Chapter 5: The Man Who Never Stopped Searching
Nia grabbed the photograph.
Her fingers trembled.
The picture showed her standing outside Little Stars Toy Store, holding a coffee cup, unlocking the front door.
A normal morning.
A normal day.
Except someone had been watching.
“How did you get this?””
Bear didn’t answer immediately.
That silence made her angry.
“Bear.””
“I found it.””
“Where?””
“In a place I never thought I’d see your name again.””
Nia held the picture tighter.
“What place?””
Bear looked around the store.
At the shelves.
At the Christmas decorations.
At the customers walking past without knowing their entire world had shifted.
“Your mother’s house.””
Nia went still.
“My mother’s house?””
“Yes.””
“She’s been gone for years.””
“I know.””
“Then how were you there?””
Bear looked down.
“Because she left something for me.””
Nia shook her head.
“This makes no sense.””
“I know.””
“You keep saying that.””
“Because every answer creates another question.””
She hated that he was right.
She hated even more that she wanted him to continue.
The store manager walked toward them from the back office.
“Nia? Everything okay?””
She quickly placed the photographs face down.
“Yeah.””
The manager looked at Bear.
Then the mountain of dolls.
“That’s quite the order.””
Bear nodded politely.
“Donation.””
The manager smiled.
“That’s generous.””
Bear forced a small smile.
After the manager walked away, Nia lowered her voice.
“Why the dolls?””
Bear looked at them.
“Because of you.””
She frowned.
“What?””
“When you were little, you wanted to be a princess.””
Nia almost laughed.
“No, I didn’t.””
“Yes, you did.””
“How would you know?””
“Because you used to tell everyone.””
He smiled faintly.
“You wore a plastic crown everywhere.””
Nia’s expression softened.
She remembered something.
A tiny memory.
A blurry image.
A man laughing while she spun around wearing a purple dress.
She shook her head.
“No.””
“Yes.””
“My mother said I hated dresses.””
Bear’s smile disappeared.
“She said a lot of things.””
The sentence carried weight.
Nia looked at him.
“You really hate her?””
The question surprised him.
“No.””
“Even after everything?””
“No.””
“Why?””
Bear looked at the photograph.
“Because people do terrible things when they think they’re saving someone.””
Nia looked down.
“Were you saving me?””
“Yes.””
“Did it work?””
He didn’t answer.
That was answer enough.
She walked away from the counter.
She needed space.
The store suddenly felt too small.
Every toy reminded her of childhood.
Every Christmas decoration reminded her of memories she wasn’t sure belonged to her.
She stopped near the window.
“Tell me about the night everything changed.””
Bear stayed silent.
Then he walked closer.
“Your mother found out something.””
“What?””
“Something about my family.””
Nia turned.
“Your family?””
Bear nodded.
“I wasn’t just a biker.””
The way he said it made her curious.
“What were you?””
“Someone with enemies.””
Nia frowned.
“Dangerous enemies?””
“Yes.””
“And my mother got involved?””
“She was already involved.””
“How?””
Bear looked at the key.
“Because your mother knew where the evidence was.””
Nia’s eyes narrowed.
“What evidence?””
Before Bear could answer, the front doors opened.
A man walked in.
Black suit.
Expensive watch.
Calm expression.
Too calm.
He looked around the store.
Then directly at Bear.
Nia noticed.
Bear noticed too.
The entire mood changed.
The man smiled.
Not warmly.
Like someone who had just found something he had been searching for.
“Bear.””
The biker’s face became cold.
“Marcus.””
Nia looked between them.
“You know him?””
Marcus smiled at her.
“I know everyone connected to this story.””
Bear stepped between them.
“Leave.””
Marcus ignored him.
His eyes moved to Nia.
“You must be Nia.””
She felt uncomfortable.
“How do you know my name?””
Marcus smiled.
“Because your mother spent years trying to hide you.””
Nia’s stomach tightened.
Bear’s voice became dangerous.
“Don’t.””
Marcus laughed softly.
“You still protect her.””
He looked at Nia.
“But she deserves to know what you did.””
Nia turned toward Bear.
“What did he mean?””
Bear didn’t move.
Marcus reached into his coat.
Nia instinctively stepped back.
But he only removed a small envelope.
He placed it on the counter beside the dolls.
“This belonged to your mother.””
Bear’s eyes narrowed.
“Where did you get that?””
Marcus smiled.
“From the one person who knew the truth.””
Nia stared at the envelope.
A name was written on the front.
Her name.
May you like
Then Marcus said something that made Bear’s expression collapse.
“Ask him why your mother begged me to keep you away from him.””
