A few days had passed since the confrontation with Damon and Lilith, but the events still weighed on both Helena and Selena. They'd both been quiet, retreating to their rooms and barely exchanging words.
This morning, however, the sisters found themselves sitting in the small garden outside their home, their silence heavy with unspoken thoughts.
Helena finally broke the silence, "Selena, I keep thinking about everything that happened... and everything that led up to it. What we went through, it's… it almost feels so unreal."
Selena glanced at her sister, her usual confidence softened, "I know. Part of me still can't believe that it's over—that we have answers now." She said smilingly.
Helena laughed, "yeah, we did finally manage to uncover it all," then as she thought of something, her smile slowly disappeared.
Selena saw her stop smiling and asked, "what's wrong Helena? We've managed to resolve and restore our family's reputation, even the evil was rid off. What's bothering you?" her face filled with visible confusion to her sister's sudden changes in mood.
Helena looked down to her hands, hesitated for a while. Then with a heavy sigh "I pity our mother, she…...entangled herself with the bad men, unaware of the trap and falling into it willingly, just to secure a good future for us".
Looking in the distant horizon, she continued, "we don't even know where she is. Is she still alive? Will she ever regret everything she has done to our family?"
She paused, looked at Selena, "most importantly, has she ever thought father's feelings when she did this to him?"
Looking at her sister, Selena was silent for a moment, before she opened her mouth and said, "I don't know, all of these questions can only be answered if she was here. And for now, we don't even know her whereabouts, so might as well not think about it."
Sensing Helena wanted to speak, she interrupted her "I'm not saying this out of selfishness. Imagine if her disappearance is because….she doesn't know how to face us because of the destruction she has caused? So even if we search for a thousand miles, if she doesn't want to be found, then we are surely unable to." She explained it softly.
Indeed, they won't be able to do anything if their mother decided to stay hidden.
They sat in shared silence for a moment before Helena spoke, "All those months… It was like a piece of us was missing. We kept searching, hoping to understand, but now… now that we know everything, do you feel any better?"
Selena paused, choosing her words carefully. "Honestly? I don't know. Knowing the truth about Dad… and our family… It's heavy. But I guess, in some strange way, I feel lighter now that it's all in the open."
Helena nodded, agreeing. "It's hard, but at least we're not in the dark anymore."
As they sat, Helena's thoughts drifted to Jay Alden, Marcus's son, whose world was just as fractured. Jay had known bits and pieces of his family's shady business dealings, but he'd always been shielded from the worst of it, oblivious to the role his father had played in the Willis family's ruin.
While Helena knew she should feel bitterness toward him, she couldn't bring herself to do it. Jay was different—innocent in ways his father never was.
Selena noticed her sister's faraway expression and gave a slight smirk. "Ah, thinking about him, aren't you?"
Helena's face flushed, "No—well, maybe." She looked away, trying to mask her thoughts, but her sister's knowing look said it all.
Selena leaned back, enjoying this rare moment to tease her older sister. "You know, he's not his father, Helena. Whatever happened, Jay was never a part of it."
Helena rolled her eyes, but she smiled. "Thanks, Selena. I think… I think I just felt it's a pity for Jay to have a father like that."
They shared a soft, comfortable silence, finding a fragile peace in each other's company. Selena finally nudged Helena with her elbow, a mischievous grin on her face. "Now that we've resolved our tragic backstory and all that, how about we try being normal sisters for once?"
Helena laughed, her voice lighter than it had been in weeks. "Deal. But don't expect me to let you get away with anything just because you helped save the day."
"Right back at you, sis," Selena shot back with a wink, and they laughed together, feeling for the first time in months that they could start moving forward.