As the police finally stepped out of the hospital room, the heavy silence they left behind clung to the air like a storm refusing to pass. Ember turned her weary gaze to Adrien, her voice trembling but urgent.
"Please... tell Lai to check her phone first, before she give her statement."
Adrien nodded, about to walk out, but paused mid-step. He turned back, brows furrowed in confusion.
"How did you know her name is Lai?" he asked, his voice low and cautious.
Ember gave a soft, sorrowful smile through the tears that still shimmered in her eyes. Her voice was quiet but filled with something deeper—pain, truth... secrets.
"I think... my message for her is far more important than how I know who she is."
Adrien stared at her for a moment, as if trying to pull apart the mystery wrapped around her words, but then simply said, "Okay," and walked out, leaving the ward and its shadows behind.
As soon as the door clicked shut, Dylan, wrapping his arms around Ember. His touch was firm, grounding, as if he were holding her together when she was moments from falling apart. He gently stroked her back, his voice a soothing whisper against her hair.
"You're safe now... I've got you, Ember. No one's going to hurt you while I'm here."
She didn't speak, didn't need to. Her body shook against his, tears already spilled, heart already shattered. He just held her tighter.
Within minutes, exhaustion claimed her. Ember drifted into sleep, cradled in Dylan's arms like she belonged there. And maybe, she did.
Dylan stayed still, letting her rest against his chest, his thoughts tangled and storming. He was burning with questions. How did she know Lai? Why had she changed her statement at the last minute? Why was she protecting someone who had clearly hurt her?
But he hadn't asked. The way Ember had answered Adrien—calm, distant, guarded—made something inside Dylan ache. She was keeping something locked away, and it wasn't just about Lai. It was about Leora. About betrayal. About sacrifice.
His jaw clenched as he stared into the dim light of the ward.
"If she knows Leora is Lai... then she must also know that Lai is Adrien's sister."
The weight of that truth pressed against him like ice. Ember had lied—no, protected Leora—even after what had been done to her. Why?
Dylan tightened his hold just a little, his whisper brushing her ear like a vow.
" I swear, no one—not even your enemies—will touch you again. You're mine to protect now."
Meanwhile, the officers waited just outside, ready to take Lai's statement. The tension in the room was sharp enough to cut the air. Adrien stepped in quietly, his presence steady, yet his eyes held something unreadable. He approached the bed where she sat—silent, pale, and wary.
"Leora... are you feeling alright?" he asked coldly.
Leora stiffened. The name hit her like a cold slap. He had never called her that before—never acknowledged the part of her that Ember somehow seemed to know. Her lips parted slightly in surprise, but she said nothing, only gave a small, uncertain nod.
Without another word, Adrien handed her the phone.
"There's a message for you," he said coldly, then stepped back.
Leora's hands trembled slightly as she unlocked the screen. Her eyes scanned the message, and whatever she read there made her expression twist—guilt, confusion, fear… all wrapped into one fleeting glance.
Before she could fully process it, Adrien continued, "The police are here for your statement."
The door creaked open, and two officers entered the room with notebooks and unreadable faces.
"Miss Leora, are you friends with Miss Ember?" one of them asked.
Leora nodded and replied quietly, "Yes... we're friends."
"Did you and Miss Ember plan to test Mr. Dylan by staging a fake kidnapping?"
Her voice wavered slightly, but she answered, "Yes. It... it was my idea. She agreed to it."
There was a pause. The officers exchanged a glance.
"Were you involved with the guards in any way?"
Leora swallowed hard. "They were random guys we found. Just for show. We didn't know what they were truly planning."
The officer leaned in slightly. "Is it true you met Mr. Dylan at the apartment?"
Her heart skipped. Ember didn't know about that meeting. She wasn't supposed to. Still, Leora nodded slowly, guilt wrapping around her like chains.
"Yes... I met him there."
"When did you realize the situation was no longer part of your plan?"
Leora looked down, her voice nearly a whisper. "When Dylan told me Ember wasn't in the apartment… I knew something was wrong. That's when I panicked."
Another officer took notes, then asked, "How did you end up at the mansion? We found your watch there."
Her chest rose and fell with uneven breaths. "I thought Ember might be there… It was an old place we'd considered using first, but it was too remote. That's why we went with the apartment surprise instead. Still, when we can't find ember here so , I think she might be there , I have a strong feeling to check the mansion. When I got there…"
She paused, a sharp tremor in her voice.
"I found Ember unconscious… on the bed… covered in blood."
Emotion broke through her mask, eyes glistening.
"I tried to stop them. I asked what they were doing—but they pushed me. I hit the floor, hard. After that… it all went black."
The room fell silent for a beat.
"Did you see both guards?" an officer finally asked.
Leora nodded. "Yes."
"Can you help us make sketches of them? Miss Ember's condition doesn't allow her to speak right now. Your help is crucial."
Leora hesitated only for a moment, then gave a soft, "Okay."
The officers gathered their files.
"We'll send someone in to make the sketches. Thank you for your cooperation."
