The hospital corridors were calm—too calm. The air was heavy, as if every wall carried the weight of a truth ready to explode.
In the waiting room, Dylan paced nervously, hands trembling. Andrea and Daniella sat in silence, their faces unreadable. No one spoke. Only the pounding of anxious hearts filled the space.
At last, a doctor appeared, his white coat stained with blood.
— Are you Diego Lenoir's family? he asked.
— Yes, Dylan answered immediately. Is he okay? Is he alive?
The doctor nodded slowly.
— The surgery went well, but...
— But what? Andrea shouted, jumping to her feet.
— We discovered something unexpected during the operation. Diego… has cancer. It's in the final stage.
The silence that followed was deafening.
Daniella covered her mouth with her hands. Andrea collapsed back into her chair. Dylan stood frozen.
— What...? This is a joke, right? Diego never said anything...
— He didn't tell you because he didn't want you to worry. But unfortunately… he doesn't have much time left. Maybe a few days.
Without waiting, Dylan rushed to the room where Diego lay.
Diego looked weak, his face pale. An IV hung from his arm. His eyes opened slowly as Dylan entered.
— Diego… WHY?! Dylan cried. Why didn't you tell me? Why did you hide that you were sick?!
Diego gave him a faint smile.
— Because... you already had enough to carry on your shoulders, little brother.
Dylan sat beside him, tears streaming down his face.
— And why did you jump in front of me?! You could've died, idiot!
Diego slowly turned his head toward him.
— Exactly… I knew my days were numbered. If someone had to go that day… it wasn't going to be you.
A painful silence fell between them.
Seconds later, the door opened. Daniella and Andrea quietly entered the room, their eyes red from crying.
— Can we stay? Daniella asked timidly.
Diego nodded. Andrea came to hold his hand.
— Diego… why didn't you tell us anything? she whispered.
He smiled faintly again.
— Because I love you all too much… to make you suffer for nothing.
Dylan lowered his head, fists clenched.
— Diego… I was about to tell them the truth… I wanted to tell them who I am… everything…
Diego sighed and looked Daniella and Andrea in the eyes.
— He won't be able to hide it much longer. You need to know, girls.
Daniella frowned.
— Know what?
— That...
But suddenly, Diego began coughing violently. Blood ran from his mouth. The machine next to him started beeping rapidly. Andrea screamed.
— DOCTOR! SOMEONE GET A DOCTOR!
But deep down, Diego knew… this was it. He reached out and held Dylan's, Daniella's, and Andrea's hands in one final gesture. He gave them a last smile.
— Protect each other… love one another… don't ever let hate win…
And then, he took his last breath.
Silence. Once again.
— NO! DIEGO! Dylan screamed.
Daniella collapsed in tears. Andrea fell to her knees, crying in pain.
Outside, Ryder watched through the window, his face hidden under a hood. His heart pounded in his chest. He couldn't believe what he was seeing.
— What have I done…?
But there was no turning back. He had gone too far. He had started a war.
And the truth… was about to come out.