For a long time, he dreamed of ridding his father of his life. But now, when he watches the latest news on TV and sees him being led out of the airport by the police, he feels a strange pressure in his left chest.
He has made his father, a respected businessman and the richest man in the country, a sensation throughout the United States. Destroyed by his son, he must face the punishment he deserves.
Somewhere in the distance, fireworks can be heard exploding, in a dozen hours the new year is about to begin, which his father will spend in jail.
— It seems to me that he wasn't looking for me at all.
Hannah embraces his hand.
— Your father is dangerous. He is capable of anything, so how do you know he wouldn't do anything to you? You ran away because you were afraid of him. You sought refuge in a place he would not reach. You succeeded. He didn't manage to find you until he fell into the hands of the police.
— He was going to flee the country.
— Maybe he tried to escape first so that he could take revenge on you later?
The boy lowers his head.
— If he loved me even in a small way, then I believe he will be able to forgive me in the future.
The brunette notices how sad his eyes are. He is suffering, even though he has been planning for a long time to give his father the lesson he deserves.
— If you just let it happen, remember that I will always be there for you.
She squeezes his hand harder, and then he lifts his face and looks deeply into her eyes.
— I will never let you let go of my hand again. I can't lose you, Hannah.
The corners of her mouth twist in a slight smile.
— I was waiting for you to say that.
— I dug my father's grave to now stand over him and cry — he says in a pained voice, closing his eyelids. — I have only you.
— You have me and friends who care deeply about your happiness. — She puts her hand to his face and strokes his cheek. — You have people by your side who sincerely love you.
— And you? Can you be with me?
Hannah subtly kisses him on the lips.
— If only you forgive me, then I promise to take care and nurture our relationship so that nothing will stand in our way again in the future.
Joseph rests his head on her shoulder.
— I will change. I will do everything to make you happy by my side.
The girl realizes that he is referring to the words she shouted in his face some time ago, claiming that he is the same as her father and cannot make her happy.
— You don't have to. I am already happy because everything is going in the right direction. I believe that soon the demons will leave us and the sky will become clear.
*
Bella is the first person to get Hannah. She smothers her in a strong hug, glad that she is okay. The friends can let the air out of their mouths with relief when they both appear unexpectedly at Jin's house, where everyone had gathered earlier to await the news.
The time is twenty-one o'clock. Fireworks sparkle in the sky, even though there are three hours left until the New Year begins.
Everyone appears to be happy.
— Move over, sprawling cow. — Danielle pushes Bella away and embraces her sister, which comes as no small surprise to everyone. Even Hannah looks embarrassed by the twins' tenderness. — I'm glad you're okay. I hope the New Year will change our relationship.
Jin crosses her arms over her chest and smiles, hoping that the sisters will finally come to an understanding.
— I would also like our relationship to improve.
Hannah smiles, watching as the boys walk up to Joseph and pat him on the back. They try to give him encouragement, telling him that he did the right thing. They see that their friend is not himself, that he is tired of what he did to his father.
— He took every bit of happiness from you. He would control your life, choose a bride for you, whom you would have to marry for his benefit. — Jimmy puts his arm around his friend. — Think... Is there a moment you want to remember? Has your father ever done anything for you?
Joseph rubs his face, then shakes his head.
— He never showed me love, he only demanded of me, he wanted to create the perfect heir out of me, but still, I feel bad about the thought that I destroyed the man who provided me with a home, raised me. He was not perfect, but he was my father. He looks at the point in front of him and sighs deeply. — Now my head is cloudy, but soon I will put everything together. It will be fine.
*
Danielle runs around the garden, holding cold fires in both hands. She is as happy as a child, and this is the first time Hannah has had the opportunity to see her happy. Currently, she is an entirely different person, the sister she has always dreamed of.
Jin doesn't take his eyes off her, smiling fleetingly.
— Thank you for making her regain her humanity. — Hannah turns to him as she stands next to him. — She is good, she was just hurt by her mother.
The boy nods his head.
— Her mother may have treated her harshly, but this time she took matters into her hands. She took care of the man who threatened Danielle. Actually, she has her own rules, she is cold as ice, but in her own way she loves her daughter.
— I think Joseph's father is the same way. I believe that he also loves his son in his own way and will forgive him for what he did. — The girl watches him sitting on a chair and gazing at the colorful sky. His eyes are still sad. — Then he undoubtedly feels better.
Mariah runs into the garden and opens the champagne as a greeting. She douses her friends with it, especially aiming it at Jimmy.
— Did you think I wouldn't come, sucker!
Right behind her appears Nick, whom Hannah hasn't seen since she left Horace Mann.
— Happy New Year — he says in greeting.
The girl measures him with appreciation. Now he is a young man, and his red hair has regained its natural black color.
He looks great.
Jimmy is unhappy about their presence.
— I started the new year in a cocky way," he mutters under his breath, taking a big sip of alcohol.
— And very well. I hope there will be a curse on you, and you will never get married. I, for one, have been happy since I realized that the right guy is next to me. And this has been going on for many years. — Jimmy looks nailed as Mariah grabs Nick's hand.
