Chapter 3

After my confession, Kieran never set foot in this cabin again.

Afraid of triggering painful memories, I didn't dare stay here either.

Three years later, I stepped inside once more.

Just as I entered the foyer, I locked eyes with two figures in the living room.

I was soaked through, water dripping from my hem and spreading dark stains across the carpet. My hair stuck messily to both sides of my face, looking as messy as a wet dog.

In the center of the living room, Kieran's hand froze mid-air, gripping a glass of moonshine wine.

He shot to his feet, knocking over the bottle of elderberry wine on the table.

His Adam's apple bobbed once, his gaze falling on my soaked clothes.

"How did you... end up like this?"

Scarlett cried out, grabbing tissues to wipe the wine stains from her dress.

When she looked up again, she wore an expression of helpless tolerance.

"How did you get so drenched? Don't tell me you actually walked all the way back from the estate? Didn't we give you money for a taxi? Even if you wanted to make your uncle worry, you can't deliberately walk through the rain like this. What if you get sick?"

"I know you're hurting inside, but how can you not take care of yourself? I remember you weren't like this before."

The concern in Kieran's eyes instantly turned cold.

"Aria, I thought you had at least some self-respect."

The chandelier's glow cast soft edges around his silhouette.

I looked at this man who once carried me on his shoulders to see the stars, my vision beginning to blur.

"Sorry, I'll leave right now. But could I just..."

My body temperature was burning through my clear thinking. I could barely whisper my request.

"Borrow the bathroom for a quick hot shower? It'll be fast."

He stared at me silently.

Scarlett tugged on his arm with a drawn-out whine.

"Come on, Kieran, don't be mad at a kid. Aria's still young."

"She's a month older than you. You call that a kid?"

The wine glass was set down hard on the table.

Kieran grabbed his jacket from the sofa, and as he passed me, he brought a gust of cold air.

"Lock the door when you leave."

His voice brushed past my ear.

"And clean up the floor."

Outside, car headlights swept across the ceiling, bright as daylight for an instant before quickly returning to darkness.

The moment hot water hit my body, I slid down to sit on the shower floor.

How I stumbled and fell into the master bedroom bed afterward, I can't remember clearly.

I only remember the instant I sank into the soft blanket, my nostrils filled with his scent.

The high fever made time and space feel chaotic.

In a daze, someone pried open my clenched palm and fed me a round herbal tablet.

The moment the bitter moonshine herbs dissolved, I whimpered and bit down on that hand.

A suppressed sigh brushed past my ear.

"Little crybaby."

That nickname made me break down in tears.

How many years had it been since I heard it? So long it felt like a lifetime ago.

I sobbed incoherently, chasing after the cup's edge.

"Uncle, don't abandon me... I'll be good and listen..."

The glass cup fell to the floor with a muffled thud.

I sensed something.

Opening my eyes, I saw nothing.

Only half a glass of warm water sat quietly on the nightstand.

I hadn't expected him to avoid me like I was venomous.

I couldn't tell if my head hurt more or my heart.

I just pulled the blanket over my head and let the tears fall.