A heavy silence fell, as if time had stopped, after Charlotte confessed to Natalia as though screaming into a mirror in a narrow room.
What she said wasn't a confession as much as it was a painful outpouring of a long-held silence, erupting in the desolate void between betrayal and pain.
"And on top of all that… he accuses me of overreacting! Just tell me who's exaggerating here? Me… or him?!"
Charlotte raised her hand to cover her face and bit down hard on her lower lip, trying to suppress her sobs, but a faint whimper slipped through her lips despite her effort.
"I thought he was kind-hearted… a pure soul… a friend who helped me without being asked, as if he could see right through me. Then suddenly… he changed and revealed a face I didn't recognize."
Tears streamed down her cheeks as scattered memories came rushing back Kaiser's repeated attempts to push her away, only to pull her back each time, with conflicted eyes and stiff, unyielding hands.
She remembered his warning that night at the club:
"I have violent tendencies that you may not be able to tolerate, Charlotte."
And then, his cold whisper afterward:
"The question that always haunts me remains: Will your beautiful eyes cry, begging me for more?"
And the memory of that look… the one she never expected to see, when she whispered to him at the hospital:
"You're my best friend."
Did he feel betrayed? Did she really betray him? But it was just friendship nothing more… right?
Her lips trembled, bleeding in silence. She let her hand fall, and her voice slipped out like a hoarse whisper:
"Natalia… did I wrong Kaiser?"
Her sobs began to fade, and the taste of blood crept into her mouth. When she opened it to speak again, her voice came out broken:
"Did I… unintentionally tempt him… into what happened between us?"
Natalia trembled, as if Charlotte's words had slapped her heart, torn her pride apart, and shattered the dream she once held about love.
"How dare you?!"
She suddenly screamed, as if something had exploded inside her. She stormed toward Charlotte like a storm breaking free from a long silence.
"Natalia, stop!"
Daniel's voice came from behind, breathless, as he tried to reach her before she lunged at Charlotte.
But Charlotte didn't move. She stood frozen in place, her eyes widening when she heard Daniel's voice but she didn't turn… not until Natalia grabbed her shoulder and yanked her violently.
"Do you really think someone like Kaiser would be attracted to you?! That your so-called unintentional temptation meant anything?! Every word you said is a lie… a filthy lie!"
Natalia shouted, shoving Charlotte and gripping her by the shoulder. She was angry, hurt, betrayed… jealousy had stabbed her from a place she didn't even know existed.
Charlotte's black eyes, however, seemed empty like life had drained out of them. There was no resistance, no hope… only a still gaze fixed on Natalia's face, twisted by rage and loss, before she slowly turned toward Daniel, who rushed in to separate them.
How long had he been there?… Truthfully, it no longer mattered.
Whether he heard what she said or not, she no longer cared.
She had spoken her truth, the reality of what happened to her.
Whether he saw her as guilty or not she didn't know… and didn't want to know.
"Say it's a lie… just say it!"
Natalia pleaded violently.
"Natalia, stop! You're hurting Charlotte!"
Daniel shouted, gripping her arm tightly.
But Charlotte didn't seem hurt. She just watched them with a distant, hollow gaze until her eyes fell on the doorway.
There… where Leonid was standing.
And he was looking at no one but her.
Her eyes widened slowly, and her heartbeat surged wildly, as if a bomb had exploded inside her chest.
Had he been there the whole time?! Had he heard everything?
Her lips trembled as she whispered his name:
"Leonid…"
The sound barely escaped her dry throat, her eyes filling with a heavy guilt from which there was no escape.
That look on his face… it wasn't angry, nor cold it was painful.
Painful enough to shatter her heart into pieces.
It made her feel as though she had betrayed him on purpose even though she… was nothing but a victim.
She closed her eyes, silently begging him not to misunderstand…
Not to see her the way Natalia saw her now as guilty.
"I hate you! I hate you to death! Why doesn't a parasite like you just die?!"
Natalia screamed, her eyes blazing with fury as she gripped Charlotte's shoulders so hard it seemed she might rip them out of place.