Everyone looks amused, even Joseph twists his lips in a slight smile.
— I've been saying all along that they're not a good match. Jimmy needs a modest girl, not a princess.
Hannah seems that the noise of exploding fireworks, quiets down. She feels strangely, as if in an amok, when a sentence uttered by Joseph, makes lost memories come back to her instantly.
She recalls the moment when she tears two pages from her diary, but at that moment she was not herself. Someone has control over her.
Solar.
— He doesn't need a simple girl, but a princess. Good for you — she repeats the sentence that is written on the last page. — This meek girl could also be a princess for him.
She squeezes the paper in her hand with anger in her eyes looking at the reflection in the mirror.
— Maybe when I burn it, I'll be able to go to hell. I'm sick of this cursed room. — The girl grabs a lighter and watches as the fire consumes both sheets of paper. Despite this, her soul feels no change. — Why do I bear the punishment when I was the one who was killed? Have I not taken enough revenge on this family? Do I have to do this for all eternity? She has won against me.... she defeated me.
The brunette swallows her saliva harder, recalling the entire entry that Solar read aloud while in her body.
She puts her hand to her mouth, shocked.
— What is going on? — Joseph, sitting next to her, sees that something is wrong. — Why have you gone so pale?
— She's gone.
— What?
— Solar. Her soul is gone, and with that, I recovered the lost memories.
He is confused. He looks at her with stunned eyes.
— What memories?
— I trusted the wrong person. She reported everything to your father.
— What?
— Where is Danielle?
Hannah looks around the garden, it seems to her that time is slowing down, and she sees everything in slow motion.
— A moment ago, she left here with Jin.
The girl runs outside the fence and with panicked eyes looks around her, but they are nowhere to be found.
— Will you tell me what's going on?
She turns to face Joseph, who is standing behind her.
— Lana was your father's lover. Danielle has known her since high school, she helped her with something, since my boss's daughter is indebted to her. I have to ask her about it.
The brunette is about to find her sister, but Joseph grabs her hand, stopping her by her side.
— This is absurd. She is only two years older than me. She couldn't possibly be my father's lover. — Joseph unexpectedly bursts out laughing. — She was a teenager then.
The smile fades from his face as quickly as it appeared.
He is shocked.
*
Tonight, Danielle feels like a carefree child. This is the first time in a long time that she is happy. Nothing worries her. She has a boyfriend by her side whom she loves, who can forgive her past mistakes.
This year is starting out full of joy for her. This is unbelievable, looking at the previous years, which she spent in loneliness and sadness.
She is confident that things will be different now. She will do everything to lead a happy life like other people.
The girl lifts her face and watches the shimmering colors in the sky.
— New year, new me — she whispers, smiling cheerfully.
— Danielle, could you take a look around as you cross the street! — Jin is furious as she carelessly runs across the road without looking to see if anything is driving.
With a quick step, he joins her, worried that she will arm something. She turns to face him and puts her hands to his cheeks.
— Remember when we went for our first walk to get to know each other and I confessed to you that I would never get married in the future? — The boy nods his head. — Now I dream of nothing but becoming your wife.
Jin smiles half-heartedly.
— I love it when you are drunk. You talk out of turn then.
Danielle climbs on her toes and unexpectedly kisses him on the lips, making the boy look surprised.
— If you don't forgive me for everything and don't want to be with me, this opportunity may not happen again. It may be our last kiss.
He looks into her eyes, convinced that the girl is completely honest with him at this point. He wants to say something, opens his mouth to confess to her what he thinks about the subject, but is distracted by his phone.
He takes the call from Joseph and walks away a piece further, at which Danielle rolls her eyes. She crosses her arms over her chest and leans with her back against the fence.
— I can't hear what you're saying to me. — The boy looks sideways as he crosses the road. — Why does Hannah need to talk to Danielle now? What has happened?
Joseph tells him something shocking on the phone, as Jin doesn't see an oncoming car from the side, which doesn't slow down at all, it looks like the driver is doing it deliberately.
— Jin! — yells Danielle, and it's mere seconds, as the boy turns to face her as she pushes him forward and falls right under the car's wheels.
A bang is heard, followed by a screech of tires. Jin rises on his elbows and, with his heart beating loudly, looks toward the lying girl, at which streams of blood appear.
He is shaken as he comes to her and drops to his knees. He covers her face with his hands, noticing that she is still conscious.
— Danielle? — he turns to her in a trembling voice, one hand searching for the phone, which he can't find. He must have left it when he was pushed by her. — Can you hear me, Danielle? Don't fall asleep, please. Look at me.
— It hurts so much... — she says weakly, even indistinctly.
Tears run down his cheeks, he is so shaken that his lips tremble and he cannot utter a word.
He looks at Danielle's pale face, feeling all the life drain out of him.
He should be the one injured, not her.
The car that hit Danielle drives away with a squeal of tires. Johnny, who is behind the wheel, breathes loudly, feeling tears gathering under his eyelids.
— He was the one who was supposed to die. He was the one who was supposed to receive the punishment for killing Solar — he repeats, wiping his face with the sleeve of his jacket. — He was the one who deserved hell!