Melissa's car rolled slowly through the iron gates of Roberto's estate, the engine humming beneath the silence pressing against her chest.
The mansion stood ahead like a grieving monument, every light glowing too dim against the evening sky.
She tightened her grip on the steering wheel.
They would all be inside. Of course they would.
None of them could bring themselves to stay away after the disaster at court.
Melissa killed the engine and sat motionless for a moment.
Pain stabbed through her shoulder the second she moved.
She sucked in a sharp breath and adjusted herself carefully, straightening her posture so no one would notice how badly she was hurting.
Her fingers trembled against the car door.
"Here goes nothing," she whispered.
The words disappeared into the cold night air.
She forced herself out of the car and walked toward the house.
Every step felt heavier than the last.
By the time she reached the front door, her chest felt tight enough to crack open.
She stepped inside. The living room was drowning in sorrow.
Everyone sat scattered around the room like survivors of a shipwreck.
Ariana sat curled into herself on the couch, tears streaming endlessly down her face while Sunny rubbed slow circles on her back, whispering soft comforts Melissa couldn't hear.
Roberto wasn't there. Melissa immediately knew Antonio must have taken him somewhere quieter, somewhere away from the suffocating grief.
Sofia and Zara were probably upstairs.
And Abuela— Abuela sat silently on a chair near the fireplace, hands folded calmly in her lap, her expression unreadable.
Too calm. The kind of calm that meant her mind was already moving ahead, planning, calculating, surviving.
Melissa froze near the entrance. Her throat closed.
What was she supposed to say?
How could she explain why she had missed the court hearing after promising Ariana she would be there?
Sunny looked up first. Her eyes widened instantly.
"Mel!"
Every head turned toward Melissa.
The weight of their stares nearly crushed her.
"I'm sorry I'm late," Melissa said quietly.
Ariana's face hardened immediately.
"Where have you been?"
Melissa opened her mouth, but nothing came out at first.
"I was… um…"
"You promised to be there," Ariana snapped, standing abruptly. "You said you'd sit beside me."
Her voice cracked.
"Where the fuck were you?"
"Ariana, calm down," Sunny said softly.
"Don't tell me to fucking calm down!" Ariana shouted. "She's never around when you need her the most!"
Something inside Melissa snapped.
"Please spare me the bullshit," she shot back.
"Not everything has to be about you. The world doesn't revolve around you, goddamn it."
The moment the words left her mouth, regret hit instantly.
The room fell into stunned silence.
Melissa inhaled sharply.
"Aria… I didn't mean it like that."
She stepped forward carefully, but Ariana raised her hand immediately.
"Don't come close to me."
The hatred in her voice hurt more than Melissa's injuries.
"You know what?" Ariana continued. "Get out."
Melissa stared at her in disbelief.
"Are you kidding me?" she asked quietly.
Then anger bled into her voice.
"After everything I've been through today? Do you have any fucking idea what I sacrificed just to be here?"
She stopped herself abruptly, memories from earlier flooding her mind like poison.
"I understand you're mad I missed court," Melissa continued, dragging a trembling hand across her face, "but I had—"
She couldn't finish. Not without breaking apart.
A bitter laugh escaped her lips.
"You know what? Forget it." Her eyes glistened.
"I'm done explaining myself. I'm done."
Her voice lowered. "You guys would probably live better lives without me anyway."
.
"Melissa, wait—" Sunny started.
But Melissa was already walking toward Abuela.
From inside her jacket, she pulled out a thick envelope stained with dried blood and handed it over.
"My end of the promise," she said quietly.
Abuela took the envelope slowly.
Questions flickered behind her eyes, but she said nothing.
The name CASTELLO was written boldly across the front. That alone was enough.
Sunny quickly stood and walked toward Melissa.
"You don't have to leave," she whispered.
Before Melissa could answer, her phone rang. She glanced at the screen.
Instant irritation flashed across her face. She answered anyway.
"What the hell do you want?"
"I have a mission for you," Audrey said calmly from the other end.
Melissa nearly laughed from disbelief.
"Hell to the fuck no."
"It's urgent, Melissa."
"No," Melissa snapped. "We had an agreement. I do your dirty work, and in return you give me the files. Deal done. So what exactly could you possibly want now?"
Audrey sighed heavily.
"Lena's dead."
The world stopped.
Melissa stepped outside without thinking.
"…What?"
"Missiles hit the helicopter," Audrey said quietly. "There were no survivors."
Melissa reached the front gate before her legs weakened.
"That's impossible," she whispered. "I don't believe you."
"Melissa, focus."
