Hannah muttered in her sleep when something tickled the tip of her nose. She was so drowsy that she lacked the strength to open her eyes, and instead waved her hand blindly in protest, making it clear she wished to go on sleeping. Unfortunately, nothing delighted Joseph more than teasing her. He found it amusing to watch her brows furrow, even as she drifted in half-conscious slumber.
At last, he pinched her nose between his fingers in an attempt to rouse her. It was a bad idea. Hannah, unwilling to care what he did while she slept, squirmed in defense, determined to cling to her laziness. As a result, Joseph lost his balance and flopped unceremoniously against the mattress.
He glared at her, rubbing the cheek where a faint red mark bloomed from the blow. She looked sweet in her sleep, yet the temptation to smother her with the nearest pillow gnawed at him. Instead, he clenched his fists, restraining himself from doing something rash.
"It's true," he thought grimly. "I need to learn to control my temper. You will regret daring to insult my perfect face," he growled, voice sharp with mock menace.
Like a predator, he pounced on her, making her petite frame suffer under his sudden weight. The tactic worked; Hannah shot upright, startled, her eyes wide with alarm.
"I think you broke my back, monster," she whispered in a hushed, breathless tone, overly roused from sleep.
"If I broke your back, you wouldn't be sitting up, silly girl."
His grin stretched wide as he gazed at her sleepy expression.
"How cute," he teased, pinching her nose once more. "You'll get up eventually, because I'm going back to the dorm. I won't wait for you to sleep your life away. But abandoning you here isn't an option either. I'm not a pig."
"I can't feel my legs. I think I'm paralyzed."
"And I'll be more than happy to bring you back to life, frowning child."
He scooped her up as though she were no heavier than a child's doll, slinging her across his shoulder before she had time to react. The most humiliating moment came when his hand landed on her backside in a playful pat.
Without ceremony, Joseph carried her into the bathroom and tossed her into the shower like a sack of flour. The icy torrent burst forth, and Hannah screamed in disbelief as the water poured down her face and over her trembling body. But she refused to remain the only victim. With sudden cunning, she seized him by the arm and yanked him into the cabin with her.
He crashed against her, their bodies pressed tight between wall and glass. Cold water streamed down their faces, but the heat that sparked between them was undeniable. Her heart jolted so violently against her ribs that she felt it might leap out of her chest. His wet hair clung to his forehead, the droplets coursing down his sharp features. One of her hands, trembling, brushed through the strands while the other braced against the tiled wall beside her head. His gaze pinned her in place, smoldering, intense.
Her breath faltered. A pleasant shiver swept along her spine, spreading from her throat down to her knees, which weakened beneath her. The distance between them shrank unbearably, his face edging closer, and she swallowed hard, dizzy with anticipation.
It was the moment. Something irretrievable, something dangerous, hovered in the air—until the shrill ring of his phone shattered the spell.
Joseph groaned in frustration and tore himself away, water dripping from his clothes as he stepped out of the bathroom to answer the call. Hannah remained beneath the torrent, her hand pressed against her racing heart, eyes closed in torment.
"That was it," she thought bitterly. "It could have happened. Something amazing. But someone knew exactly when to interrupt."
She staggered out of the shower, water trailing from her as she stepped into the doorway. There he stood, phone pressed to his ear, every muscle in his body taut.
"Can you explain to me more calmly what happened?" His voice was clipped, urgent.
Hannah froze when she heard the name.
"Halsey, wait a moment. I'll be right there and help you. Don't panic."
"She knew when to call," Hannah muttered under her breath, fury rising in her veins.
Joseph hastily dressed, his movements brisk and tense. Hannah, however, lingered in the threshold, simply staring at him.
"I have to help Halsey," he said firmly. "Dry off, change, and let's go."
The words stung. She longed to scoff, but restrained herself. Instead, she slammed the bathroom door behind her, the sound sharp and deliberate. If he didn't already know it, she wanted him to understand just how much she despised his ex-girlfriend.
*
Hannah did not want to make a statement about Halsey. She had already once stirred a storm between them, and she refused to repeat the mistake by giving her opinion about the girl who—to get a flat tire—found it perfectly reasonable to call Joseph.
Why did it have to be him? Why not her father? Why not someone else in her endless entourage? Why, precisely, Joseph?
What a cunning beast, Hannah thought bitterly.
"You're going to get sick. This is no time to run around outside with wet hair," she muttered as she settled into the passenger seat beside him. Her lips itched to add that Halsey was not worth risking pneumonia for, but she bit down hard on her tongue. "You're bound to catch a cold," she added instead.
Joseph's mouth curved into a sly smile."So you'll play my nurse, then."
Indignation flickered across Hannah's face when she caught his suggestive expression."As a child, I wanted to be a nurse," she replied with deliberate venom. "But only so I could sadistically torment patients. Sticking needles into them, watching the fear in their eyes… something truly wonderful."
He glanced at her, his dark eyes studying her even as he drove."Apparently, you've had something wrong with your head since you were little," he said bluntly.
