I knew one thing for sure—
I wasn't going to let this opportunity go.
Not this time.
Not when it felt like everything was finally… leading somewhere.
My friends would have told me the same thing.
Take the risk.Don't look back.
But convincing them wasn't the problem.
Convincing my parents was.
And Steve.
"I'm going," I told him.
We were still in Paris.
Still in that same room.
But something between us had already changed.
He didn't react.
Not immediately.
He just… stood there.
Still.
Like he hadn't heard me.
"Steve?" I called, stepping closer. "Did you hear what I said?"
Nothing.
He looked distant.
Lost.
Like his mind was somewhere far away from this room… from me.
I shook him lightly.
"Steve."
He blinked.
Finally.
"Our flight is…" he paused, checking his watch like he had forgotten something important. "…in half an hour."
"Half an hour?!" I stared at him. "Steve, we should already be packing!"
I rushed toward my bag.
"You should pack too. We're already late."
But he didn't move.
"Steve?"
A long pause.
Then—
"Rose… I think you'll have to go alone."
I turned slowly.
"What?"
"I have some work here," he said. "Urgent. I need to stay for two more days."
For a moment, I just stared at him.
"You're serious?"
"Yes."
"But I'm leaving for two years…" my voice softened without meaning to. "And you're staying here for two days?"
"I know."
"Then come with me," I said quietly. "Please."
His jaw tightened.
"I can't."
That was it.
No explanation.
No justification.
Just—
I can't.
Something inside me dropped.
But I didn't push further.
Not because I didn't want to—
But because I could feel it.
That wall.
The one he never let me cross.
"Okay," I said finally.
I packed my things.
In silence.
Paris had been beautiful.
More than I ever imagined.
But now—
it felt unfinished.
Like something important had been left behind.
Like someone.
At the airport, we stood side by side.
But it didn't feel like we were together.
"Take care," he said.
That was all.
I waited.
For something more.
A reason.
A truth.
Anything.
But it never came.
So I left.
The flight back felt longer than usual.
Quieter.
Heavier.
When I reached home, my parents welcomed me warmly.
I smiled.
Answered their questions.
Pretended everything was normal.
Then I went to my room.
Took a shower.
And finally—
let the silence settle.
I lay down, exhausted.
My body heavy.
My mind… louder than ever.
That's when my phone rang.
Unknown number.
"Hello?"
"Am I speaking to Miss Rose?"
"Yes."
"Congratulations. You have been selected among the top 10 candidates worldwide."
My breath caught.
"We require your consent before proceeding further."
Consent.
My heart skipped.
I had completely forgotten.
For a second, doubt crept in.
Steve's words echoed again.
You might not come back the same.
But then—
my own voice answered.
"Yes," I said.
"I accept."
There was a pause.
Then—
"Excellent choice."
Something about the way they said it…
didn't feel like congratulations.
It felt like confirmation.
"You will receive your contract within an hour," they continued."Training will take place in India. Duration—two years."
Two years.
The call ended.
I sat there.
Still.
Two years.
India.
Unknown organization.
And yet—
I felt… excited.
Or maybe—
I was ignoring something.
The contract arrived exactly one hour later.
No delay.
No error.
I opened it.
And froze.
At the top—
written in bold—
was the name of the organization.
"Aeternum Initiative."
A strange chill ran down my spine.
I didn't know why.
But that name…
didn't feel right.
Telling my parents wasn't easy.
"India?" Mom repeated.
"For how long?" Dad asked.
"…Two years."
Silence.
"No," Dad said immediately.
"You're not going."
"Why?" I asked.
"I just know," he replied. "This doesn't feel right."
That word again.
Right.
"Dad, this is important to me," I said. "I want this."
"You have a job here," Mom added softly.
"You can follow your passion here."
"But it's not the same," I insisted. "I want something bigger. Something meaningful."
"And you think this is it?" Dad asked.
"I don't know," I admitted. "But I want to find out."
My brother spoke up suddenly.
"I've never seen her this serious before."
I glanced at him, surprised.
For the first time—
he was on my side.
Dad sighed.
"Give us time."
That night—
I didn't sleep.
The next morning, I found Mom sitting beside me.
"You trust your father, don't you?" she asked gently.
I nodded.
An hour later—
Dad came out.
"Rose," he said, sitting down.
"I need to tell you something."
He spoke about his past.
About leaving home.
About regret.
About choices.
"I don't want you to run away like I did," he said.
"I want you to choose… and stand by it."
Then he looked at me.
"You have my permission."
I didn't realize I was crying until I hugged him.
"T-thank you, Dad…"
But even in that moment—
a small part of me felt uneasy.
Because this didn't feel like just a decision anymore.
It felt like a step…
into something unknown.
Another day passed.
I kept checking my phone.
Waiting.
For Steve.
A message.
A call.
Anything.
Nothing came.
"Is he avoiding me?" I whispered.
It didn't make sense.
I hadn't done anything wrong.
Or had I?
That evening—
my phone finally buzzed.
My heart skipped.
I grabbed it immediately.
It was from Steve.
Just one message.
No explanation.
No greeting.
Only—
"Do NOT sign the contract."
My breath stopped.
Before I could reply—
another message came.
This time…
from an unknown number.
"We know about Steve."
My fingers went cold.
And then—
one final message appeared.
"Choose carefully, Rose."
The screen went dark.
And for the first time—
I realized—
This wasn't just about my future anymore.
It was about—
who I could trust.