They walked out,
Only Leora and Adrien remained in the quiet hospital room, the silence thick between them like smoke.
"Brother..." Leora's voice was hesitant, shaky.
Adrien didn't even blink at the word. His gaze turned sharp, his tone colder than ice.
"Tell me—did you tell Ember about our relationship?"
Leora took a deep breath, eyes flickering with guilt and a hint of defiance.
"She came to my room this morning. She wanted answers—real ones. So I told her everything. Why I did what I did... what happened in the past... who Dylan really was to me, and what I truly am to you, brother."
Adrien's expression shifted for a second—an almost imperceptible smile played at the corners of his lips.
"Just like her... always chasing the truth, no matter how deep the shadows run."
His eyes drifted to the phone still resting in Leora's hand.
"What did the message say?"
Leora frowned, her brows knitting together as confusion crept into her voice.
"I don't know how... but she answered every single question the police asked me. Every single one. Like she knew exactly what they were going to say. It felt like she was scripting their lines before they even spoke."
Adrien took the phone from her and read the messages himself. Her words weren't an exaggeration. Ember had known. Somehow, she had seen every move before it played out.
He stared at the screen for a long time, then sighed. When he finally spoke, his voice had softened—but it still held finality.
"I don't know what to say to you anymore, Leora. But listen—once you're discharged, leave. Leave this place and never show yourself to Ember or Dylan again."
Leora's breath hitched, but Adrien didn't stop.
"She's... a good girl," he said with a faint, wistful smile. "Too good for all of this. And still... she gave everything just to save you. Even after everything you did to her."
He looked down at her with a mix of disappointment and sorrow.
"There's lunch sent in for you. Eat it. And think about the kind of person she is—the one who chose to protect you despite all your wrongs."
With that, he turned and walked out of the room.
Just outside, leaning silently against the wall, stood Dylan.
Adrien stopped in his tracks. Dylan had heard every word.
"Dylan—"
But Dylan held up a hand, his jaw clenched tight, eyes unreadable.
"Let's go get some coffee."
The two walked in silence to the hospital canteen. The tension followed them like a shadow, thick and unspoken.
Dylan didn't need to say much. His silence was thunderous. Inside, he was burning—burning with the truth, with the betrayal, and with the overwhelming desire to wrap Ember in his arms and never let anyone near her again.
He stirred his coffee absently, eyes still lost in thought.
Adrien leaned against the wall, arms crossed, his expression unreadable. His voice was quiet but firm.
"You heard everything… didn't you?"
Dylan's lips curled into a knowing smile, his eyes still lingering on the corridor where ember's ward Is.
"Yeah," he said calmly.
Adrien glanced down, exhaling a breath he hadn't realized he was holding.
"I didn't think she was… this kind-hearted."
Dylan chuckled under his breath, not in mockery, but in quiet admiration. His tone softened.
"I knew she would do it, Adrien. Even if Lai wasn't your sister—Ember would've still done it. You know why?"
Adrien looked up, genuinely curious for the first time.
"Why?"
Dylan turned to him, eyes serious now—full of a truth he knew deep in his soul.
"Because Lai is the same age as Ember. And Ember…" he paused, emotion catching in his throat for a second, "she knows what it feels like to be a girl in this cruel world—especially at that age. She's lived through pain, fear… betrayal. And still, she chose compassion. She understood Lai, maybe better than anyone. She didn't want her life ruined, even after everything she did to her."
He looked away, jaw clenched slightly as his mind replayed Ember's trembling body, her broken cries, the bruises he'd seen with his own eyes.
"She did everything she could to shield Lai from the case, to protect her future. Even if it meant burying her own trauma a little deeper."
There was a moment of silence between them, heavy and solemn.
Adrien ran a hand through his hair, guilt flickering in his gaze.
"She's... something else," he muttered.
Dylan didn't respond right away. His eyes had already drifted back to Ember's ward.
"No," he finally whispered, almost to himself. "She's not just good, Adrien... she's everything. And from now on—" his voice dropped, low and firm, "—I don't care who gets in my way. I'll protect her from every damn shadow she's ever stepped into."
Adrien nodded silently. He knew Dylan meant every word .
On the other side of the hospital, Ember lay curled up in her bed, her breathing calm—at first. But soon, her face began to twist in distress, her body tensing under the sheets as shadows clawed their way into her dreams.
The nightmare returned.
She was back in that dark, suffocating room—back in the moment everything shattered. She could feel it again—those unwanted touches, the coldness of someone's breath near her ear, the weight of invisible hands gripping her. Her body trembled as the terror overtook her, and she whimpered through clenched teeth.
She screamed in her dream, "Stop! Don't touch me!" But no one could hear her cries.
In her sleep, Ember clawed at herself, trying to rid her skin of the phantom hands. Her nails scratched her arms, her neck—desperate to make it stop. She gasped for air as if something—or someone—was choking her. The pressure was unbearable. She could feel eyes watching her, eyes that crawled over her like insects.
