Everything changed after that night.

Not loudly.

Not violently.

Quietly.

Karl stopped shouting.

Stopped touching.

Stopped looking at me the way he used to.

He became… cold.

We lived in the same mansion, breathed the same air, passed each other in the corridors—but it felt like a thousand walls stood between us.

Breakfasts were silent.

Nights were longer.

Words were unnecessary now.

And I… I stopped trying to run.

Not because I was weak.

But because something inside me was tired.

I accepted it.

The cage didn’t have bars anymore—

just distance.

MEANWHILE — CASANOVA HOSPITAL ~

ARSHIA was on duty, moving through the corridor with a file in her hand, focused, calm—when she felt it.

That strange pull.

She looked up.

And froze.

He was standing near the reception desk.

Tall. Sharp features. Cold eyes that carried danger like it was stitched into his bones.

Friedrich Casanova.

Again.

Their eyes met.

Just for a second.

Enough.

Divyanka noticed it immediately

“Arshia…” she whispered. “Who is that?”

Before Arshia could answer—

A familiar voice came from behind.

“Dr. Divyanka.”

Aaron.

He smiled softly, then turned.

“And this,” he said, his tone changing slightly, “is my elder brother.”

He placed a hand on Friedrich’s shoulder.

“Friedrich Casanova.”

Divyanka’s face drained of color.

“Casanova…?” she repeated.

Her heart skipped.

Brother.

Another one.

Another monster… or another mystery?

Friedrich looked at her—not like karl did, not like Aaron did.

This look was… calculating.

Divyanka swallowed.

“I… I need to call Kavira,” she said suddenly.

Aaron frowned. “Why?”

“Because,” she said slowly, “she deserves to know who just walked into her life again.”

THE CALL THAT NEVER REACHED ME~

DIVYANKA dialed my number.A

Once.

Twice.

No answer.

She tried again.

Still nothing.

She frowned. “That’s not normal.”

ARSHIA’s heart sank

“She doesn’t have her phone,” ARSHIA said quietly.

“karl took it… after she tried to escape.”

Divyanka’s hands clenched.

Aaron stiffened.

Friedrich smiled.

A slow, unreadable smile.

“So,” he said calmly, “my brother is still making rules.”

Aaron turned sharply. “This isn’t funny.”

“I didn’t say it was,” Friedrich replied.

His gaze drifted away—already bored.

BACK AT THE MANSION~

I sat by the window.

Rain traced lines down the glass, just like tears I refused to shed.

I didn’t know Divyanka was trying to reach me.

Didn’t know Arshia was scared.

Didn’t know Friedrich had entered the hospital.

I only knew one thing—

Silence had replaced fear.

And somehow…

That hurt more.

Because when someone shouts, at least they care enough to make noise.

Karl stood at the door, watching me from a distance.

Cold.

Controlled.

Broken in a way no one noticed.

He turned away without a word.

And somewhere far away,

three siblings were about to collide—

and I was standing right in the center of the storm.