Zia was feeding Kaya some fruits in the hall. It was evening time.
"A little more, Kaya baby," Zia said, bringing a piece of apple to her mouth. Kaya shook her head quickly. Her aunty had already fed her a whole big bowl of fruits. Her tiny tummy couldn't take another bite.
"Kaya, just one more. This is the last piece. After that you need to finish this glass of milkshake," Zia reminded her. The doctor had recommended giving Kaya protein and nutritious food because she was extremely weak. She was fifteen, yet she looked no older than nine or ten.
Kaya huffed and shook her head again. She rubbed her tummy and pouted, showing it was already full and about to pop. Zia laughed softly at her cute expressions.
She gently squeezed Kaya's cheeks, making the girl giggle. Just then, the doorbell rang.
"I'll check. Wait here," Zia said, getting up from the sofa and walking to the door. She opened it and saw Damien standing there.
A smile bloomed on Zia's face, and her husband returned it with a warm beam. Coming inside, Damien pecked her forehead.
"How was your day at work?" Zia asked with a soft smile. He smirked and wrapped his arms around her waist.
"It would have been better if you were there with me, Mrs. Karlson," he teased, leaning in for a kiss. Zia's eyes widened. She pressed her palms to his chest and gestured toward the sofa.
Damien tilted his head and spotted Kaya sitting there. The tiny girl had covered her eyes with her palms, making him chuckle.
"Our Kaya isn't looking, so..." he whispered and gave his wife a quick peck on the lips. Zia blushed and playfully smacked his chest.
Laughing, they both walked over to Kaya.
"You can look now, our cute muffin," Damien said. Kaya peeked through her fingers and, seeing everything clear, dropped her hands.
The couple burst into laughter at her rosy cheeks. Zia kissed Kaya's cheek and gently stroked her head.
"She's like a tiny, beautiful beam of happiness for us," Zia murmured. And it was true. From the moment Kaya entered their home, their hearts had felt lighter. It was just their son, who didn't seem to feel the same way about her presence.
"Okay, I have a little gift for our Kaya," Damien said, settling beside her. Kaya's eyes brightened instantly.
He took out a small box from his coat pocket and held it out. Wrapped in glittering paper and tied with a ribbon, it looked almost magical. Kaya stared at it, a soft smile forming. She couldn't even remember the last time someone had given her a gift.
"Open it, Kaya. I'm curious too," Zia said excitedly. Kaya nodded and took the box from Damien with a shy grin.
She slowly removed the ribbon and paper, then lifted the lid. Her breath hitched. Inside was a shimmering bracelet, its stones sparkling like tiny crystals.
She carefully lifted it out, completely mesmerised. It wasn't only just beautiful but also attached to it were tiny metallic bells that made a soft, giggling sound every time she moved it. Kaya's lips parted in awe.
"Did you like it?" Damien asked gently.
Kaya looked up at him and nodded softly, but then she placed the bracelet back in the box. Closing it, she pushed it back toward him.
Both Damien and Zia frowned when she lowered her head.
She tapped her chest and shook her hands, trying to explain she couldn't accept it. It looked too expensive. They were already doing so much for her. She wasn't here to take gifts. Her needs were being taken care of-that was more than enough. She didn't want to seem greedy.
But Zia gently took her hand and slid the bracelet onto her wrist. Kaya opened her mouth to protest, but Zia stopped her.
"No refusing, okay? Otherwise I'll be upset with my Kaya for not accepting her uncle's gift."
Kaya let out a tiny sigh at that.
"It looks so beautiful on my baby. Right, Damien?" Zia said, admiring it.
"Yes, it's perfect on our muffin's wrist," Damien smiled.
The bracelet wasn't just a gift. Kaya's therapist had suggested giving her something that made a sound so others could always sense her presence. It would help her feel secure and never overlooked, especially when she couldn't call out for someone.
Damien took that idea and shaped it into something special. He had the bracelet customised which was pretty enough to make her happy, but with a purpose too. A tiny tracker chip was hidden inside, connected to his phone. All his family members carried such protective devices because of the dangerous nature of his work. Now Kaya would have one as well for her safety since she was slowly becoming family.
Kaya gently jiggled her wrist just to hear the soft tittering of the tiny bells. The sound made her heart flutter, filling her chest with a warm, childlike joy. She leaned forward and hugged her uncle Damien tightly to thank him. Damien chuckled and cradled the back of her head, smiling at how happy she looked.
From a distance, Zian was watching everything... every little detail. The way his parents hovered around her, treating her like she was some delicate princess. And that wide, glowing smile of her, made his fists tighten until his knuckles turned white. After ruining his peace, after invading his home, after tainting his happiness, she had the nerve to smile like that.
Grinding his teeth, he stepped into the hall, instantly drawing everyone's attention. Kaya froze the moment she noticed him. The smile vanished from her face as if it had never existed. She quickly lowered her head and pulled her hand behind her back, hiding the bracelet. Zian noticed it all. So that's what she thought of him? That he was going to snatch it from her like a thief? He wouldn't even touch anything she had laid her hands on, much less desire it. But little did he know back then.
"Are you going somewhere?" Zia asked, noticing how dressed up he was. He wore blue denims, a black leather jacket, and a fitted black t-shirt. His jet-black hair was styled neatly with gel.
"Yes, Mum. There's a celebration gathering. Our high school mates arranged it since we passed the year," he said. Zia nodded, smiling at her son.
"Don't be too late."
Zian shifted his eyes to his dad after hearing his voice, then let them drift toward the girl sitting between them. Her head stayed low, shoulders stiff... that ugly little rat.
After that, he walked out of the house that night-the night that was waiting to drown two souls in its cavernous darkness and would turn him into the devil of her innocent soul.
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