Finally, she gathered the courage to speak. “Yusha, can I ask you something?”

He turned to her, his eyes gentle and attentive. “Of course, Zainab.”

Her voice trembled slightly as she continued, “Were you really… a thief?”

Yusha sighed, a deep, weary sound that seemed to carry the weight of a thousand unspoken stories. He took a moment, choosing his words carefully. “I was not always the man you know now,” he admitted softly. “There are things in my past I am not proud of. But I have tried to leave that life behind.”

Zainab’s heart wavered between disbelief and compassion. She had felt his genuine kindness, his gentle spirit, and yet the doubts gnawed at her resolve. “Why didn’t you tell me?” she whispered.