His cheeky statement could have easily sparked another quarrel, but Hannah forced a smile instead. She refused to give him the satisfaction. The last thing she wanted now, on their way to help her, was to ignite sparks of hostility again.
Let the long-legged witch see that stealing Joseph won't be so easy.
Her thoughts darkened. She turned her head toward him suddenly."What was she like?"
Joseph frowned in puzzlement."Who?"
"The woman who gave birth to me. Your mother."
A faint smile tugged at the corner of his lips, though it was tinged with melancholy."I was a child. I don't remember much—most of what I recall is from the time when she was already ill. But I will never forget the nights she pulled me into her arms and sang my favorite lullaby until I drifted to sleep." His fingers tightened around the steering wheel. "Later, when I was older, the housekeeper told me about her. I loved hearing those stories. That's how I learned what a wonderful woman my mother truly was. When she and my father tried to have children, they were told it was impossible. She dismissed it immediately, saying one child would be enough to make her happy. And when she first saw me… apparently she lost her heart to me completely. My father did too, though he was never the type to show it openly."
A quiet laugh escaped him, hollow and strained."The blame for what happened doesn't fall on one side alone. They both led to the tragedy in our family. My mother couldn't bear the loneliness—my father spent every waking hour at the company and only came home late at night. She needed closeness, affection. A man appeared… it was only a fleeting infatuation, but it ended with betrayal."
Hannah listened, her chest tightening."From your words, she sounds completely sane. How did she lose her mind?"
She regretted the question the instant it left her lips, yet Joseph didn't reproach her. He wanted her to know the truth—about their shared past, about the shadows that bound them both.
"It was my father's fault," Joseph said quietly, his voice hardening. "He destroyed her. When he discovered she had betrayed him, he lost control. But the greatest wound was the pregnancy… with another man's child. He couldn't let anyone know—it would have brought him disgrace. And so he snapped. He locked her away. He shouted that since she had betrayed him, she would suffer and understand what she had done. He told people she was ill. He sent her abroad for treatment. But in truth, he made her lose her mind in that locked room."
Hannah felt her blood run cold. The weight of his words pressed down on her chest. She had heard whispers of such things in wealthy families, where appearances mattered more than lives.
"She was kept under constant watch. Doctors, nurses… all controlled. Even her labor was forced to take place at home. Money bought everything, even a false birth certificate. All of it in secret."
Her hand flew to her mouth."That's terrible…"
Joseph's jaw tightened. His voice shook as he continued."It became worse when my father gave you and your sister to the orphanage. She cried, begged, screamed for him not to take yours away. But he did. I don't know if I'll ever forgive him for that. I respect him, yes—I owe him everything I have now—but I will never forget how he destroyed the woman he once loved. And I don't think I'll ever be able to forgive him."
Hannah looked at him, her own heart aching. For the first time, she understood the origins of his rage, the venom that had once poisoned his soul. But the cruelest realization was that she and her sister were entwined in that same darkness. They, too, were pieces of the tragedy.
"Now I understand," she whispered. "When you shouted at me that it was because of me and Danielle that your mother died… you were right. In some way, we were part of it. We contributed to her death."
Joseph opened his mouth, as though to respond—but closed it again when his gaze caught on the figure waiting by the roadside. Halsey stood there, tall and statuesque, watching. His face darkened. He pulled the car to a stop and looked at Hannah one last time before stepping out.
"On one hand," he said softly, "perhaps it's good that things turned out this way. Maybe it was always meant to be—that we would meet again in the future. But in a very different bond than brother and sister."
He took her hand and smiled gently, nodding his head as if to assure her that everything was fine.
When he stepped out of the car, Hannah remained frozen in her seat, repeatedly analyzing the sentence he had just spoken. Had he truly confessed that he was glad they were not siblings? The thought echoed inside her mind like a forbidden whisper.
She finally left the car and closed the door behind her. The older girl's expression betrayed a flicker of displeasure at Hannah's presence, but Halsey forced a smile as if determined to appear polite.
"Hannah, right?" she said, turning toward the nineteen-year-old. "We haven't really had a chance to get to know each other."
"That's true," Hannah admitted quietly.
Instead of standing stiffly at a distance, she chose to approach her, unwilling to act like an immature child.
"I had an appointment with a friend," Halsey explained, "and on the way, I ran into this misfortune. If it hadn't been for you, Joseph, I wouldn't have had anyone to ask for help. My father was away with Alex on business, so I'm sorry for bothering you on a Sunday."
"Roadside assistance would have shown up faster than us," Hannah muttered under her breath.
Joseph, without a word, pulled a wrench, jack, and spare wheel from the trunk, then crouched down to focus on the repair.
"We were on our way to the dorm anyway, so it's no trouble," he said calmly. "Good thing you called me."
Halsey smiled at his words, then shifted her gaze back to Hannah with deliberate warmth.
"Doesn't a man look impressive when he shows up after one phone call and changes a wheel?"
"Yes," Hannah replied dryly, "especially if he's muscular, wearing a white undershirt, and slinging the wheel over his shoulder. What a wonderful image."
Luckily, Halsey didn't detect the sarcasm. She burst out laughing.
"It's funny because, at thirteen, that's exactly how I imagined the ideal guy."
