In the morning, I wake up to the soft light of dawn filtering through the curtains. The weight of the previous day's events immediately crushed me. I could still feel her against me, her breathing calm and regular. Salima is asleep, her face turned towards me, peaceful. But I'm anything but peaceful.
I realize with horror what I've just done. Not just because it betrayed my mission, not just because it made things even more complicated. No, it went deeper than that. That night broke something inside me, a barrier I'd imposed on myself for years. I'm not sure of anything anymore.
I get up slowly, trying not to wake her, but every step I take in the room seems heavier than the last. Reality hits me like a punch: I've made a huge mistake. A mistake I can't undo.I head for the window, looking out at the horizon where the sea meets the sky. The sun is slowly rising, flooding Marmaris with its first golden glow. It's beautiful, soothing even. But it can't soothe what's going on inside me.What am I to do now?
I look at Salima still asleep in bed, and a mixture of emotions overwhelms me. Part of me wants to reach out to her, to tell her that everything will be all right, that this night meant something. But another part, the more rational one, knows it's a lie.
I turn around, my fists clenched.
Why did I let this happen? Why did I let my emotions get the better of me?
This isn't how it's supposed to be. I'm not supposed to feel anything for her. Salima was a piece in my plan, nothing more.
So why does everything feel different now?
Guilt grips me, but deep inside, something deeper is growing. One question, just one, haunted me.Do I have to do all this?
What if what I'm doing, this revenge I've pursued with such determination, isn't worth it after all?
Salima, with everything she represents, with this night we've just shared, is making me question everything I thought I knew.
I close my eyes for a moment, feeling the gravity of the situation weigh on my shoulders. Whatever I decide to do now, nothing will ever be the same again.
YOU ARE READING
Hidden : Under the masks ( english version)
Teen FictionTwo childhoods shattered by tragedy. Tidiane and Safiatou, haunted by their parents' suspicious disappearance, infiltrate the lives of the powerful Al-Maktoum family, driven by an unrelenting thirst for revenge. Undercover, they uncover a world of o...
