Yuna's question came out more directly this time, without hesitation, without softening the edge of it. "Ethan… was she someone you were involved with before?" she asked, choosing her words carefully but not avoiding the meaning. "Why was she here? And how did she even know you were here?"
The room went still again.
Ethan didn't answer immediately.
And that silence—
That was already an answer in itself.
Yuna felt it.
Her chest tightened slightly, but she didn't look away. "You're doing it again," she said quietly. "Avoiding."
Ethan exhaled slowly, his gaze shifting briefly toward the door where Sarah had left, then back to Yuna. His expression was controlled, but there was a faint tension now that hadn't been there before.
"She's from my past," he said.
Yuna's brows pulled together. "You already said that."
"And it's still true," he replied.
"That doesn't explain anything," Yuna said, her voice a little firmer now. "You're giving me pieces, not the full picture."
Ethan studied her for a moment, as if deciding how much to say.
"She was someone I knew," he added finally. "That's all."
Yuna shook her head slightly. "No. That's not 'all.' People don't show up like that, calling your name like they have a right to, if they're just someone you knew."
Ethan didn't interrupt.
"She looked angry," Yuna continued. "Not surprised. Not confused. Angry. Like she expected something from you."
A pause.
"Did you leave something unfinished with her?" Yuna asked.
That question lingered.
Ethan's jaw tightened just slightly.
"Yes," he said.
Yuna's breath caught faintly at that.
"What kind of unfinished?" she pressed.
Ethan didn't answer right away.
And that hesitation—
It made everything heavier.
Yuna looked at him, her voice quieter now, but more serious. "I need honesty, Ethan."
He held her gaze.
Then, finally—
"She was someone I was close to before," he said.
Yuna didn't move.
"Close how?" she asked.
Ethan's expression didn't change, but his tone lowered slightly. "Close enough that it didn't end well."
That wasn't a full answer.
But it was more than before.
Yuna absorbed it slowly, her fingers tightening slightly against the blanket. "So she's here because of that?" she asked. "Because of something that didn't end properly?"
"Yes."
"And she just… found you?" Yuna continued. "Or did you bring her into your world somehow?"
Ethan shook his head slightly. "I didn't bring her here."
"Then how did she know where to find you?"
Another pause.
"She has connections," he said.
Yuna frowned. "What kind of connections?"
"The kind that can track people like me," he replied simply.
That answer carried more weight than the words themselves.
Yuna looked at him carefully, trying to read between the lines. "So she's not just… someone from your past."
"No."
There was no denial in that.
Yuna let out a slow breath, leaning back slightly. "Then why didn't you tell me about her before?"
Ethan didn't respond immediately.
"Because it wasn't relevant," he said finally.
Yuna gave a small, almost disbelieving shake of her head. "It's relevant now."
"I know."
"Then why does it feel like you're still holding something back?" she asked.
Ethan met her gaze again, steady but guarded.
"Because some things don't change anything by being said," he replied.
Yuna's expression hardened just a little. "That's not your decision to make for me."
That landed.
Ethan didn't argue.
Instead, he said quietly, "She doesn't matter to me anymore."
Yuna studied him carefully.
"That's not the same as saying she never mattered," she pointed out.
Ethan didn't deny that.
Because he couldn't.
Silence settled again.
Yuna's thoughts moved quickly, trying to piece everything together—the way Sarah had spoken, the anger in her voice, Ethan's refusal to fully explain.
"Did you hurt her?" Yuna asked softly.
Ethan didn't answer right away.
But this time—
The silence felt heavier.
"Yes," he said.
Yuna closed her eyes briefly at that, absorbing it. "And now she's here because of that."
"Yes."
Another pause.
"Does she still… expect something from you?" Yuna asked.
Ethan's gaze didn't waver. "Maybe."
Yuna looked away this time, her chest tightening again—not from anger, but from something more complicated.
"I don't like this," she admitted quietly.
Ethan didn't respond.
"Not because of her," Yuna clarified. "But because you're still not telling me everything."
Ethan took a slow breath.
"I'm telling you what matters right now," he said.
Yuna shook her head slightly. "That's not enough for me."
Silence followed.
Then she looked back at him, her eyes steady despite everything she was feeling.
"I'm already trying to deal with what happened with my father," she said. "With us. With everything." Her voice softened, but didn't lose its firmness. "I don't want to add more confusion on top of that."
Ethan listened.
"I'm not asking you to explain your entire past," Yuna continued. "But I am asking you to be honest about the parts that affect me."
That—
That was clear.
And reasonable.
Ethan held her gaze for a long moment.
Then he nodded once.
"I'll tell you more," he said. "But not all at once."
Yuna frowned slightly. "Why?"
"Because you're already dealing with too much," he replied.
Yuna hesitated.
She didn't fully agree.
But she also didn't reject it.
"Fine," she said after a moment. "But no more hiding things like this."
Ethan gave a small nod. "No more hiding."
Another silence settled.
But this one felt different.
Still tense.
Still uncertain.
But… slightly more open than before.
Yuna leaned back against the pillow again, her energy fading slightly.
"She doesn't matter now," Ethan repeated quietly.
Yuna looked at him for a second.
Then said softly—
"Then make sure she stays in the past."
Ethan didn't answer.
But his expression—
For just a second—
Hardened.
Because some parts of the past…
Don't stay where they belong.
Yuna watched that brief change in his expression—the way his face tightened just for a second before returning to calm. It didn't go unnoticed.
"You're not sure, are you?" she said quietly.
Ethan didn't answer right away.
That hesitation said enough.
Yuna looked down at her hands, her fingers lightly pressing into the blanket. "That's what worries me," she admitted. "Not her… but the fact that she can still walk into your life like that."
Ethan stepped a little closer this time, not too near, but enough that his presence felt steadier. "She won't affect you," he said.
"That's not something you can promise," Yuna replied, her voice calm but firm. "You couldn't even promise that she wouldn't show up today."
Ethan's jaw tightened slightly.
"She showed up because she wanted to," he said. "Not because I allowed it."
Yuna looked up at him. "But you didn't stop it either."
That landed harder than before.
Because it wasn't an accusation—
It was truth.
Ethan held her gaze, his expression more serious now. "If she becomes a problem," he said, "I'll handle it."
Yuna frowned faintly. "That sounds like you're expecting her to become one."
Ethan didn't respond.
Another silence followed.
Then Yuna exhaled slowly, leaning back again. "I don't want to compete with your past," she said softly. "I already have too much to deal with."
"You're not competing," Ethan replied immediately.
"Then don't make it feel like I am," she said.
That was clear.
Simple.
And it stayed between them.
Ethan didn't argue.
Didn't defend.
He just nodded once.
"I understand."
Yuna watched him for a moment longer, then looked away again, her thoughts still unsettled—but clearer than before.
Because now—
It wasn't just about what he had done.
It was about what he might still be hiding.
And whether she could trust him not to.