Joseph chuckled too. It was clear that, despite the years since their breakup, their bond was still comfortable and easy.
"Is that why you forced me to go to the gym every day and wear sleeveless shirts? Good thing they don't keep wheels at boarding school."
Jealousy prickled in Hannah's chest as she watched their banter.
"You should be grateful to me," Halsey teased, pointing at herself. "Look how handsome you've become. That's my doing!"
Just then, Hannah's attention was caught by a car that stopped in the middle of the street. A boy sat inside, staring at her with an unsettling intensity. His gaze was sharp, hostile, and far from friendly.
"What is wrong with him?" she whispered.
Halsey turned to look at the stranger, but the boy quickly drove away.
"Apparently you caught his eye—he even stopped to stare at you longer," she joked. Joseph grunted irritably at the remark. "But really, why be surprised? You're very pretty."
Hannah blinked, startled by the unexpected kindness. From the beginning, she had been convinced that Halsey was a witch, but maybe she had been wrong?
"I thought you didn't like me," she admitted cautiously.
Her words seemed to surprise Halsey.
"Was it my initial behavior that discouraged you?" Hannah nodded. "I'm sorry. I tend to be distrustful of other girls—it's probably because of the past."
"Women's problems," Joseph muttered under his breath.
"I've heard a lot about you lately," Halsey continued. "From what he told me, I realized he has the right girl by his side."
The nineteen-year-old smiled nervously, glancing out of the corner of her eye at Joseph, still bent over the wheel. Any moment now, he might say something that would truly embarrass her.
"I feel so foolish now… Forgive me for the way I behaved earlier."
"Let's just say we were both distrustful," Halsey laughed lightly, sliding her arm around Hannah's shoulders. "Were you angry, thinking I was stealing this rascal from under your nose?"
Hannah covered her mouth with her hand, suppressing a grunt of frustration as Joseph threw her a quick glance.
"After so many years, our love has faded," Halsey continued with mock drama, "but the fact remains that he is my best friend. You don't need to be jealous."
"I'm not! Not at all! There's nothing to be jealous of," Hannah blurted hastily.
Joseph wrinkled his nose, his irritation obvious.
"You'll have to forgive me for often pulling him out of the dorm," Halsey went on. "He's the only friend I trust. My fiancé has been stressing me out lately, and I needed Joseph's help."
Hannah felt a rush of relief at those words. A weight lifted off her chest—Halsey was engaged. But then, a troubling thought struck her. If she had a fiancé, what was she doing at the club that night?
"I envy you," Hannah admitted. "It must be such a beautiful feeling, when a man kneels before you and, with a ring, offers you his whole heart…"
"It truly is wonderful," Halsey said softly, smiling at the memory. "Joseph, did you hear that? You'd better hurry to buy a diamond ring before Hannah runs off with the first man who proposes."
Joseph smirked mischievously.
"I'm already speeding on this flat tire," he said dryly, carrying the tools back to the trunk. "If I ever propose, it will be to a woman who truly deserves to be my wife. Above all, she must be jealous enough to prove she cares."
His words struck Hannah right in the heart.
"And selfish enough to tolerate your selfishness for a lifetime," she snapped.
Halsey studied them closely, sensing a storm brewing. To lighten the mood, she let out a laugh and draped her arm once more around the younger girl.
"How can such a tiny body hold so much venom?" she teased.
Joseph closed the trunk with a thud, signaling the end of his work.
"She's got a million vipers in her veins. If her ever accept a ring from me, that marriage will be nothing short of a bloody horror."
"Don't exaggerate," Halsey intervened.
"And why do you assume she'll be the one to marry me? I can't imagine my wife in Hello Kitty pajamas instead of something sexy. I like women, not little girls."
Hannah's cheeks flamed with indignation.
"And I can't imagine my husband going to sleep next to me without anything in his underwear!" she shot back.
Halsey pretended to cough, hiding her laughter.
"Is that so?" Joseph's voice was low and cold as he turned to Hannah. "Then I suppose you'll have to find the perfect husband to drive you to your dorm tonight, because I—" he turned to Halsey "—have no intention of helping someone who slandered me so badly. I'm surprised her ears didn't burn from all her own lies."
He climbed into the car, started the engine, and without another glance at Hannah, drove off.
"You selfish brute!" she shouted after him, waving her hand furiously in the middle of the street. "You selfish, selfish man! As soon as I get back to the dorm, I swear you'll be dead!"
Then she froze, realizing all her belongings were still in his car. With nothing left, she crouched down by the roadside, her expression that of a lost puppy, and looked pleadingly at Halsey. She was her only hope of returning to the dorm.
"You upset him," Halsey said gently, "so don't take his words too seriously. He knows very well that I'll take care of you. He's not so selfish that he'd truly abandon you."
"Do you think he'd act the same if you weren't here?" Hannah asked bitterly.
Halsey only shrugged.
"Tell me," Hannah whispered, "what's your secret? How did you survive in a relationship with that narcissist?"
"Easy," Halsey said with an amused smile. "Get in the car, and I'll tell you how to tame that jerk."