Chapter 7

ATLAS' POV

I stared at the staircase long after Hannah disappeared.

The sound of her footsteps-

frantic, uneven, broken- echoed through the mansion like a wound being carved deeper into old flesh.

Then silence.

A terrible silence.

My jaw tightened.

My chest felt strangely hollow.

For years, I had imagined this moment-

her crying.

Begging.

Breaking.

I thought it would feel like justice.

Like revenge.

Like Leo would finally rest if she suffered even a fraction of what we had suffered.

So why-

why did my chest feel like it had been split open?

Why did the image of her collapsing to her knees keep replaying in my mind?

Why did her scream-

"I WAS SEVEN! I DIDN'T DO ANYTHING!"

-sound less like a lie...and more like agony?

I clenched my fists.

Hard.

No.

I couldn't think like that.

I had seen Leo die.

I had seen him at the bottom of those stairs, blood pooling beneath his small body..

his tiny hand weakly lifting-

pointing at Hannah-

his lips trembling around her name before life left his eyes forever.

That memory had burned itself into my soul.

It was the truth.

It had to be.

So why did doubt suddenly creep in?

Why did her words keep clawing at my mind?

"None of you had the guts to investigate it..."

My throat tightened.

Because deep down-

there had been questions.

Questions we buried beneath rage.

Questions none of us dared ask because the answers could destroy everything we built our grief on.

Then-

"Because of what you did, we lost our mom too... and dad-"

Aries' voice had cut off.

My eyes darkened.

Dad...

If it wasn't for her, he wouldn't have been in that state today!

A sharp vibration pulled me from my thoughts.

Aries held out the phone, his face pale.

"Atlas... it's the doctor."

A cold knot formed in my stomach.

I took the phone.

"Speak."

"Hello, sir. This is Mr. Vanderbilt's physician."

My body stiffened.

The room seemed to hold its breath.

Then-

"It's good news, sir."

A pause.

"Mr. Vanderbilt has regained consciousness from his coma."

Everything inside me stopped.

For a moment, I couldn't breathe.

Dad...

Awake?

After all these years?

Orion moved closer.

Aries stared at me in disbelief.

"We are coming! "

I cut the call immediately..

"Dad is awake.. We have to leave right now! "

Orion and Aries nodded.. They ran out to get the car.. I followed them but then stopped on my track..

I felt a strange pull on my heart.. I looked back at Franklin..

"Check on her from time to time.. "

Franklin nodded and I got into the car with Aries and Orion.

Though I really wanted to meet dad after he woke up after so many years, I felt like leaving right now would be a bad idea.. Like I would regret it..

Aries started to drive like a mad man to reach hospital faster.. But my heart raced for another reason..

"You okay? "

Orion asked as he stared at me through the rearview mirror.. I just nodded..

"Yeah... "

Within no time we reached the hospital. Aries didn't even bother to kill the engine before we all rushed inside..

The doctor was already waiting for us in the entrance and followed behind us till we reach the private wing and opened the door to his room.

The moment I stepped inside the room-

I froze.

Dad sat upright against the hospital bed, looking thinner than I remembered. Older. Weaker.

But awake. A physician checking his hand movement and trying to know if there was any nerve damage through the years..

For a second, none of us moved.

Then Aries let out a strangled breath.

"Dad..."

His voice cracked like he was a child again.

Orion turned his face away sharply, jaw clenched, but I saw the way his shoulders trembled.

And me?

I just stood there staring.

Because this man had once been invincible.

Richard Vanderbilt never looked weak. Never looked tired. Never looked human.

Yet now the machines beside him beeped softly while oxygen tubes rested beneath his nose.

His eyes slowly lifted toward us.

Tired eyes.

But still the same eyes.

A painful silence filled the room before his lips finally parted.

"...Atlas."

My throat tightened instantly.

Then-

"Aries... Orion..."

Aries broke first.

He rushed toward the bed so fast the chair nearly toppled over.

"Dad-" His voice shattered completely. .

"You finally woke up..."

Dad slowly raised a trembling hand and placed it against Aries' face.

A weak smile touched his lips.

"My boys..."

Orion looked down immediately, wiping his eyes roughly before anyone could notice.

I couldn't move.

Couldn't breathe properly.

For years we waited for this moment.

Prayed for it.

Cursed the world for taking him from us while he was still alive.

And now he was here.

Awake.

But something felt...wrong.

Dad's gaze slowly moved across the room.

Searching.

Expecting.

Then he frowned weakly.

"Where's... my little star?"

STAR'S POV

I thrashed the room once I got in.. Why did I have to bear it all?

Why did I have to be in pain when I never did a thing?

I am innocent yet they keep on blaming me.. They don't even want me here..

They... They want me dead...

"Miss Vanderbilt?! Open the door please! "

I heard Franklin from outside, knocking on the door repeatedly.. I shook my head... Not today..

"If they really want me dead, there is no point of bearing this pain anymore.. If I knew this would be the outcome then I would have thrown myself off the stairs too.. "

I clutched mom's picture on my chest as I sobbed...

Franklin kept on knocking..

"Hannah... Dear please? I know what happened today was wrong! But please don't do anything irrational.. "

The window creaked from the wind.. I stared at the dark horizon.. I became mindless as my feet dragged me towards the window..

"I should just die... It's too much.. "

THIRD PERSON'S POV

Franklin kept banging on the door harder with every passing second.

"Hannah! Open the door!"

No response.

At first he could still hear her crying inside the room, but suddenly everything went quiet.

Too quiet.

A cold feeling settled in his stomach.

He turned toward the terrified maids standing nearby.

"Get the spare keys. NOW!"

The maid jumped and ran down the hallway immediately.

Franklin tried the handle again even though he already knew it was locked.

"Hannah, please..." His voice became rough with panic.

"Don't do anything stupid. Open the damn door."

Nothing.

Then he heard it.

The sharp creaking sound of the window opening.

Franklin's face drained of color.

"No..."

He slammed his shoulder against the door once.

Twice.

The wood rattled violently but didn't break.

"HANNAH!"

Inside the room, Star stood in front of the open window.

The curtains whipped violently around her from the cold night wind. Her hands were shaking, tears still running down her face, but her expression had gone frighteningly empty.

Like she had already given up.

She looked down from the massive height below.

One step.

That was all it would take.

Franklin kept hitting the door harder.

"HANNAH, LISTEN TO ME!"

But she wasn't listening anymore.

All she could hear were their voices.

Murderer.

Monster.

We wish you died instead.

Her breathing became uneven as she climbed onto the edge of the window slowly.

Far below, darkness waited.

The maid finally came running back with the keys, nearly crying herself.

"M-Mr. Franklin!"

"Give it to me!"

Franklin snatched the keys so hard they nearly fell from his trembling hands. He tried one key.

Wrong one.

"Damn it!"

He tried another.

Inside the room, Star leaned forward slightly, her body swaying dangerously over the edge.

Franklin's heartbeat nearly stopped as the key was wrong again..

"HANNAH!"

The third key finally slid into the lock.

Star closed her eyes and smiled while holding her mother's photo..

"When I reach you, please don't hate me too, mom.. "

Her body finally leaned forward, trying to end all the pain her own brothers gave to her.