Chapter 18

It was the year Enola had turned 18 years old. Robert woke abruptly from his sleep, instinctively reaching for his wrist. Normally, a sandalwood rosary bracelet would be there, but it was missing right now. He didn't recall ever taking it off. His first thought was that Enola, being playful as always, had taken it while he was asleep and hidden it somewhere. At first, he didn't think much of it. He even imagined finding it before she could return it, just to see the adorable look of defeat on her face. He searched for a long time but didn't find the bracelet. Instead, he stumbled upon a diary. Robert knew that even children had their own secrets, let alone an 18-year-old young woman. The right thing to do was to put the diary back where he found it and continue searching for the rosary bracelet. But for some reason, as if possessed by an unseen force, he opened it. He read about her youthful emotions page after page—her quiet, tender thoughts. It stirred both curiosity and an ine