Alma, John and Stella were together all the time because Albert had told them to stay with her so she would not get lost in the city. The crowded streets and constant movement made it easy for someone unfamiliar with the place to lose track of direction.
Stella kept walking beside them, but her mind was elsewhere.
"I have to get away from them first, but how? They're stuck to me like chewing gum!"
She glanced at them from time to time, observing how closely they stayed within reach, making separation difficult without raising suspicion.
She thought of several plans to separate from them, most of which would have been feasible, but she still had to choose the right timing. The flow of people around them made every movement unpredictable, which meant she needed a natural opportunity rather than a forced one.
"I'm going to take them to the big crowd first and then I'm going to step in and walk away. I am going to part with them either here or somewhere else, if we get to the north, my lie will be revealed."
Her thoughts remained organized and deliberate, as she analyzed the environment and the movement of the group around her.
After an hour of wandering through different stalls and streets, Stella finally found the right place to implement her plan.
The area was denser, filled with merchants calling out and customers moving between displays.
She noticed that Alma was a person who loved silk clothes. When they came closer, one of the merchants noticed a large crowd selling this kind. She said excitedly, "Mrs. Alma, look, don't these hanging dresses look great?"
The fabrics swayed slightly as they were displayed, catching light from nearby stalls.
Alma was an honest person, and she didn't hide anything. She directly stepped forward and said, "Yes, what a good taste you have."
"Thank you. I've been wanting to take a look at them since we came. Will you accompany me?"
"Yes, of course."
The three went to see the dresses. The crowd around this section of the market was noticeably larger, with people moving slowly due to the limited space.
When Alma asked about the reason, they said there were high-quality garments being sold here.
"That's what I want, let's go in further."
While Alma remained slightly hesitant because of the crowd density, Stella kept persuading her to get closer, as opportunities like this were not always available. Her tone remained calm, but she gently encouraged movement deeper into the area.
They kept approaching until the crowd became dense. At that moment, Stella carefully observed the spacing between people and the direction of movement.
She seized the opportunity and started to distance herself from them, seamlessly blending into the crowd without drawing attention.
When the two noticed, she had already moved away from the place.
"John, where's Alina?"
"I don't know, mother!"
"Oh no, don't tell me she got lost!"
They called out her name several times, their voices mixing with the surrounding noise of the market, but she did not respond.
They even asked passersby and people in the crowd, but everyone said they had not seen her.
Stella was watching them from inside one of the goods carriages nearby, carefully staying out of sight.
When she noticed Alma starting to become more alert to her absence, she had to quickly lower herself and hide more completely.
"She almost caught me. Hiding is a better idea than wandering around the city now, especially since everyone is still here."
After searching for a long time without success, they eventually decided to stop searching for the moment and regroup.
"She must have gone to tell Albert and the others."
Indeed, as Stella had anticipated, after a short while, they all gathered at the location and began searching and asking around again.
"It's a good thing I did it today. I heard yesterday from one of them that they're running late and haven't been in the city for more than a day."
Everyone continued searching for her until evening, while Stella remained in her hidden position, observing the situation from a distance without being noticed.
After a full day of searching, they gradually lost hope of finding her. If they had known she was so close, they would have been extremely frustrated.
Alma was tense as usual, while John also continued searching with the others.
The atmosphere among them felt increasingly strained.
Albert stayed with Alma, discussing what had happened. Their conversation seemed serious, and the mood between them was not calm.
After they all gathered again, they decided it was time to leave the area.
Stella watched their discussions from her hiding place, remaining silent.
"I apologize for causing tension in your relations, but I have to leave."
Indeed, after a while, they all left the place.
Once Stella made sure there was no one nearby, she quietly exited her hiding spot.
"Alright, now I need to find a place to stay, but the problem is I don't have enough money, perhaps. What should I do?"
Lost in thought, she walked without noticing her surroundings.
Suddenly, she was grabbed from behind by the collar before she could react.
Before she could scream, a cold voice spoke to her, asking, " Where to ?"