The room was quiet.
Not the distant, impersonal quiet of the penthouse. But something softer.
Something fragile. Malissa sat beside the bed, her fingers wrapped gently around her mother's hand. Warm. Familiar. Real.
For the first time since everything had changed, she felt grounded. Her mother studied her. Not hurriedly. Not suspiciously. Carefully.
As if trying to understand something that didn't quite make sense.
"Malissa…"
Her voice was soft, still weak from treatment. Malissa looked up immediately.
"I'm here."
A pause.
"What is going on?"
The question came gently. But it didn't feel light. It settled between them. Heavy.
Malissa's grip shifted slightly.
She had expected this.
She just didn't know how to answer it.
Her gaze dropped for a second. Then returned.
"It's… complicated," she said quietly.
Not a lie. But not the truth either.
Her mother didn't speak immediately.
She just watched her. And that silence, was worse than pressure.
"You've been on the news," her mother said after a moment.
Not accusing. Just stating a fact. Malissa nodded faintly.
"I saw it."
Another pause. The machines beside the bed hummed softly. Steady.
"You're with him," her mother continued.
Not a question. Malissa inhaled slowly.
"Yes."
The word felt heavier than it should have.
Her mother's fingers tightened slightly around hers.
"That man…"
She hesitated.
"He looks powerful."
Malissa let out a quiet breath.
"He is."
Silence settled again. But this time, It felt different. More observant. More aware.
Her mother's gaze moved across her face.
Lingering.
"You don't look happy."
The words were soft. But they landed deeply.
Malissa's expression stilled. For a moment, she didn't respond. Because she couldn't.
Her throat felt… tight. Not from panic.
Not from fear. But from something she couldn't explain.
"I'm fine," she said.
The answer came quickly. Too quickly. Her mother didn't challenge it. But she didn't believe it either.
"I know you," she said quietly.
Malissa's fingers curled slightly.
"You smile differently when you're happy."
That hit harder than anything else. Because it was true. Malissa looked away.
The window beside the bed let in soft daylight. Muted. Safe.
For a moment, she wished she could stay in this room forever.
Where nothing else mattered. Where she was still just, Malissa.
"I'm managing," she added quietly.
A safer answer. Her mother didn't press further. Instead, she shifted slightly on the bed.
"How long have you known him?"
Malissa hesitated. Not long. Too long.
Long enough.
"A few weeks," she said.
Her mother blinked slightly.
"That fast?"
There was no judgment. Just surprise.
Malissa nodded faintly.
"It wasn't planned."
That, at least, was honest. Her mother studied her again.
"Does he treat you well?"
The question came gently. But it carried weight. Malissa thought about it. Alexander. His voice. His rules. His control.
The way he had said,
"She is."
The way he had told her,
"You adapt."
The way he had arranged everything without asking. And yet, the hospital room.
The quiet protection. The way things were handled without explanation.
Her thoughts didn't settle.
"He… takes care of things," she said finally.
Not an answer. But the closest she could get. Her mother's gaze softened slightly.
"That's not what I asked."
Malissa's lips parted. Then closed again.
"I don't know," she admitted quietly.
That was the truth. She didn't know. Not yet. Her mother squeezed her hand gently.
"Be careful," she said.
The words were simple. But they held something deeper.
"You don't have to carry everything alone."
Malissa looked at her. For a moment, her composure slipped. Just slightly.
Because she had been carrying everything alone. For a long time.
"I know," she said softly.
But even as she said it, she wasn't sure it was true anymore.
A faint sound came from outside the room.
Voices. Low. Whispering. Malissa's attention shifted.
She didn't need to hear the words clearly.
She already knew.
"They're talking about me," she said quietly.
Her mother followed her gaze.
"Because of the news?"
Malissa nodded.
"They're curious."
That was one word for it. Her mother was silent for a moment.
"Does that bother you?"
Malissa didn't answer immediately.
She thought about it. About the way people had looked at her. At the penthouse. At the event. Even here.
Like she wasn't a person.
Like she was something to understand.
"It's strange," she said.
A soft, honest answer.
"I'm not used to it."
Her mother nodded slightly.
"You will be," she said.
Malissa's gaze dropped again. That wasn't comforting. That sounded like something permanent.
A nurse knocked softly before stepping in.
"Excuse me."
Her eyes flicked briefly to Malissa.
Recognition. Then back to her mother.
"It's time for your medication."
Malissa stepped back slightly. The nurse moved efficiently. But not without glancing again. Curious. Aware.
When she left, the room felt different again. Less private. More exposed.
"Malissa…"
She turned back immediately.
Her mother's expression had softened.
"There's something else."
Malissa's chest grew heavier.
"What is it?"
A pause.
"Your father."
The words settled heavily. Malissa's fingers tightened slightly.
"What about him?"
Her mother looked at her carefully.
"Have you found a lawyer yet?"
Malissa hesitated. Not because the answer was no. But because the truth was… complicated.
"Someone is reviewing the case," she said slowly.
Her mother's expression changed immediately.
"Reviewing?"
Malissa nodded.
"A law firm reached out. They said they're going through the files again. Evidence. Witness statements. Everything."
Her mother's fingers tightened around hers.
"After all this time?"
"Yes."
The word came out softer this time.
Because even she still didn't fully understand it. Or maybe she did.
And that was the part she couldn't say out loud.
Her mother's eyes grew slightly brighter.
Hope. Careful, fragile hope.
"That's good," she said quietly.
"That means… something might change."
Malissa forced a small nod.
"Maybe."
But deep down, she knew nothing about this was coincidence.
Her mother smiled faintly.
Time passed quietly after that. They talked about small things. Food. Memories. Simple moments.
Things that didn't belong to this new world. Things that still felt safe.
For a while, Malissa forgot everything else.
Until she stood to leave.
"I'll come back tomorrow," she said.
Her mother nodded.
"Don't overwork yourself."
Malissa smiled faintly.
"I won't."
She turned. Walked toward the door.
Then paused. Looked back.
Her mother was watching her. Still. Carefully.
"Malissa."
She stopped.
"Yes?"
Her mother hesitated.
"He must like you."
Malissa stilled.
"What?"
Her mother smiled faintly again.
"To do all this."
She gestured slightly around the room.
"He wouldn't, otherwise."
Malissa didn't respond immediately.
Because her thoughts had already shifted.
Back to reality. Back to truth. This isn't real. This is a deal. This is control.
She forced a small smile.
"It's not like that."
Her mother didn't argue. She just looked at her. And somehow, that made it worse.
Malissa turned away. And left the room.
The hallway felt colder now.
Longer. More distant. The whispers returned. Soft. Persistent.
"She's the one…"
"She looks different in person…"
Malissa kept walking. Step by step. Controlled. But inside, her thoughts were louder again. Conflicted.
Because somewhere between truth and illusion, things were starting to blur.
And she didn't know which part of her life was real anymore.