Hannah observes a doctor applying bandages to wounds that he had stitched up earlier. They are deep, but it appears that the perpetrator had no intention of hurting her, he only wanted to weaken her.
And he succeeded in doing so.
In a worse condition is Danielle, who still has not regained consciousness.
With the doctor's permission, Hannah leaves the office. Her attention is caught by Joseph, who is leaning against the opposite wall, massaging the back of his nose.
He lifts his face when he notices her.
At first, she sees concern in his eyes, but it lasts a brief moment as he unexpectedly explodes with anger, drawing the attention of the people in the hospital.
— What tempted you to go to her! Did she not mess up your life enough? Because of her, you could have lost your life, stupid girl!
The brunette stands still, letting him shout at her. This even makes her happy because she has the assurance that he is still worried about her.
— It's all luck that I got there.
— Luck! You're lucky you didn't get hurt more!
— Can you please stop shouting? This is a hospital. — The nurse addresses him in a calm voice, which makes him even more unbalanced.
— I can't! — he responds to her by shouting, but literally a moment later, he takes a deep breath and calms down. — I'm sorry — he turns to her in a much gentler voice.
The woman shakes her head as she walks away.
— Danielle could have been killed if I hadn't been there.
— What do you care? Has she done little damage to you? Are you still trying to protect her?
— She's my sister, Joseph. I don't know how she could be cruel, but I can't imagine not standing up for her.
The boy turns his back on her and puts his hand in his hair.
— Do you think she would try to protect you?
— Yes. She already proved it to me once, when I was kidnapped by your father's men.
Joseph looks over his shoulder and looks at her with pained eyes.
— Why can't I forgive so easily.... Why does it come so easily to you, Hannah?
His face is filled with sadness.
— You can forgive me, Joseph, but I have to prove that I deserve your love. Wait, please, and I will do everything to make you understand that I will give my life for you.
For a long moment, they look into each other's eyes, silently. Hannah understands that this is a confirmation on his part. He is waiting for her to prove to him that she loves him with all her heart and trusts no one more than him.
— Danielle has regained consciousness. The doctor is just now examining her.
Bella leads them to the room where Hannah's sister lies. Inside is Jin, who does not leave her side.
— What about her?
The doctor informs them that they need to do a head CT scan, and she will have to stay in the hospital under medical care for a few days.
— How are you feeling? — asks Hannah as she sits down next to her in a chair.
— And how am I supposed to feel? I'm afraid I'll become as dumb as you are after hitting my head on a hydrant. Apparently you only had a concussion, but something has been out of touch ever since.
— Karma is a bitch — Joseph interjects. — It's just too bad it wasn't Hannah who pushed you down those stairs. You would have been even.
— Shut up. — Jin pierces him with his eyes, not in the mood to listen to his insolent remarks. — Danielle is in danger. Someone tried to kill her, or it was just a warning. If it wasn't for Hannah... there's no telling what worse would have happened to her.
The redhead puts her hand to her forehead, feeling a terrible pain.
— My head is going to explode. Go away because you are loud.
Joseph rolls his eyes and is the first to leave the room. Right behind him are Bella and Hannah, who join their friends waiting in the hallway.
— Get some rest, Danielle. I'll come to you later. — Jin also intends to leave, but the girl grabs his hand, telling him to stay.
— I'll feel safer when you're by my side.
The boy nods and sits down on the chair that Hannah occupied earlier.
— Rest, I'll be by your side. — He watches her face as she closes her eyes.
She smiles slightly, recalling their first meeting by the railroad tracks. Even then, she was a charming fourteen-year-old who could be cheerful despite her pessimistic approach to life.
Her mother destroyed her. She created a monster out of her, made this girl as cold as ice.
*
Hannah sits on the couch, watching the bickering girls. Mariah expresses her opinion, but Bella does not agree with her words, and an unnecessary quarrel arises from this. The reason is so trivial that the brunette does not intend to participate in it and plunges into her thoughts.
This was the first Christmas that did not make her happy even for a moment. It came to a tragedy. Her mother told her to cut off contact with Danielle, believing that the girl was drawing danger to her. She wouldn't even listen when her daughter convinced her that she had saved her sister's life.
In the end, she asked Hannah to isolate herself from her twin.
Danielle's mother, on the other hand. Instead of surrounding her daughter with care, concluded that she had brought danger upon herself. She judged her for thoughtlessness, of not being able to deal with her enemies as she should.
