Chapter 4

CHAPTER 4

What Really Happened Twenty Years Ago

“Your grandfather didn't save my family.”

Kael's words echoed inside Criliah's head.

“He destroyed it.”

Then he walked away.

“Kael!”

Hindi na siya lumingon.

Criliah stood frozen in the middle of the living room, staring at the door where he had disappeared.

Her mother looked equally shocked.

“Criliah…”

“Mom.”

She slowly turned toward her.

“What did he mean?”

Her mother couldn't answer.

“Mom, please.”

“I don't know everything.”

“But you know something.”

Her mother lowered her gaze.

That was enough.

Criliah knew there was another secret.

And this time, she wasn't going to let anyone stop her from finding it.

---

That afternoon, pumunta siya sa library ng mansion.

The old family records were kept there.

If Kael was telling the truth, then there had to be something in their family's history that everyone had been hiding.

She opened one cabinet after another.

Old documents.

Business contracts.

Photographs.

Newspaper clippings.

Nothing.

Until she found an old brown envelope tucked behind several books.

There was no label.

She opened it.

Inside were photographs.

Criliah examined the first one.

It showed her grandfather standing beside another man.

A younger version of Kael's grandfather.

They were smiling.

The next photograph showed both families together.

Her grandfather.

Kael's parents.

Kael's grandfather.

And—

Criliah stopped breathing.

A little boy stood beside Kael's parents.

Kael.

He couldn't have been older than six.

She stared at the photograph.

Why had her grandfather kept this?

She continued looking.

Another photograph.

This time, Kael's parents were standing outside a large building.

Behind them was a sign.

VALERIANNE HOLDINGS.

Criliah's eyebrows furrowed.

She remembered what her father had said.

Kael's grandfather had saved their family from bankruptcy.

But these pictures didn't look like two families that were enemies.

They looked close.

Very close.

Until she found the last photograph.

It was torn in half.

She could still recognize the people in it.

Her grandfather.

Kael's father.

And another man.

A man she didn't recognize.

Written on the back were four words.

The night everything changed.

Criliah's heart began pounding.

She turned the photograph over.

There was a date.

Twenty years ago.

The same year her family had supposedly been saved.

“What happened that night?”

“Looking for answers?”

Criliah jumped.

She quickly turned around.

Her grandfather stood at the doorway.

Her heart stopped.

“Lolo?”

The old man stared at the photograph in her hand.

His expression immediately changed.

“Where did you get that?”

“I found it here.”

“Give it to me.”

He walked toward her.

But Criliah stepped backward.

“No.”

“Criliah.”

“I want to know the truth.”

His face hardened.

“You shouldn't be asking questions about the past.”

“Why?”

“Because the past is dead.”

“Then why are you afraid of it?”

Silence.

Her grandfather stared at her.

She held up the torn photograph.

“Who is this man?”

He didn't answer.

“Lolo?”

“Put that away.”

“Who is he?”

“Criliah!”

She flinched at his raised voice.

But she didn't back down.

“Kael said you know everything.”

Her grandfather's expression changed.

“Kael spoke to you?”

“Yes.”

“What did he say?”

“He said you didn't save his family.”

Her grandfather went pale.

“He said you destroyed it.”

Silence.

Criliah watched him carefully.

For the first time in her life, she saw fear in her grandfather's eyes.

Not anger.

Not authority.

Fear.

“Is it true?”

He looked away.

“Go to your room.”

“No.”

“Criliah.”

“I deserve the truth!”

“You deserve to live peacefully!”

“And how can I do that when you're forcing me to marry a man whose family hates ours?”

Her grandfather suddenly slammed his hand against the table.

“They don't hate us!”

“Then what is this?”

She held up the photograph.

“What happened twenty years ago?”

Her grandfather stared at the torn picture.

Then he whispered,

“Your grandfather made a mistake.”

“You mean you?”

He closed his eyes.

“Yes.”

Criliah's heart dropped.

“You?”

“I was young.”

“What did you do?”

He didn't answer.

“Lolo, what did you do?”

His voice trembled.

“I made a deal.”

“With Kael's grandfather?”

“Yes.”

“What kind of deal?”

“One that was supposed to save both families.”

“Supposed to?”

He looked at her.

“But someone betrayed us.”

“Who?”

Her grandfather hesitated.

Then he looked toward the hallway.

As if he was afraid someone might be listening.

“I don't know.”

Criliah's eyes narrowed.

“You don't know?”

“No.”

“Then why does Kael blame you?”

“Because he believes I was responsible.”

“Were you?”

Her grandfather's silence answered more than words could.

Criliah's chest tightened.

“Lolo…”

“I never wanted anyone to die.”

She froze.

“Die?”

Her grandfather immediately realized what he had said.

His face changed.

Criliah stepped closer.

“Who died?”

He didn't answer.

“Who died that night?”

“Criliah, stop.”

“Was it Kael's parents?”

Her grandfather looked away.

And that was enough.

Tears filled her eyes.

“So it's true.”

Her grandfather whispered,

“It was an accident.”

“An accident?”

“Yes.”

“You said you never wanted anyone to die.”

“I didn't!”

“Then why did Kael say you destroyed his family?”

“Because he was a child!”

His voice cracked.

“He saw his parents die and blamed the first person he saw.”

Criliah covered her mouth.

Kael.

That explained the sadness in his eyes.

The anger.

The way he looked at her grandfather.

The way he had warned her.

But one question remained.

“If it was really an accident, why are you hiding it?”

Her grandfather didn't answer.

“Lolo?”

He slowly looked at her.

“Because the person responsible was never found.”

Criliah's blood ran cold.

“Never found?”

He shook his head.

“No.”

“Then who did it?”

“I don't know.”

Before Criliah could ask another question, a loud crash came from the hallway.

Both of them turned.

The library door was open.

Someone had been standing there.

But whoever it was had already disappeared.

Criliah immediately ran outside.

“Hey!”

The hallway was empty.

Except for one thing.

A black envelope lay on the floor.

She picked it up.

There was no name on it.

Only one sentence written across the front.

If you want the truth about Kael, don't trust your family.

Her hands trembled.

She opened the envelope.

Inside was a single photograph.

Criliah looked at it.

And her entire world stopped.

It was a photograph taken twenty years ago.

Kael's parents were standing beside a car.

Her grandfather was there too.

But in the background—

was a young woman.

A woman Criliah recognized immediately.

Her mother.

And beneath the photograph was another message.

Ask your mother where she was the night Kael's parents died.