Cielo waited.
He didn't rush her.He didn't pressure her.
He simply waited for her to speak.
"Cielo… isn't this unfair?" she asked weakly. "W–Why are you questioning me about Crisha?" Her eyes dropped to the phone still in his hand.
He looked at her.
And smiled faintly.
"Unfair?" he repeated calmly. "You asked me something earlier. You haven't answered my question either."
"I just can't understand why you suddenly brought up Crisha!" Her fists tightened at her sides.
"Hm." He exhaled lightly. "Then let me explain."
His voice remained steady.
"You hated Crisha. You hated her because she was ordinary. Because she came from an ordinary family. She was a scholar. You couldn't stand that. Am I wrong?"
She swallowed.
Her body trembled.
She needed to avoid the core of it.
"Y–Yes. I hated her. But I didn't hurt her," she said quickly. "Kelly was the one at fault. I just… asked help from my cousin."
Yes.
It's Kelly's fault.
They don't know I was the one who pushed her.
"Hm. That makes sense," Cielo nodded.
Relief washed over her.
"C–Can you just explain the photo now?" she asked.
"Hm?" He tilted his head slightly. "Even if you only 'helped' that time… what were you doing at Riverside?"
Her breathing grew shallow.
"If you were just passing by, shouldn't you have called for help too?"
He continued calmly.
"And why did you visit Crisha at the hospital? Her mother said one of her classmates came. That was you, wasn't it? What was your purpose?"
Each question felt like the walls closing in.
He wasn't arguing.
He was dismantling her.
"C–Cielo… I visited because she was my friend," she insisted.
"When did you become friends?" he asked gently. "Do you remember what you did to her in grade seven? You spread that rumor with Airah."
"Fine!" she shouted. "I did it because someone told me to!"
The words escaped before she could stop them.
Her thoughts spiraled.
There was no way out.
Cielo only stared at her.
"It started when your family broke off the arranged marriage," she said bitterly. "It was your family's fault from the beginning."
"Dawn," Cielo replied evenly, "my father was helping your company. Your father's spending was the real issue. Don't blame us for his irresponsibility."
Her jaw tightened.
"Yes, your family helped at first! But everything started collapsing again when we were in grade eight!"
Memories flooded her.
Her parents' worried faces.
Her father drowning himself in wine.
The sound of a bottle shattering against the wall.
It was normal.
That was how he dealt with problems.
"This is the worst!" her father had shouted. "Our company is at stake again! And the Villanueva family only helps temporarily! We need a permanent tie—but that damn Villanueva canceled the marriage!"
She had stayed silent.
But deep inside—
She was terrified of becoming ordinary.
She despised the bottom.
She refused to fall there.
"Dawn!" her father called sharply.
She met his burning stare.
"How's Cielo? Has he fallen for you?"
If she said no, he would explode again.
So she lied.
"He likes me, Dad."
"Good. I'll contact their family."
She panicked. "D–Dad, wait. Let Cielo request it himself."
He studied her.
Finally, he sighed. "Fine."
But the funds were still running out.
That night, as she scrolled through Facebook, she saw a school post.
A donation drive.
For Crisha.
For her treatment.
For the band she joined.
Dawn rolled her eyes.
She hated that girl.
And now she was sick—and everyone was helping her.
When their classmates visited Crisha at the hospital, she went too.
Crisha smiled at her.
Even after everything.
Dawn forced a smile back.
As she turned to leave, she saw Cielo and Kenneth speaking to Crisha's mother.
Stacks of money sat on the table.
"Tita, this is from the donations," Cielo said gently. "She'll need it for her treatments."
Later that week, Dawn visited again.
Crisha was holding her passbook.
"Can I see it?" Dawn asked.
Crisha hesitated—but handed it over.
"I'm really grateful," Crisha said softly.
Dawn opened it.
Her eyes widened.
Almost twenty million.
She returned it calmly.
But that night, her house was filled with tension again.
Their funds were gone.
Her father's patience was gone.
"Dawn," he demanded, "what's happening?"
"C–Cielo will fix it."
"Are you sure he likes you?"
His voice carried a threat.
Her lungs tightened.
Then—
An idea.
"Dad… I have a solution."
"What solution?"
"One of my classmates is sick. There was a donation drive."
"And?"
"I saw her passbook."
Her father stared at her.
"It has twenty million."
Silence filled the room.
"Can you get proof?"
She nodded.
When she showed him the photo, he smiled.
"For the first time in days," she thought proudly.
"That will save us."
At first, she thought they would only borrow it.
Return it quietly.
But greed changed everything.
"We need control of it," her father said. "Can you get the passbook again?"
She nodded.
"Then get rid of her."
Her blood ran cold.
"G–Get rid of her?"
"You don't want to live an ordinary life, do you?"
She shook her head.
"Then get rid of Crisha."
He didn't even look at her when he said it.
She told her cousin.
She told Airah.
They planned carefully.
They met Crisha at the riverside.
Crisha was weak from treatment.
She brought the passbook.
"Dawn, please return it after, okay?" she said gently.
Dawn smiled.
"Relax. We're just borrowing it."
"I know it's not mine," Crisha said softly. "But I treasure it."
Dawn smiled again.
And pushed her.
Crisha fell.
The river current was strong.
She struggled.
She cried for help.
For a moment—
Dawn wanted to reach out.
But she didn't.
She ran.
Then someone jumped into the water.
Kelly.
"That damn Kelly!" her cousin hissed.
Kelly pulled Crisha out—
But it was too late.
"What do we do?" Dawn panicked.
"Leave it to me," her cousin said. "Hide the passbook."
They cornered Kelly.
They framed her.
And Dawn walked away untouched.
Her body trembled as the memory ended.
It's not my fault.
It's not my fault.
She looked at Cielo.
He hadn't spoken.
Not once.
His silence was worse than anger.
What was he thinking?