Chapter 32

When Imani had persisted to know what the lady meant by here being her place, she had only smiled and introduced herself as Akira. As Akira continued to smile at Imani, the woman’s eyes darted around the room, as if searching for a way out.

The man, still standing nearby, said nothing, only watched Imani with an expression of mild interest. Imani felt a chill run down her spine, and she found herself wishing she could get away from these people as quickly as possible. But something about the way Akira looked at her, with that placid, serene expression, made her feel safe but at the same time scared.

The silence was broken when Akira spoke again of noticing her internal struggle, her voice soft and melodic. “There’s no need to be afraid, Imani. You are safe here.”

Imani really hoped that the woman’s words were true because it did nothing to calm her nerves. But even as she listened, she couldn’t shake the feeling that something was very wrong. She felt torn.