Kay wondered about Ella's absence from the company event, curious why she had avoided the official ceremony. He asked Maria about her, but she answered briefly:
"It seems her grandfather's death shocked her deeply… She's locked herself in her room and refuses to eat. Perhaps she's trying to harm herself in this way."
Kay felt a pang of concern but hid it behind his usual cold demeanor. Why am I worried? he asked himself. This girl doesn't concern me. We have an agreement… so why do I feel this? Feelings? Who talked about feelings? I must be confused…
That evening, Kay returned home, wanting to check on Ella. He knocked on her door, but no one answered. Slowly, he opened it and saw Ella sitting by her window. Darkness filled the room, yet the moonlight cast a gentle beam on her sorrowful face.
Kay froze, struck by her beauty and the depth of the grief she carried. His chest tightened, his heartbeat quickened, and that strange, unfamiliar sensation returned. He clutched his chest, whispering, "Calm down… calm down…"
He tried to get her attention, hoping she would look at him, but she remained lost in her own world, drowning in sorrow. He wanted to comfort her, yet he didn't know what to say; he was not used to offering solace. After a long silence, he left, yet a strange feeling lingered—a desire to protect her, not to see her so broken… but he didn't understand why.
Kay returned to his room, unsettled. This was his third marriage: the first to the daughter of a real estate mogul, the second to a businesswoman on the brink of bankruptcy. Both marriages lasted only a few months. Both wives had sought only his wealth, caring little for him as a person.
Ella was different. She had married to save her grandfather's life, and now, with his death, what would she do? Would she abandon him? Her family was indebted, and the full sum had been taken and must be repaid. She would not leave now. He felt relief… yet he couldn't understand why that relief came with unease.
Kay thought of his past: he had grown up in his mother's home, a servant in the Marivan estate. He had been fascinated by her—or perhaps it was merely a youthful infatuation—but when he discovered she was pregnant, he distanced himself. His mother, Serena, had accepted money and a home in exchange for silence and leaving the city. But she never stopped seeking more—addicted to gambling and alcohol, venting her anger on him throughout his childhood.
When Kay turned twelve, a luxury car arrived to take him to the Marivan mansion. Tests confirmed he was truly Martin's son. From that moment, he received a proper education and grew up in wealth, while his mother collected money in exchange for her silence.
That night, Kay did not sleep, his mind occupied with thoughts of Ella and her grief. The next morning, he instructed Martha to place her breakfast with the rest of the family's meal, rather than letting her eat alone in her room. Martha followed his orders, but Ella refused to leave her room.
Kay went to her personally:
"If you intend to die, it won't help your family. The debt will triple! So choose: either stay here hungry until you die, or save yourself and your family. Didn't you pride yourself on loyalty and sacrifice for your family? Will you abandon that now?"
His words echoed inside Ella like a resounding drumbeat, awakening a courage she had buried deep within. These were not empty slogans; they were truths she had always known. She would sacrifice anything for her family, just as she had always cared for her parents first, giving up what she loved to protect them.
Ella gathered her courage and locked her grief in an inner box, as she had done with all her past pains, postponing the confrontation with her sorrow until the day she could open it. After Kay left, she rose and asked permission to go out.
She visited the places she used to go with her grandfather, doing the things she had done with him, her tears flowing like waterfalls, remembering his words: Be happy, do what you wish, have ambitions, and do not live for nothing. The words repeated in her mind, yet she could not tell if her actions were truly what she wanted, or merely a response to her circumstances.
When Ella returned home, the pain began to ease gradually. She ate, but remained conflicted: had she strayed from her path? Was it the world that had changed, or the role she was playing, or the persona she embodied?
Her grandfather's funeral took place amid an atmosphere of profound sorrow. Ella wept as though she had never cried before for him. She received a letter he had written to her before his death, containing the same words he had always repeated, with the most important advice: Do not forget who you are, and how to face the cruelty of life sometimes.