Nathan was seething with anger. He stood there, waiting for the two of them to speak, doing his best to contain his emotions.
"Mariely," he asked tightly, "when did you learn how to lie to me?"
His sister immediately tensed. "Brother, I can explain," she said, trying to calm him down before he did something rash to the man beside her.
"You better explain it clearly," Nathan said, voice sharp.
"Hey, calm down," Nadia chimed in gently.
"How am I supposed to calm down when she's with him?" Nathan snapped back.
"As I told you before, Nathan, your sister isn't a child anymore. She can think for herself and make her own decisions," Zean said calmly, facing him without flinching.
"I'll be the one to explain everything," he added with a sigh. "Yes, something is going on between us."
"You bastard—" Nathan lunged toward him, but Nadia held him back firmly.
"I said, calm down!" she insisted.
"What do you mean something's going on?" Mariely's voice trembled, a mix of fear and confusion written on her face.
"Why? Isn't there something between us?" Zean said smugly, a teasing grin on his lips.
"In your dreams!" she snapped. "Brother, w—wait! L—Let me explain. It just happened by chance that I ended up in his car."
She was visibly nervous as she began her explanation.
"F—First time was when you couldn't pick me up after my review. Then it rained heavily, and now, today. This is the last time."
"You lied to me and said you took a jeep, but you actually got in his car?" Nathan asked, disbelief in his voice.
"It just happened that way. I didn't plan it."
"So, there's nothing going on between the two of you?" Nadia asked, seeking clarity.
"None," Mariely answered firmly.
Zean only chuckled. "Told ya—there is something. She's basically made me her personal driver."
"I pay him every time he drives me home!" Mariely snapped. "Stop twisting things, brother, please."
Nathan shot a deadly glare at Zean. He could now understand the situation a little better, but Zean was making it worse. He sighed deeply.
"Nadia, please take Mariely inside," he said quietly.
Nadia nodded without a word, wrapped her arm around Mariely's shoulder, and led her inside the house.
Once they were gone, Nathan turned back to Zean. "What do you really want? You told me before that my sister wasn't even attractive to you. You already played with her once—leave her alone."
"Yeah, she's not exactly beautiful," Zean sneered. "But we're not done playing. Now that your little sister's all grown up, we might as well continue the game."
"You still haven't changed," Nathan muttered. "I warned you—not twice on my watch."
Zean laughed. "Nathan, fate keeps pulling us together. No matter how tightly you try to control your sister, she'll always be within my reach."
"Why are you even interested in her again? There are plenty of other women out there. I don't care about your messed-up life—just stay away from Mariely."
"Oh, don't worry," Zean said with a smirk. "I'll return her to you when I'm done. That way, you won't have to worry about babysitting her anymore."
Nathan grabbed him by the collar and shoved him backward. "Get out," he growled, shaking with restraint to keep from punching him.
"I will leave," Zean said as he brushed himself off. "But don't expect that this is the last time you'll see me."
Nathan didn't respond.
"Bye then. Work tired me out today anyway." Zean got into his car and drove off.
******
Nadia saw Nathan return inside. Mariely was in her room.
"Where's Faith?" Nathan asked.
She gestured toward the room. "She's scared of you, you know. You really need to calm down. Don't blame her for lying."
"I'm just trying to protect her."
Nadia sighed. "You know, that guy's only toying with us because we're too strict with Mariely."
"So what, you want me to just let her hang out with someone like him?"
"The reason she's never had a boyfriend is us. We love her so much, we're always trying to protect her—but it's also making her insecure. Her confidence is slowly crumbling."
Nathan sat down, deep in thought.
"Let her be, Nathan. We're here to guide her, right? If she stumbles or falls, we're here to catch her. But we can't always control everything. Our guilt from the past shouldn't chain her down."
She sat beside him and continued, "Have you ever asked her if she feels suffocated?"
He didn't respond.
"Let her explore. Let her make mistakes. That's how she'll grow. We'll still be here, no matter how many times she falls. Right?"
He just nodded quietly.
"Even Uncle and Auntie aren't as strict as you. So why should we be? And besides," she smiled softly, "we've got our own wedding to plan."
Nathan let out a breath. "Yeah. We'll be busy, but we should never forget Mariely. I need to talk to her… Are you coming with me? I might lose my temper again."
"Of course." She smiled, gently holding his hand.
As they walked toward the room, Nadia couldn't help but smile. Even after everything, she still felt the butterflies—the same fluttering she felt when she first fell for Nathan. They'd been through so much together. And now, the thought that she was finally marrying him still felt surreal.
I always hold his hand tight, she thought silently.
She knocked gently on Mariely's door and slowly turned the knob.
"Brother…" Mariely whispered, still worried about his reaction.
Nathan pulled her into a tight hug. She broke into tears, overwhelmed by the fear and guilt she had bottled up.
The siblings talked things through while Nadia stayed quietly by their side.
After the conversation, they stepped out of the room.
"Are you really okay now?" Nadia asked softly.
Nathan nodded. "I'll always be her kuya."
She smiled warmly in return.