Suddenly, her eyes flew open.
"Ahhh!" she screamed, jolting upright, drenched in sweat. Her hands gripped the blanket tightly as she shrank back into the bed, covering her ears and crying out in panic, "Don't come closer! No! Don't... don't touch me!"
Down the corridor, Dylan was walking beside Adrien, a coffee cup in hand. But that scream—it pierced straight through his chest.
He didn't need to ask.
He knew it was Ember.
The coffee slipped from his hands, shattering on the floor as he ran.
When he burst into the room, the sight nearly broke him. Ember was shaking, eyes wide and terrified, clutching the blanket like it was the only thing protecting her. She had covered her ears, her voice trembling as she repeated, "No… don't touch me, please…"
Adrien came in just behind him, frozen at the door.
Dylan's heart clenched.
She looked like she was still trapped in the nightmare.
Slowly, he stepped toward her.
"Ember…" he whispered softly, reaching out.
But she recoiled in panic, slapping his hand away.
"No! Don't touch me! Please stop—don't come near me!"
He couldn't take it anymore.
Dylan ignored the sting of her resistance and pulled her into his arms, holding her tightly, protectively. She struggled at first, hitting his chest with her fists.
"Don't touch me!"
But he didn't let go. His voice dropped to a whisper—gentle, pleading.
"Ember, it's me. It's Dylan. Your Dylan. Please, baby, calm down. I'm here. No one can hurt you now. I promise you, I won't let anyone lay a finger on you."
Her fists stilled.
Her sobs became softer. She blinked through the blur of tears, her breath caught in her throat.
"Dylan… is that you?" she whispered, as if still unsure if it was real.
He cupped her face gently, brushing away her tears with his thumbs, his voice a low whisper.
"Yeah, sweetheart. I'm right here. Look at me."
Her vision cleared, and finally—she saw him.
Saw the warmth in his eyes.
The fierce love.
The unbreakable promise.
She collapsed into his chest, wrapping her arms around him as tightly as she could, sobbing into his shirt.
"Dylan… I'm so scared."
"I know, baby… I know."
She clutched his shirt tighter.
"I want to go home… please. I don't want to stay here anymore. Let's leave. Please take me away."
Dylan kissed the top of her head and whispered into her hair,
"Okay. If you don't want to stay, then we'll leave. Right now. Just you and me."
But as he looked down, he noticed something that made his chest tighten even more—Ember had torn off her bandages in her panic. Fresh bruises had bloomed across her skin, and her old wounds were exposed.
His tone softened, but there was a firm edge of care in it.
"We'll go, love. But first, we need to take care of you. We'll clean your wounds, get you bandaged again—and then we leave this place behind, alright?"
Ember looked up at him with tear-stained cheeks, her voice barely a whisper.
"Really?"
He smiled gently, brushing a loose strand of hair from her face.
"Really. Adrien's going to help, and I'll be right here with you, every second."
Dylan turned to Adrien, who stood quietly at the door. Their eyes met, and Adrien gave a single nod. He stepped forward without a word, pulling on gloves and gathering what he needed to re-dress Ember's injuries.
And Dylan stayed by her side the entire time—his hand wrapped gently around hers, his presence like a shield.
After Ember's wounds were redressed and her breathing began to steady, Dylan turned to Adrien, his voice low but resolute.
"We're leaving the hospital. Is there any paperwork I need to take care of?"
Adrien glanced at Ember, her face pale, her body weakened but curled trustingly against Dylan. He shook his head slowly.
"Just go," he said softly. "If there's anything left to handle, I'll take care of it. Call me if something comes up."
Dylan didn't waste another second. He gently scooped Ember into his arms, cradling her in a bridal hold. She didn't resist this time—her head rested on his chest, her fingers lightly gripping his shirt as if it grounded her.
Adrien watched them disappear down the hallway, his chest tight with an unfamiliar ache.
That girl… the one who faced her worst fears without blinking, now looks so fragile. That smile—where did it go? I wonder when she'll ever smile like that again…
Outside, Dylan placed Ember softly in the passenger seat, buckling her in with delicate care. As he closed the door and moved around to the driver's side, his jaw clenched. His mind burned with fury for what she'd endured—but his heart beat only for her.
They drove in silence.
They arrived at the apartment.
As Dylan helped her out of the car, he lifted her again in his arms, ignoring her small protest.
"Dylan…" she whispered, cheeks warming.
He smirked, his tone teasing but laced with affection.
"What? You think I'm gonna let you walk when I can carry the most beautiful girl in the world right into our home like a prince? Not a chance."
Ember rested her head against his shoulder, her voice softer now.
"You make me feel like… I'm not broken."
Dylan paused at the door, his grip tightening around her.
"You're not broken, Ember," he whispered, pressing a kiss to her forehead. "You're the strongest person I've ever met. And I love every single piece of you—especially the ones you think are shattered."
She closed her eyes, holding him tighter as he carried her inside.
But in the shadows of her mind… the nightmare hadn't fully let go.
And neither had the people behind it.