Rana works at the public library in the old part of the city. One rainy afternoon, she was sorting returned books when a yellow envelope fell from an old novel. The envelope, which looked at least forty years old, had no name and no address. Inside, she found a short letter that ended with a strange sentence: "The answer is under the third step." Rana has always loved puzzles, so she decided to investigate the mystery herself. First, she checked the library records to find out who had borrowed the novel before. The last reader was a man called Mr. Fares, who had returned the book in 1985. Although the task seemed impossible, Rana found his daughter's name in an old newspaper. The daughter, Huda, agreed to meet her at the library the next day. When Huda read the letter, tears appeared in her eyes. She explained that her father used to hide small surprises for her mother around their house. Together, they drove to the old family home, which was empty but still standing. Under the third step of the wooden staircase, they discovered a small metal box. Inside the box, there was a silver ring and a note that said, "For our fiftieth anniversary." Mr. Fares had died before that anniversary, so the gift had waited there for decades. Huda wore the ring that evening, and Rana felt that the library had returned more than a book.
Finished reading? Log in to save your progress and quiz results.