The next day the first thing Aselia did after waking up was check her phone. Disappointment rolled over her seeing there was no text message from him, sighing visibly she climbed out of bed and headed to the bathroom.

Once freshened up and changed, Aselia left her room and headed for the kitchen. Esma was already up and was busy with breakfast. Seeing her, Esma warmly smile and said:

"I have made some extra food and stored it in the freezer. It will last you people a few days."

"Thank you, Esma. It will also be a good opportunity for me to test my culinary skills and see how much I have learnt," Aselia gave a hollow laugh, knowing very well she still needed a lot of work in that department.

"You are turning into a decent cook, it’s all about doing it with your heart my dear," Esma flipped the pancake in the pan.

Soon all of them sat down for breakfast and Yurian observed she wasn’t talking to him or even looking at him. Esma and Razian were excited about their trip, they were leaving after breakfast, so last-minute instructions were what Aselia and Yurian were receiving.

Once they were done with breakfast, Yurian and Aselia helped in putting their luggage in the car. Seeing them all set to leave Rony began to whimper. He had become attached to the couple and didn’t want to part with them.

His tail touched the ground and his ears were flat, their hearts melted seeing him like that.

"Awww, I wish we could take you, Rony," Esma rubbed his head as he stared at her with his big eyes and squealed as if in pain. He tilted his head at Aselia as if whinnying and pleading.

"You want to go with Esma and Razien?" Aselia asked him and he vehemently nodded his head and barked.

"If it’s convenient, take him," Aselia told Esma and her face brightened up and so did Razian’s.

"Really?" she asked with wide eyes.

"Of course."

"Let’s get you packing," she squealed in excitement and Aselia smiled before helping them get his things in the car. Rony was going in circles all around Aselia, over-excited. 𝑓𝑟ℯ𝘦𝓌𝘦𝘣𝑛𝑜𝓋𝑒𝓁.𝑐ℴ𝓂

Aselia bent down to pat him and he licked her face, "You be a good boy now and don’t create any trouble for Esma and Razian," Aselia instructed him and he gazed at her with those round brown eyes.

"Woof!" he touched her face with his and she hugged him, a pang of sadness washed over her. Aselia had gotten so used to him, he had been by her side for a year now.

"Let’s go, buddy!" Razian called him and he sprinted to the car.

"Take care of yourself, we will try to be back as soon as possible," Esma told Aselia while engulfing her in a warm hug. She returned it.

"I will."

Yurian hugged his parents as well. Yurian and Aselia watched till they sat in their car and drove away, Rony’s head bobbed out of the window along with his tongue as Aselia waved at them.

Once the car disappeared they came back inside the house and Aselia squatted down in the living room.

"You are avoiding me, what’s wrong?" Yurian instantly questioned as he closed the front door and approached her.

"You tell me since you are the one keeping secrets," Aselia accused without turning to face him, making him scowl. He moved in front of her and stood there watching her scrutinised face. She had crossed her arms and was giving him a death stare.

"Secrets?" he feigned innocence, staring down at her with confused eyes.

"Who is Xiran? And what’s his connection to me? And don’t you dare fucking lie to me or I swear, whoever Holy is out there, helps you," she indignantly seethed out, blazing him with her furious gaze.

Yurian was baffled for a second, his mouth hung open and his eyes enlarged. He knew she must have heard his conversation with him last night. He tried to speak but incoherent words escaped him, he didn’t know what to say to her.

"Cat got your tongue? Coz I am fed up with lies, Yurian. You people think you are protecting me but you are not. My life is messed up because of all these lies and secrets and everyone tip-toeing around me as if I am something breakable. It’s time you come clean."

Her frustration was etched on her face and bare for him to see in her words.

"Partner! Where did you hear his name? And I can’t tell you about him even if I want to," there was guilt and pleading in Yurian’s voice, he knew they were screwed.

"Fine, I will ask him myself. Give me your phone," she extended her hand and wriggled her fingers, demanding his phone.

"Umm..." Yurian stood there, unmoving. Not understanding how to handle the situation he was stuck in, his hands fidgeting at his sides.

"Your phone, Yurian," she was unwavering but he was afraid to hand her the phone, it had too many secrets concerning her. All his conversations with Frila, that picture. Unaware that she had already seen it.

"Alright!" she fumed when he refused to hand her the phone. She extracted her own phone from her pocket and took out the picture she had saved the previous night and turned it towards him and asked in a monotonous tone:

"Is that him?" Yurain was thunderstruck, the ground seemed to have slipped from under his feet and the room began to spin.

"H...how? How did you get this picture?" he stammered, his bewildered eyes darting from her to the phone in her hand.

"Just answer the question, Yurian. Is that Xiran?" she asked with a rattled heart. Yurian contemplated for a while and then spoke so slowly that she could barely hear him.

"Yes!"

"Right, I suspected. Now rest I will ask him," she turned the phone towards herself and opened the call log and pressed on the missed call she had received from him last night.

It began to ring. Yurian watched in horror as she pressed the phone to her ear and the call connected, his husky voice sounded from the other end:

"Hello!"