He paused, his fingers still on the strings of the oud he played so beautifully. “What did she say?”

“She said you’re hiding something from me.”

There was a silence so thick it felt like another presence in the room. Yusha sighed deeply, placing the oud gently on the ground. “Zainab, there are things in my past, things I’m not proud of. I didn’t lie to you—I just didn’t want to burden you with them. But if you want to know, I’ll tell you.”