"Focus?" Melissa barked bitterly. "That girl had her entire future ahead of her! Why would you even hire her? She wasn't even twenty! She was inexperienced!"
"She approached me first," Audrey replied.
"She desperately needed money. Lena practically begged for the job."
Melissa's knees gave out beneath her. She sank onto the pavement outside the gate.
A painful memory crashed into her mind.
Lena running toward her. Throwing her arms around Melissa tightly.
Melissa had frozen completely, caught off guard by the sudden affection.
Awkwardly, uncertainly, she had patted Lena's back.
"You're… welcome?" she had muttered.
Lena had laughed softly before pulling away.
Her eyes had been warm. Sincere.
"I wish I could meet you again," Lena had said.
Melissa had smiled faintly.
"But not under these circumstances."
Lena laughed again before turning toward the helicopter.
Melissa remembered standing there, watching the helicopter disappear into the sky.
The last time she would ever see her alive.
"Melissa? Are you there?"
Audrey's voice dragged her back. Melissa realized tears were running down her face.
Quickly, she wiped them away. "Yeah."
"Before the crash," Audrey continued, "Lena asked for one thing."
Melissa swallowed hard. "What?"
"She wants you to visit her sister."
Melissa frowned immediately. "Wait... What? …Me?"
"Yes."
"You're bluffing."
"I'm not. Would you like to hear her final moments?"
"No." The answer came instantly.
"She has a younger sister named Nancy," Audrey continued.
"Nancy needs surgery in two days. Lena wanted you to stay beside her."
Melissa stared blankly ahead.
"She also asked that you tell Nancy she got a remote job. Tell her the work prevents calls and visits, but she'll be taken care of."
Melissa's voice dropped. "Taken care of how?"
"I'll pay for everything," Audrey said. "Her surgery. Education. Housing. Drivers. Security. A future."
Silence stretched between them.
"When do I leave?" Melissa finally asked.
"Pack your things. You leave tomorrow morning."
Melissa leaned her head back against the gate.
"I haven't agreed yet."
"Huh?" Audrey sounded genuinely confused.
"…I just explained everything."
"I know." Melissa closed her eyes. "I'll go on one condition."
"What condition?"
Melissa stared up at the dark sky.
"Don't panic," she murmured. "I'll tell you when I'm ready."
After the call ended, Melissa remained seated on the ground for several minutes.
Death was a greedy thief. It stole the innocent. The kind.
The people who still deserved tomorrow. Yet somehow, monsters continued breathing.
A few minutes later, Melissa finally returned inside.
This time Roberto and Antonio sat quietly in the living room too.
"Melissa," Sunny said softly.
Melissa avoided everyone's eyes.
"I thought you left," Sunny admitted.
Melissa hesitated. "…I'm traveling tomorrow."
Every face lifted immediately. Even Ariana looked shocked, though her pride kept her silent.
"Is this because Ariana told you to leave?" Sunny asked gently. "You know she's just angry."
Melissa shook her head slowly.
"This has nothing to do with that."
She inhaled shakily. "I just lost a friend."
The words sounded unreal.
"Her little sister needs surgery. She has nobody else."
Ariana scoffed bitterly.
"So you'd rather be with some stranger than your own family?"
"She's not a stranger," Melissa replied firmly. "She's a child who just lost the only family she had."
"You're choosing her over me."
"Be reasonable, Ariana," Abuela interrupted calmly. "You have people beside you. That little girl has no one."
Sunny stepped closer and gently held Melissa's face in her hands.
Her thumbs brushed away the tears Melissa didn't realize had fallen again.
"When are you leaving?"
"In the morning."
Sunny nodded sadly.
"You've always lived a strange life, Mel," she whispered. "But this… this is one mission nobody here can argue against."
Something inside Melissa finally cracked. She pulled Sunny into a tight embrace.
"I'm so tired of being strong," Melissa whispered shakily into her shoulder. "It's exhausting."
Sunny held her tighter. "I believe in you."
Melissa slowly pulled away.
Then her phone rang again. She looked at the screen and groaned softly.
"You've got to be kidding me…"
Before answering, she glanced toward Ariana.
"I was at the hospital all day," Melissa admitted quietly.
"That's why I missed court. I honestly don't even know how I ended up there, but the doctor refused to let me leave."
Ariana's expression faltered slightly.
Melissa answered the call.
"What's up?"
"Did you book a flight to Australia?" Dean asked immediately.
Melissa narrowed her eyes.
"Are you monitoring my every move again?"
As she stepped outside once more, she failed to notice Antonio watching her carefully from across the room.
Especially after hearing that final word.