100
“We’re still investigating.” Finn said, a complex expression flickering across his face.
Naya closed her eyes and remained silent.
What had happened back then was buried deep in the past. And with the need to keep Cesar unaware of the investigation, progress was naturally slow.
The car soon pulled up to the hotel. Finn set her new ID card on the table and quietly left.
Naya settled into the hotel with little fuss. Not long after, she rented a small apartment and opened a flower shop.
Her mother had always loved flowers–bright, beautiful things–and once dreamed of opening a shop of her own.E
In fact, her parents had met and fallen in love in a field of sunflowers. But after their divorce, her mother never spoke of flowers again.”
Naya knew her mother had still loved them, just as she had loved her father.
Even at the end, she never said the words out loud. But the way her eyes misted over and lingered on the window told Naya everything. She had never truly forgotten him.
Now, with time on her side, Naya chose to fulfill her mother’s dream.
Atros was damp and rainy. The constant drizzle clung to everything like a fine mist. Naya stood quietly, gazing at the flowers in her shop, lost in thought.
She was just debating whether to put together a new basket when the door suddenly opened.
“Welcome,” Naya called instinctively, stepping forward, only to find a man in gold–rimmed glasses holding the hand of a girl around four or five.
“Hello,” he said with a gentle smile. “Could you help me pick out some sunflowers?“%
The man folded his umbrella and carried the little girl over to a chair. When his eyes met Naya’s, a flicker of surprise crossed his face, followed quickly by a glimmer of joy.
But as if afraid to startle her, he masked it the moment she looked back, leaving only a calm, composed expression.
Naya studied the man in the black suit, listening to his deep, magnetic voice. Something about him felt familiar. But she couldn’t quite place where she had seen him before.
“Could you help me pick out a bouquet of calla lilies?” he asked. “Preferably with some lilacs.”
He accepted the sunflowers Naya offered and gently handed them to the girl, then turned his gaze toward the calla lilies. Naya didn’t hesitate. Quietly, she selected the calla lilies, then added a few lilacs. To complete the bouquet, she chose a few complementary flowers and wrapped everything with care.
As she worked, the patter of rain outside filled the shop.
Looking at the calla lilies in her hands, her mind wandered back to a distant memory from her youth.!!
There had been a man..A mysterious figure who, every year on her birthday, left her a bouquet of calla lilies with lilacs.”
And then, one day, he stopped. Without explanation, without goodbye. Her thoughts lingered as her fingers moved swiftly.
When she handed the finished bouquet to the man, he looked briefly surprised. But he quickly collected himself and passed the flowers to the little girl.!!
The child struggled to hold the bouquet, then beamed up at Naya.!!
“Thank you,” she said sweetly, her voice soft and smile pure. Naya’s heart melted without warning.
She crouched down, gently pinched the little girl’s cheek, and said with a smile, “You’re welcome.”
But to her surprise, the girl’s eyes lit up the moment she got a good look at her. “Mom! You’re my mom!” she cried excitedly.
