Fati woke up the next morning with a sense of peace, yet her mind remained buried in the details of the report she had spread across the breakfast table. She had read it dozens of times since last night, memorizing every single word. "Forest Hills" that was her destination, the place concealing the secret of her existence. All she needed now was to rent a car and set off.
The ringing of the doorbell broke her train of thought.
"Is it Jaguar again?"
She wondered anxiously. She opened the door to find a delivery man holding her clothes and the suitcase she had sent to the cleaners. She apologized politely,
- Sorry, that I came early morning, but I came before several time. No one at home.
- Thank you so much. I'm a doctor at the hospital across the street and spend most of my time there, which is why I wasn't in.
Fati stepped inside for a moment to get her purse and pay the bill, but when she returned, the scene had completely shifted. The delivery man was gone, and in his place stood Jaguar, radiating authority. He held a bag of food that smelled delicious in one hand, and with the other, he gripped her clothes and suitcase, resting them against his leg as if sending a silent message that her journey would not begin without him.
Fati thrust the delivery fee into Jaguar's hand and snatched her clothes from his other arm; they were so heavy she had to use both hands to lift them. She tried to pull her suitcase, but it wouldn't budge. Jaguar smiled calmly, helped her move the bag inside, and shut the door behind them, once again intruding upon her morning.
She turned to him, her voice firm:
- Didn't we agree that you'd leave the apartment to me? Why are you here today?
He replied in a quiet tone, wrapped in confidence:
- Won't I get a 'Good morning,' or even a 'Thank you'?
She ignored him completely, so he continued, placing the food bag on the table:
- I brought breakfast for us.
- Fortunately for you, I've already eaten,
She shot back coldly. He didn't back down, saying cleverly:
Then... sit with me while I eat mine.
Fati hesitated for a moment; the doctor in her visualized his medical condition and the malnutrition he suffered from. She realized that if she left the table now, he would undoubtedly skip his meal. She sat down reluctantly and said in a warning tone:
- Just a few minutes. Be quick, I want to head out.
Jaguar asked with a suspicion he couldn't hide:
- Isn't it too early to head to the hospital?
He knew for a fact she wouldn't be there; he had visited his grandfather yesterday and learned the attending doctor was on leave, confirming his hunch that she was planning a secret getaway.
Fati tried to deflect calmly:
- No, I'm visiting the family of the friend who took me in...
Without realizing it he said
- Kylo's family.
At that, the smile vanished from Jaguar's face, replaced by a searing anger that lit up his eyes. She justified herself with apparent indifference to his rage:
- He isn't there; he traveled for work to another city and won't be back today.
She then added with concern as she laid out the food:
- Please... eat your breakfast.
He sat eating with a haunting calmness, then suddenly asked:
- Aren't you going to ask where I'm going today?
- I don't care,
She replied without looking at him.
- To your office, surely.
- No,
He said in a firm voice that made her heart stop.
- I won't be going to the office. I've taken time off, and I'm going to Forest Hills to visit Rosaline. I have her detailed address.
The blood froze in Fati's veins; an overwhelming fear for the mother she had yet to meet gripped her. She cried out, her voice laced with panic:
- What do you want from her? Do you want to harass her just because I asked about her?
Jaguar watched the green fire ignite in her eyes as she rushed to protect that servant, realizing the secret was far deeper than he had imagined. He took a bite of food, swallowed slowly, and said in a relaxed tone,
- You can accompany me... I have some questions of my own, and it seems you have others.
Then, a smile a blend of cunning and promise crept onto his lips as he added,
- Don't be afraid... I wouldn't dare hurt her.
As he took another bite, Fati grabbed a cup, poured some water, and gulped it down, trying to steady her erratic breathing. Jaguar didn't miss the sight of her damp lips; to him, they looked like a silent invitation for a morning kiss he craved. He smiled defiantly and asked,
- So? Do you want to come with me, or shall I go alone?
Thoughts raced through Fati's mind like a whirlwind. She needed a car, and she needed a precise address she didn't fully possess and here he was, offering it all. But she knew that with Jaguar, nothing was truly free.
- I'll come,
She said, bracing for the worst.
- But... I have one condition.
Jaguar raised his eyebrows in disapproval, adding with a surprised tone,
- You've certainly been setting a lot of conditions lately, Fati
She didn't flinch as she replied with a blunt honesty that struck his pride,
- This was your way with me from the very beginning... and I'm a fast learner. Don't forget that I was the one who wanted a simple married life, but you were the one who imposed conditions, complications, and contracts.
Jaguar swallowed hard, stunned into silence by the stinging truth of her words. Trying to regain control, he turned to leave, saying,
- It seems you don't want to come with me... I'll leave then.
Fati stopped him without moving from her seat, her arms crossed over her chest in a cold, confident stance.
- So... you won't hear my condition?
He paused at the door and turned back,
- Let's hear it.
She stated it with a firm finality that brooked no argument:
- I want to speak with her alone. I don't want you listening to our conversation.
Jaguar agreed immediately, perhaps eager to escape the weight of her words,
- You have it. Let's go.
Jaguar stood up to leave, but Fati stopped him firmly:
- Wait... you haven't finished your food.
He smiled with a lingering gaze and said,
- I've had my fill just by looking at you.
Fati didn't grasp the depth of his words or perhaps she chose not to and replied sternly:
- Jaguar, I'm not joking. You aren't leaving until you finish your plate.
He yielded, sitting back down to finish his meal. Then, trying to lighten the tension, he joked,
- If you had been here for the last six years, I'd be twice my size by now!
His eyes narrowed as he scanned her frame, adding in a softer tone,
- You too... you've lost a lot of weight.
Silence filled the room, and Fati felt a bitter pang in her throat. Once again, he didn't ask "Why?" He didn't ask how she had spent those long years barely finding enough to eat, or how hardship had sculpted her features and body while he was immersed in his own world. He saw the result, but he feared or failed to ask about the cause.
Their journey wasn't by car as she had planned, but by a private helicopter that soared over the hospital where she worked.
- How are you allowed to fly over our hospital like this?
Fati asked in surprise. He replied with a coldness that spoke of absolute power:
- Because I own the hospital.
Fati fell silent, offering no comment, but her mind sank into bitter memories of the past. She remembered how he had refused to travel with her on their honeymoon and how he had returned alone, leaving her behind. Now, he was flying with her on an unknown journey would she be the one returning alone this time?
Two hours later, they stood before Alina's house in the heart of her husband's farm. The moment the door opened, Fati felt the first sting of doubt; the woman's features, her skin tone, her very look nothing suggested a biological connection. But Fati comforted her trembling heart:
"Perhaps I inherited my genes from my father."
She smiled faintly and said,
- Hello.
Alina turned toward the man standing behind Fati and asked,
- Are you Jaguar?
Jaguar remembered her instantly; she was his aunt's loyal maid. He answered with a sincere smile Fati had never seen before:
- Yes... it's me, Jaguar.
Alina embraced him with overwhelming warmth, and he returned the hug with a tenderness that stunned Fati; she had never seen him treat anyone with such kindness. Then, Alina looked toward Fati and asked,
- And who is this?
The emotions Fati had suppressed for years erupted, and she spoke in a voice choked with tears and hope:
- It's me, mother... I am your daughter