Lara froze on the bed.

  The pain—the unbearable, tearing agony that had once consumed her lower stomach—was gone. Completely gone. She pressed her hand there again, slower this time, almost afraid.

  …It doesn’t hurt anymore?

  Alcy frowned, confusion tightening his face. “What do you mean, Lara?”

  Before she could answer, a quiet voice cut in.

  “You were both healed,” Fei said.

  “You two have some serious connections.”

  The words hung in the air, heavy and unsettling.

  Both siblings turned toward Fei, confusion written plainly across their faces. “What do you mea—”

  The door opened before the question could be finished.

  Sele walked in, unhurried, her presence immediately filling the room. Her eyes flicked from one sibling to the other, then she smiled faintly.

  “Ah,” she said, satisfied. “Good. You’re both awake.”

  “You don’t remember us?” Lara asked, her voice tightening. “It’s me—Lara. You cured me of an illness way back.”

  Sele stared at her for a moment longer, eyes thoughtful, searching for something that refused to surface. Then she exhaled softly.

  “Hm… sorry, kids,” she said honestly. “I’ve helped a lot of people over the years. I can’t remember everyone.”

  The words weren’t cruel, just distant—yet they landed with a quiet weight, the kind that reminded Lara how small one miracle could seem to the one who performed it.

  “You too, Fei,” Sele added without turning back. “You’re coming as well.”

  Fei let out a long sigh and nodded. She didn’t argue.

  “What—why?” Alcy snapped instantly. He stepped in front of Lara, instinct taking over, his body a shield. “She’s the reason we’re here, right!? She tried to kill us! Shouldn’t we hand her over to the cops!?”

  Fei didn’t react, didn’t sneer or defend herself. She just stood there, eyes lowered, accepting the accusation in silence.

  Sele stopped. Slowly, she glanced back at Alcy, her expression unreadable.

  “That,” she said calmly, “is not your call to make.”

  Sele paused only long enough to speak over her shoulder.

  “It was my boss who saved the two of you,” she said flatly. “He’s also the one who spared her life—and the one who called your parents.”

  Her eyes flicked briefly toward Fei, sharp and final.

  You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author.

  “So if anyone gets to decide what happens to her, it’s him. Not you.”

  She didn’t wait for a reply. Turning on her heel, Sele headed for the door, her pace brisk, purposeful.

  Lara hesitated only a second before following. Alcy stayed close at her side, still tense, still glaring back once at Fei as if daring her to move wrong.

  Fei came last.

  Quiet. Subdued. Walking with the weight of someone who knew her fate was no longer in her own hands.

  As they reached the elevator, Fei slowed for half a step.

  Her eyes flicked back down the hallway, then to the corners of the ceiling, the shadows pooling where the lights didn’t quite reach. The thing—the shadow—was nowhere to be seen.

  Or maybe it was.

  A chill crawled up her spine. Whether it had vanished or was still watching from somewhere she couldn’t perceive didn’t matter. The message had already been delivered.

  She kept her hands to herself, her steps measured, her head lowered.

  Whatever that thing was, one truth was clear to her now—

  She wouldn’t dare do anything stupid.

  As the elevator began its quiet descent, the low hum filling the enclosed space, Lara reached out and gently tugged at Sele’s coat.

  Sele glanced down, one brow lifting. “Hm? What is it, girl?”

  Lara hesitated, then spoke softly, almost nervously. “Sorry, Ms. Sele… who exactly is your boss?”

  Sele’s lips curved into a knowing smile, amused and unreadable. She let out a small chuckle, eyes forward as the numbers ticked downward.

  “You’ll know soon enough.”

  They stepped out of the hospital and into the night air, the automatic doors sliding shut behind them with a soft hiss.

  Sele walked ahead without slowing, her stride steady and purposeful. She gave no explanation, no hint of where they were headed.

  Lara and Alcy stayed close behind her, matching her pace, their unease growing with every step. Alcy kept glancing around, shoulders tense, as if expecting danger to emerge from the shadows at any moment. Lara hugged her arms to herself, the city lights blurring past while questions piled up in her chest.

  A short distance behind them, Fei followed in silence.

  She kept her head down, every footstep measured. Her eyes flicked to dark corners, alleyways, reflections in glass—searching, always searching. She couldn’t tell if the shadow was gone or simply unseen, and that uncertainty weighed heavier than any rope ever had.

  Sele didn’t look back.

  The night swallowed them as they moved farther from the hospital, toward something none of them fully understood yet—but all of them felt it coming.

  They stepped into the nearby café, and the atmosphere shifted instantly.

  Heads turned.

  It couldn’t be helped—Sele and Fei drew attention without trying. Their presence alone seemed to bend the room, their womanly beauty striking and impossible to ignore. Conversations faltered, eyes lingered too long, curiosity hanging thick in the air.

  Lara felt it immediately. She moved closer to Alcy, discomfort tightening her chest. Alcy noticed too, his jaw setting as he subtly positioned himself beside his sister, a quiet shield against the stares.

  Before anyone could say a word, a female employee approached them, her posture polite, her tone professional—though her eyes betrayed a flicker of awe.

  “Can I help you with a seat, ma’am?”

  Sele opened her mouth to respond—

  “Lady Lara! Sir Alcy!”

  The voice cut through the café like a crack of thunder.

  All eyes shifted.

  Gasilin stood a short distance away, already moving toward them, relief and urgency written plainly across his face.

  “Gasilin!?”

  Relief washed over both siblings at once. Lara’s shoulders loosened, and Alcy let out a breath he hadn’t realized he was holding. A familiar face—here of all places—felt like an anchor after everything they’d endured.

  “Please,” Gasilin said smoothly, stepping forward. “I’ll handle them.”

  He gave a brief, respectful gesture to the employee. She nodded at once and withdrew, leaving the group in his care without question.

  Gasilin’s gaze shifted, sharp but courteous, taking in Sele and Fei.

  “And you two must be the guests of Muuey?”

  “Yes,” Sele replied calmly, her tone even, unreadable.

  Gasilin inclined his head. “Very well. They’ve been waiting for your arrival upstairs.”

  He turned, posture straight, movements practiced and gentlemanly.

  “Right this way, please.”

  Without another word, he led them into the private café room upstairs, each step carrying them closer to answers none of them were ready for—but all of them needed.

  The whole cast is finally in one room! What do you think happens first?