranger.

"Privacy?" he repeated, amused. "Or secrecy?"

That word lingered in the air like smoke.

Slowly, Anita's father-in-law turned to face him. His eyes were sharp now, stripped of their usual warmth.

"You shouldn't have come here."

"And you shouldn't have made that mistake," the stranger shot back instantly.

Silence crashed between them again.

Then—

The stranger reached into his briefcase.

Anita's father-in-law's gaze darkened.

"Careful," he warned.

But the man only smirked, pulling out a thin file and dropping it onto the desk with deliberate ease.

The sound echoed louder than it should have.

"Recognize it?"

No response.

But the slight tightening of the older man's jaw was enough.

"I told you," the stranger continued, his voice dropping into something colder, "nothing stays buried forever."

A long pause.

Then—

"What do you want?" Anita's father-in-law finally asked, his voice quieter now… but far more dangerous.

The stranger leaned in slightly, his smile fading into something unreadable.

"Control."

Another pause.

"And if I refuse?"

The stranger's eyes darkened.

"Then everything—and everyone you're trying so hard to protect…" he said softly, "…burns with you."

Back Outside

Anita suddenly inhaled sharply.

Her heart skipped.

A chill ran down her spine.

She didn't know why…

She hadn't heard a word.

But deep down—

She felt it.

Something had just begun.

And whatever it was…

It was going to destroy everything.

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