Jin couldn't stand it that day. He lashed out in her face with everything that was on his mind. He judged the woman for wasting Danielle's life and pointed the finger at her, believing that she was the biggest contributor to her daughter having so many enemies.
He was the one who took care of Danielle. Throughout the holidays, he didn't leave her side until she was out of the hospital. He behaved admirably, even though they hadn't gotten along well in recent times.
— Why are you smiling? — The girls look at Hannah with curiosity in their eyes, ending this pointless argument.
— I just thought about how wonderfully Jin behaved towards Danielle. She is lucky that her ex-boyfriend is so caring.
Mariah smiles slightly.
— They were very much in love with each other in the past. He didn't see the world outside of her. She is his first love, his only love, so I am not at all surprised that he still cares for her.
— Each of us knows what an unforgettable feeling this is. — Bella rests her chin on her hand. — I also experienced something wonderful in high school, and Tom has to accept that he is my second love.
Hannah bursts into laughter.
— Maybe second love, but you two share a strong feeling. You fit together like no one else.
— It didn't work out with my first love either, although I still have a weakness for Jimmy, so I know what you're talking about. There are times when I think about him.
Bella rolls her eyes.
— Get over that babysitter. I keep seeing him with another one.
— And my first love still exists, I just have to save it.
— I feel sorry for you if Joseph is your first love. Ruined memories for a lifetime. — Mariah shrugs her shoulders, seeing Bella's chastising gaze.
— And you have something to remember? Apparently, Jimmy cheated on you left and right.
Mariah opens her mouth, outraged by her friend's attack.
— No one is perfect. — With these words, Hannah ends their conversation about first love. — And yet, we fall in love with these imperfections.
*
— I shouldn't do this, but I heard that you reached an agreement with your sister. I am indebted to her, so I extracted some dirt about Joseph's father. My mother no longer has any business with him, so I don't give a damn what happens to him. He may be a powerful businessman, but he didn't get all this with hard work alone. — Hannah looks gratefully at Lana, who hands her a document about Mr. Scott's illegal finances. — It's not much because the bastard is clever and has the right people on his side, but maybe you can make something up....
The brunette follows the print on the paper with her eyes.
— If I don't take a chance, I'll never get Joseph back.
— His father is powerful, he can easily get away with it. Do you think you can handle it?
Hannah is terrified, but she wants to get rid of this man at all costs and, above all, remove him from Joseph's life.
— I will put everything on the line. Jin's uncle is the attorney general, so it is to him that I will hand over the document.
— This could be a dangerous move. At this point, you will start a real fight with Mr. Scott.
— Danielle told me that I can't be a scared little girl forever, that I should finally grow up and stop hiding behind others' backs. Now is the right time to do it.
Lana sighs deeply.
— You will step in shit at your request.
— At most, I'll spread it to finally get rid of it at the end.
*
That evening Hannah feels uneasy. She has a feeling that Mr. Scott already knows about what she has done, especially since there is nothing she can hide from him.
She is overwhelmed with terror as she gets out of the car and hurriedly heads for the elevator. Underground parking lots have it in them that crimes most often occur there.
She looks around her to make sure no one is watching her.
— Hannah. — At first, her heart stands still. She puts her hand to her left breast and closes her eyelids, realizing it's Solar.
— You scared me to death.
— Don't go back to the apartment now.
The girl does not understand what the ghost has in mind.
— Why?
— Run away with him and for the moment hide somewhere, both of you.
Hannah crinkles her eyebrows.
— With whom?
She feels a hand that covers her wrist. She looks over her shoulder and opens her mouth to see Joseph's concerned face. With a hurried step, he leads her with him, and she is unable to get a word out.
— I know what you did, Hannah — he says as he opens the passenger side door and pushes her inside. — Jin told me all about it. This news reached my father rapidly. You are in danger, and this time he is not only sharpening the knife on you. On me, he will soon start too, but until then, we have to hide.
— What are you talking about, Joseph? What's going on?
She is terrified as the boy fastens his seat belt and backs out of the car.
— You've started hell, and I'm about to unleash it.
— Your father already knows that I turned over a document about his illegal finances to the prosecutor's office?
— Since you had the courage to start it, I have gained enough strength to finish it. I intend to eliminate my father, once and for all. We are in this together.
Her heart goes up in her throat. With wide-open eyes, she stares at the windshield.
— What did you do? — The girl begins to guess, but she needs to hear it from his mouth.
— I betrayed my father. I did it to protect my future and, above all, you.
If they are captured, this time they will both be dead.