They ate quietly.
After the meal, Abel headed straight to his room. His mother and Nina remained behind to clean up, while his father left for his office out of town. That evening, dinner was served separately for Abel and Lisa. Both of them retreated into their rooms and did not come out again.
Days passed with Abel and Lisa carefully avoiding any form of interaction. If one appeared from the opposite direction, the other would instinctively change course. Yet, strangely, there was no longer any tension between them. The atmosphere felt lighter, calmer. They respected each other's boundaries without words, without effort.
That fragile peace lasted until one afternoon.
Lisa stepped out of her room just as Abel was leaving his office, located in the upper wing to the left side of her room. Abel was holding his laptop, moving quickly. He was running a bit late and had forgotten important materials in his room, documents he urgently needed for a meeting with an organization he hoped to collaborate with within an hour. It was always his habit to revise his materials an hour before any meeting he had.
At the same time, Lisa was completely absorbed in her phone, a glass of water in her hand. Her attention was fixed on the screen, unaware of her surroundings. Abel, equally distracted, had his eyes glued to his laptop as he hurried forward.
They collided.
Lisa stumbled backward, nearly losing her balance. Instinctively, Abel reached out and caught her, one arm securing her firmly around the back before she could hit the ground. The glass of water spilled all over him, soaking his shirt, and the cup shattered on the floor.
Without hesitation, Abel tightened his grip and lifted her slightly closer to his chest, steadying her completely to ensure she wouldn't fall again. The strength surprised Lisa; he was slimmer than she had imagined, yet undeniably strong. What startled her even more was his chest. It wasn't as flat as she had expected.
She looked up at him, her expression shifting. Abel noticed immediately and gently released her, stepping back.
"I'm so sorry," he said urgently. "Are you hurt? Do you feel any pain?"
Concern filled his voice as he guided her toward the lounge.
"No… but your laptop," Lisa said, pointing weakly.
Abel glanced down and tried to turn it on. The screen remained dark. Water had seeped inside.
"Well," he said calmly, "I guess I'll have to get a new one. Don't worry about it." Then, more firmly, he added, "What matters is that you're okay. Let me call the family doctor to check on you."
He pulled out his phone and made the call.
Lisa sat quietly on a reclining sofa. She didn't argue; she could tell Abel wouldn't listen anyway. His worry was obvious, even though he tried to hide it. All she could do was nod in agreement. Watching him, she felt a mix of surprise and disbelief. She had never seen this side of Abel, so attentive, so genuinely concerned about her well-being.
Within ten minutes, the family doctor arrived. He checked Lisa's pulse and vitals and carefully examined her. He also checked the baby. Everything was fine.
Throughout the examination, Abel never moved. He stood close, watching intently.
Just as the doctor was finishing, Nina walked in. She had just returned from one of Abel's city offices.
"What happened? Are you okay?" she asked anxiously, rushing toward Lisa. She squatted beside her, holding her hand while watching the doctor.
"I bumped into her," Abel said quietly.
"Are you blind?!" Nina snapped, rising and storming toward Abel, her anger charged and ready to explode. She looked as though she might attack him if given the chance. Abel didn't respond. He didn't even flinch.
"The patient is fine," the doctor said calmly. "And the baby is perfectly safe. No harm was done. However, I advise both of you to be more careful to avoid such incidents in the future."
"Thank you, doctor," Abel replied as the doctor packed up and left.
Abel moved toward Lisa.
"What do you think you're doing?!" Nina shouted, glaring at him with fury.
Ignoring her, Abel squatted beside Lisa.
"I'm really sorry," he said softly. "I'm glad you're okay. Do you need anything?"
Lisa was too stunned to respond. She simply shook her head. Nina watched in confusion. Abel had never cared if anyone got hurt, never stayed, never worried. This was completely different.
Just then, Abel's mother walked in. She had just returned from a friend's house and noticed the doctor leaving. The tension in the room was unmistakable.
"What happened here?" she demanded, moving quickly toward Lisa.
Without waiting for an explanation, she went straight to Abel, grabbed his ear, and pinched it hard.
"Ouch, Mom!" Abel protested, trying to pull away.
Lisa couldn't watch anymore.
"Please," she said urgently. "It's not his fault. I'm responsible too. I bumped into him, and I spilled water on his laptop; it's not working anymore."
Her voice trembled as she tried to stop the chaos.
Abel's mother froze.
"Are you okay, my dear?" she asked, completely ignoring Abel as she checked on Lisa.
"Yes," Lisa replied. "The doctor confirmed everything is fine, the baby too."
"Thank goodness," Abel's mother said with relief. "Sit down for now, let me make you your favorite dish. Don't worry about this one." She pointed at Abel dismissively. "He'll figure out how to fix his laptop."
Lisa was stunned. From what she knew, Abel's mother adored her son, yet here she was, showing more concern for a stranger than for her own child.
Abel said nothing. He straightened himself and hurried to his room. Thankfully, the meeting was still twenty minutes away.
Lisa felt a deep pang of guilt as she watched him leave. It showed on her face.
Abel noticed.
And in that moment, his heart soared.
To him, it felt like winning a jackpot. The journey toward uncovering the truth and perhaps being forgiven had finally begun, and unexpectedly, it felt easier.
Once inside his room, he used his desktop computer. Thankfully, it was synced with the damaged laptop, and nothing important was lost. After his meeting, he remained in his room, coming out only to collect food.
On another note, the moment when Abel had left Nina followed Abel's mum to the kitchen.
"My dear Nina, I think you should keep Luiza company. I will be done soon."
"Sure, ma'am, but I have a question."
"Sure, dear, go ahead," Said Abel's mum as she was cutting some sweet potatoes.
"Don't you think that Abel is acting a bit strange?" Asked Nina, concerned.
"Well, I don't understand. What are you implying exactly?" Asked Abel's mum.
"We both know being nice is not something he does, and this time I feel like something is fishy; everything doesn't seem right. It's like he is up to something or after something."
"Well, you never know, maybe he has changed for sure," Said Abel's mum, not intending to engage in this matter much.
"Maybe if you say so," Said Nina, not so much convinced by the response she got from Abel's mum. She then left to keep Lisa company in the lounge.
From that day on, no one knew whether Abel was around or not. He rarely left his room, and even when he left the house, no one would notice.
Lisa grew increasingly worried. She found herself hoping to run into him in the lounge, rehearsing an apology, planning to offer help fixing the laptop.
But she never saw him.
Until one day, when she finally gathered all her courage and knocked on his door.