Chapter 26

She took a few sips of water before speaking again. "By the way, what were you going to say earlier?"

John wanted to raise a question to Yana about her whereabouts and why she had come home late, as he had been worried about her. However, he hung back, feeling that showing concern would come off as insincere.

John found himself in a complex situation, torn between wanting to express concern for someone he cared about and the fear of revealing his emotions. As he pondered over the questions he wanted to ask, John feared that showing worry would contradict his previous behavior, and he did not want things to become awkward.

"I forgot." In an attempt to divert attention away from his genuine concern, John reasoned that he had simply forgotten about the issue.

However, Yana was not easily drawn away and asked him about his whereabouts earlier that day, suggesting that she believed there must have been a purpose for him leaving the house.