Chapter 387

By afternoon, the apartment felt restless. Riyana checked the time again and again. Each minute felt longer than the last. Finally, she picked up her phone and called Jabco. He answered after a few rings. “When will you come?” she asked, trying to keep her voice normal. There was noise on his side. Voices, movements. “The meeting is still going,” he said. “Something urgent came up. I’ll try to come as soon as possible.” Her fingers tightened around the phone. “If you’re this busy,” she said, the irritation slipping into her voice, “we can go another time.” There was a pause. “No,” Jabco replied quickly. “I’ll come. We’ll go today.” That was it. The call ended. Riyana stared at her phone for a long second after the screen went dark. Her chest felt tight now. The irritation had turned into anger, sharp and uncomfortable. She hung up without saying anything else. She stood there, not knowing what to do with herself. The packed luggage sat near the door, silently reminding her of the plan.