Chapter 36 Chapter 36
CHAPTER THIRTY-SIX
Dimitri's POV
I stared at the woman I had just bumped into.
She was pregnant. Heavily pregnant. Her belly was round and large.
What was a pregnant woman doing out here at this time of the night? In this dangerous area?
Was she running from someone?
Was her husband abusing her?
My protective instincts kicked in immediately.
"Are you alright?" I asked. "Do you need help?"
She did not answer. She just stared at me like I was a ghost, like she had seen something impossible.
Her eyes were wide. Her mouth was open. And tears started streaming down her face.
I was shocked. Did I make her cry?
"Miss?" I said again. "Are you hurt? Are you in danger?"
She reached out with a shaking hand, like she wanted to touch my face. But she stopped herself.
"Dm... Dimitri," her voice cracked. It came out like a whisper.
I froze. My heart raced.
"What did you say?" I asked.
"Dimitri," she repeated louder this time. And more tears fell across her face. "Dimitri."
My heart stopped.
"That is my name?" I asked desperately. "Dimitri? Are you sure?"
She nodded very hard. So hard I thought her head might fall off.
Relief washed over me like a wave. Finally, I have seen someone who knew me.
"Who am I?" I asked quickly. "Please tell me. Who am I? Where am I from? Do I have a family?"
She was no longer listening. She was looking behind me, her eyes were filled with fear and panic.
"You need to run away," she said urgently, grabbing my arms. "You need to escape. It is dangerous here! Please!"
"What? Why?" I asked, confusion etched on my face.
"He will kill you!" She said, crying harder now. "Please just run! Get away from here!"
"Who will kill me?" I asked. "I do not understand."
She tried to push me away. "Just go! Please!"
But I could not leave her. Not when she was this scared. Not when she clearly needed help.
I held her hand firmly. "Come with me. If it is dangerous, come with me. I will help you."
She looked at me and more tears fell. "You do not understand. You do not remember anything."
"Then tell me!" I said. "Help me understand! Please!"
Before she could answer, I heard a voice behind me.
"Irina!"
The voice was cold, angry and dangerous.
The pregnant woman froze. Her face went pale with fear.
I turned around.
It was the man I saw earlier. The one in the expensive suit. The one with forest green eyes that for some reason makes me uncomfortable.
He was walking towards us with a speed that scared me. His face was twisted with rage.
"Irina!" He shouted again.
So that was her name. Irina.
The man reached us. He grabbed her arm forcefully and yanked her away from me.
"Get away you madman!" He yelled at me. His eyes were full of hatred. "I will have you arrested! Get away from her!"
I looked at Irina. She looked terrified and worried. Like she desperately needed help.
And something inside me snapped. For some reason, I did not like the way this man was touching her. I did not like the fear in her eyes.
"Wait," I said, stepping forward. "Is she safe with you?"
"That is none of your business!" The man snarled. He pulled Irina closer. "What are you doing with this homeless man, Irina?"
"I bumped into him," Irina said quickly. Her voice was trembling. "It was by accident. I was just walking and I bumped into him."
The man looked at her suspiciously. Then he looked at me with disgust.
"Stay away from her," he said coldly. "If I see you near her again, I will have you arrested. Or worse."
His voice was cold and dangerous.
He started dragging Irina towards the black car.
He pushed her roughly into the front seat of the car. Then he walked around and got into the driver's side.
The engine roared to life.
I ran towards the car. "Wait! Please!"
But the car sped away very fast. It was too fast.
I stood there in the middle of the empty street, staring at the back of the car as it disappeared into the darkness.
My mind was racing. My heart was pounding.
That woman knew me. And she called me Dimitri.
Dimitri. That was my name.
But who was I? How did she know me? Why was she so scared?
And who was that man? Why did he treat her like that?
The way he grabbed her. The way she looked at him with fear. It did not sit right with me.
Something was very wrong.
I paced back and forth, trying to think and understand what was going on.
She also said I should run or else someone would kill me.
Could it be that man? Was he dangerous?
But he did not recognize me. He looked at me like I was just a homeless nobody.
So why would he want to kill me?
Unless…
Unless I was someone important before. Someone he had reasons to want dead.
The questions swirled in my mind, making my head hurt.
But one thing was clear.
I had finally found someone who knew me. Someone who could tell me who I was.
And I could not let her disappear.
I had to find her. I had to talk to her again and get answers.
But how? I did not know where she lived. I did not know her full name. I knew nothing except that she was pregnant and scared.
I walked back towards the spot of the accident. Maybe there were clues. Maybe I could find something.
I searched the ground, looking for anything. A dropped item, a piece of paper. Anything.
But there was nothing.
I leaned against a wall feeling fustrated and exhausted.
My head was throbbing. The bandages felt tight.
But I could not give up.
Not now. Not when I was so close to finding the truth.
I thought about the way Irina looked at me. The tears in her eyes. The way she said my name.
She knew me. She really knew me.
And I could tell from her reaction that I was important to her somehow.
But how? Was I her friend? Or her brother?
I needed answers.
I pushed away from the wall and started walking back towards the farm.
Maria would be worried. Luna would be upset.
But I did not care.
Because now I had a mission. Now I had a purpose.
I have to find Irina, talk to her and learn who I was.
No matter what it took.
As I walked, I kept repeating the name in my head.
Dimitri. My name is Dimitri.
It felt right somehow. Like putting on clothes that fit perfectly.
Dimitri.
I am Dimitri.