A frown creased his forehead the moment he recognized the voice on the other end of the line. He immediately knew who it belonged to.
"So, you're the one with my sister right now?" he asked over the call.
His wife, busy packing their things so they could finally leave the hospital, simply glanced at him. The operation had been a success—something he was deeply thankful for.
"Yeah, I'm with her," came the curt reply.
Nathan let out a heavy sigh.
"I don't know why you're with my sister, Frank. She's in a relationship now. I thought you weren't coming back here anymore. Are you here to stir up trouble for her again?" His voice was firm, almost warning.
"That's not your hobby, right? She's happy now, so please… back off."
He heard a long sigh on the other end.
"Yeah, it's not my hobby," Frank replied, "but I think I have the right to see how your sister's doing. Don't you think so?"
Nathan's brow furrowed deeper.
"What the hell are you saying, Frank? Don't make me laugh. Are you trying to be a clown now? When have you ever had any right over my sister?"
"Oh? I've had that right since day one—back when we were in high school. Is that enough for you?" Frank shot back.
Nathan narrowed his eyes at the odd statement.
"I don't have time for this. Just bring Mariely back here," he said flatly.
"Have you really not bothered to check on your sister's situation?" Frank asked, his tone sharpening. "When did you become such a careless brother? You're a family man now, sure, but the Nathan I knew was always protective of his youngest sister. What happened?"
The question made Nathan's temper flare.
"Why are you questioning me about this? I've never neglected my sister—not even after starting my own family."
"Really? Because from where I stand, you have."
"Never in my life have I neglected her. I see that she's happy in her relationship."
"Then why is it that you're always the first to find fault with her?" Frank pressed.
Nathan frowned again.
"Hey, Frank, I only give advice to my sister. That man—her boyfriend — mentioned she was seen with another guy, and that guy was you."
"Is that so? Do you even know the story behind it? Did you even look deeper?" Frank challenged.
"What? I guess you know something I don't. Spill it. You've been grilling me for a while now, and I know your tricks."
"Oh? Now you're interested? I think we need to talk in person."
"I'm at the hospital. I can't go home yet."
"Then I'll come there—with Faith."
"Bring her back here," Nathan demanded.
"Yeah."
Frank abruptly ended the call.
"Was that Frank?" Nadia asked.
"Yeah. He's with Mariely," Nathan replied.
"It'll be a while before we can go home. We still need to wait for Kaye's doctor to discharge her."
Nathan nodded. "It's okay. I know you miss the kids—I do too."
"What did you and Frank talk about?" Nadia asked, curious.
"He says he knows something I don't about Faith's relationship. I don't know what it is, but… I feel uneasy now."
"Why? Are you going to believe everything he says?" she challenged.
"Nadia, we were classmates with him back then. He's smart—annoying as hell—but when he fights for something, he always digs up evidence. That's why I can't shake this uneasy feeling."
"Just calm down. I'm glad Kaye's okay now," Nadia said, hugging him.
"Yeah, me too."
"By the way, where's Edward?"
"Poor guy, he didn't sleep at all looking for Faith. He's resting now."
"Aren't you going to call him?"
Nathan thought for a moment. Something in him told him he needed to speak with Frank first before bringing Edward into this.
"He's probably still asleep," he said instead.
Nadia nodded. Nathan was just glad his youngest, Kaye, was far from any danger now.
Nathan sighed again, his mind replaying Frank's earlier questions.
"Nadia," a familiar voice snapped him out of his thoughts.
"Mariely," Nadia said softly, turning toward her.
"Brother," Mariely greeted briefly.
"Ely, since when did you start not coming home? Mama and Papa were worried sick. Even your boyfriend was looking everywhere for you," Nathan scolded.
"Sorry, brother," she murmured.
"Why are you blaming her?"
Nathan turned and noticed Frank standing just behind his sister.
"I'm not blaming her," Nathan defended himself.
"She stayed at my condo last night. And it's not her fault she didn't go home," Frank said plainly.
Nathan stood up. "Why would you spend the night under the same roof, Mariely? Don't you realize someone will get hurt by this? Are you still in love with him?"
"Hey now, you shouldn't be asking her that." Frank interrupted, his eyes locked on Nathan.
"What do you know, Frank?" Nathan demanded.
"A lot. I didn't come back to mess with her relationship. I just wanted to check if she's truly happy with Edward. Do you think I'd show up just to stir trouble?"
"Mariely, tell your brother you're happy with Edward," Nathan urged.
Frank cut in coldly. "Yeah, tell him you've experienced attempted rape and physical abuse. Tell him, Faith. Don't be afraid."
The words made Nathan's ears ring.
"W—what did you just say? Attempted rape and physical abuse? Am I hearing that right?" he asked in shock. Behind him, Nadia let out a quiet gasp.
"Mariely, what is he talking about?" Nathan pressed.
She looked away, her body language uneasy, her lips trembling as if the words were stuck in her throat.
Nathan turned back to Frank. "Are you accusing him? No way. You don't even know Edward, Frank."
"Yeah, and I'm not accusing anyone without valid reasons or evidence in my hand," Frank replied. "Are you really so sure Edward is the man he shows himself to be?"
"Gosh, Frank, don't play mind games," Nadia snapped.
"Brother… I—I want to speak, but I'm scared. I don't want you to worry if you find out."
Tears fell from her eyes as she looked directly at her brother. "I endured it all."
"What exactly did he do to you?" Nathan's chest tightened. His gut told him his worst suspicions were about to be confirmed.
Frank placed a hand on her shoulder. "It's okay if you're not ready to tell him. I've sent you a video, Nathan. Watch it, and then you decide. Oh, and I'm glad your youngest child is okay now." He gave a small smile.
"I'll also send you documents. Andrew and Veron know about it," he added.
"I'm going to take your sister to meet that man — and give him a hard jab to the face, just like you once gave me," Frank smirked.
Nathan didn't reply, but his phone vibrated with messages from Frank.
"And yeah, Faith won't be going home yet. I'll keep her with me for her safety. Once you're back home, you can go through everything I sent."
"So you're telling me that when I read all this, I'll know the truth? Why don't you just say it now?" Nathan demanded.
"She's not ready to hear it out loud. If I tell you now, she might have an anxiety or panic attack. You've seen how she reacted earlier when I just said those two words," Frank explained.
"Mariely, don't have a panic attack," Nadia whispered.
Without another word, Frank guided Mariely out of the private room.
Nathan sighed deeply. He noticed the new video message and immediately played it.
The sound of a loud slap filled the room, followed by his sister's sobs and Edward's furious shouting.
He checked the timestamp.
Yesterday? The thought rattled him. He hadn't even processed what he'd just seen when his child's doctor entered the room. Quickly, he slipped his phone into his pocket.
But he couldn't get his sister out of his mind.