"I thought you were my friend! But you're nothing… nothing but a filthy whore!"
"You too…"
Charlotte whispered weakly, her voice barely audible, her tired eyes slowly rising to meet Natalia's with a lifeless stare.
Natalia froze for a moment, as if the words had slapped her… then exploded:
"How dare you!"
"Natalia!"
Daniel intervened, catching her hand just as she was about to slap Charlotte a second time.
"You're overreacting!"
He shouted, yanking her other arm away to free Charlotte. Then he stepped between them, his body a protective barrier, his gaze burning with intensity.
But Natalia didn't back down. She screamed and flailed her arms wildly, trying to break free from his grasp:
"This manipulator! She pretends to be weak and plays the victim! You're blind if you can't see her for what she is!"
"Enough! I won't let you cross another line!"
Daniel snapped, dragging her away.
"Come with me. You need to leave. Now."
Natalia resisted, shoving against him with her arms, but she crumbled under the grip he had locked around her wrist.
"Let me go, you idiot! You'll regret this! You'll regret it when you see who she really is!"
She screamed as she was pulled toward the door, spitting her words at Charlotte:
"You whore! I won't let you steal my happiness. I'll expose you! Do you hear me?!"
"You're delirious,"
Daniel muttered coldly, before pushing her out and grabbing Leonid by the collar to pull him inside. He shut the door firmly behind him, without hesitation.
"Wait!"
Natalia cried, trying to reach the door, but she couldn't. She pounded her fists against it, then finally stepped back, fighting her tears as she stumbled back to her apartment in a storm of nerves.
"Oh my God… she's completely lost it."
Daniel sighed, then turned to Leonid, who stood motionless, silently staring at Charlotte, now on her knees ever since Natalia had been thrown out. Daniel frowned suddenly and grabbed him by the collar again.
"Just moments ago… why didn't you step in?! Didn't you see she was about to hit Charlotte?!"
His voice dripped with clear disgust at Leonid's silence and composure.
"Don't tell me you were swayed by her words!"
He scolded him sharply, then added, trying to steady his tone:
"No matter what Charlotte said… you can't possibly believe Natalia, can you?!"
"I…"
Leonid murmured, his gaze fixed on Charlotte, her silky hair falling over her face.
What she had said earlier was shocking… but never doubtful.
That's why he hadn't reacted to Natalia's screaming. He just kept staring at Charlotte, at that shattered expression when their eyes met.
That look alone had said enough.
There was no defense in it, no attempt to justify… only bitter surrender. And in her eyes, it wasn't fear of scandal he saw, but fear of his reaction, as if that mattered more to her than anything else.
"I… I could never believe Natalia."
Leonid finally said, in a quiet voice.
"Then why didn't you step in?!"
Daniel burst out, waving his hand in frustration.
"Were you angry at what you heard?! Calm down, please— you heard her yourself. She said Kaiser was the one who made the first move… he kissed her suddenly, then tried to force things, but pulled back and let her go."
His voice began to crack, emotion catching up with him. His gray eyes shimmered, and tears clung to his blond lashes.
"And still, she's wondering if it was her fault… if she caused all of this. But she didn't. I swear she didn't. Please, just…"
He bit down on his words, struggling to stay composed.
"Understand her… please, don't be angry with her. Don't leave her…"
For a man who'd never truly known the meaning of family bonds, Daniel felt it now deeply, and painfully.
As if it were his heart that had been betrayed and violated… as if the pain wracking her body was squeezing his as well.
Leonid narrowed his eyes, then looked at him. Daniel had lowered his head, unable to hold back the tears.
Leonid gently pried his collar from Daniel's trembling grip and spoke in a low voice, heavy with bitterness:
"I'm not angry at her… I'm angry that she didn't trust me enough to tell me. That she kept something like this from me."
He patted his shoulder gently, then walked toward Charlotte.
He knew there was a conversation waiting between them, one that needed to happen, again and again.
And this time, he wouldn't walk away.