The air outside the hospital smelled faintly of antiseptic and burnt coffee — that strange scent of exhaustion that clung to late-night corridors.
Arora adjusted her rectangular specs, their reflection catching the cold white light as she walked down the hall. A thin strand of smoke curled from the cigarette between her fingers, weaving pale trails through the sterile air before fading into nothing.
She wasn't supposed to smoke here.
She just didn't care.
Her dark blazer hung loose over a crisp white shirt, sleeves rolled to her elbows, revealing the tattoo that snaked along her wrist — a tiny symbol only her crew understood. Her hair, neatly pinned, still had a rebellious strand that refused to stay in place.
Behind her, Miso and Jack followed quietly, exchanging glances like kids waiting for thunder.
Tonight wasn't business. It wasn't strategy.
It was personal.
Her brother, Kelvin, had crossed a line — and Arora didn't do forgiveness.
"Leader," Edwin said hesitantly, breaking the silence. "Should I go start the act now?"
Arora stopped, exhaling a ribbon of smoke before crushing the cigarette against the wall.
"No," she said softly, her voice even but carrying weight.
Edwin blinked. "Why not?"
"I changed the plan," she replied. "We'll visit my dear brother first. Then we'll make sure his little obsession — Jennie — learns her place."
Edwin frowned. "That sounds like you're about to ruin his day."
Arora's lips twitched. "That's the idea."
---
Meanwhile, inside the doctor's lounge, Kelvin stood before a mirror, grinning at his reflection like an idiot. His usually composed face was flushed with excitement.
"She said yes," he muttered to himself for the tenth time. "Jennie actually said yes."
He adjusted his white coat, brushed his hair back, and smirked. "Alright, Kelvin. Don't be stupid. Be charming."
Jennie appeared at the door, casual yet graceful. "You ready?"
Kelvin's grin widened. "More than ever."
But before they could step out, a nurse ran up, slightly out of breath.
"Doctor! Wait!"
Kelvin turned, concerned. "What's wrong?"
The nurse wrung her hands nervously. "Three… people came asking for you and Miss Jennie. One of them—" she swallowed, "—looked like she could kill someone with her eyes."
Jennie frowned. "Patients?"
Kelvin sighed. "Guess we'll have to check it out before leaving."
And so, with a small shrug, he walked straight into the web Arora had spun.
---
In the consultation room, Arora sat in the patient's chair, one leg over the other, flipping through an old medical magazine she had no interest in. Smoke still lingered faintly on her clothes, mixing with the sterile hospital air — rebellion meeting routine.
Jack sat beside her, drumming his fingers on the armrest, while Miso looked like she wanted to crawl out of her own skin.
The door creaked open.
Kelvin entered, smiling in professional politeness. But the moment his gaze landed on Arora, the smile faded into uncertainty.
"Oh," he said slowly. "You're the ones who asked for us?"
"Yes," Arora replied with disarming calm. "We came for treatment."
Kelvin folded his arms. "Alright then, who's sick?"
For the first time that night, Arora's brain betrayed her.
"It's… her," she said, pointing at Miso.
Miso gawked. "Me!?"
Jack coughed loudly. "Actually, no. It's me."
All three of them stared.
Miso, seizing the moment, said quickly, "Yeah, Jack's the one. Look at his lips—they're swollen! Something bit him last night!"
Kelvin leaned closer, examining. "Hmm. Looks serious. What bit you?"
Jack's grin spread like a secret. "Something beautiful."
Kelvin blinked. "Beautiful?"
"Yes," Jack said dreamily. "Her name was Baby."
Dead silence.
Arora's head snapped toward him.
Miso's jaw dropped.
Jennie froze.
Kelvin just stared, utterly lost.
Before anyone could untangle that nonsense, the door slammed open.
---
"KELVIN!"
The scream cracked through the room like lightning.
A woman stood in the doorway, chest heaving, tears glinting under the harsh hospital lights. Her voice trembled with rage and heartbreak.
Everyone turned.
Kelvin froze. "Who are you?"
The woman's lips trembled. "How can you not know me?"
"I—what are you talking about?"
Her voice broke. "Why are you doing this to me? What did I do to deserve this?"
Jennie frowned. "Kelvin, do you know her?"
"No!" he said, panic rising.
Arora leaned back slightly, her mind racing. That's not Edwin.
Then who the hell—
And then the woman said it.
"I'm pregnant with your baby, Kelvin! How can you cheat on me!?"
The world went still.
Jennie's face drained of color.
Kelvin's breath hitched.
Miso quietly whispered, "Oh… my god."
Kelvin stammered, "What are you—this is insane! I've never seen you before!"
The woman's eyes shimmered with tears. She stepped forward — and slapped him. Hard.
The sound cracked the silence like a whip.
Kelvin just stood there, stunned.
The woman's tears began to fall freely.
"I should've never believed you," she said, her voice raw. "I should've walked away the day I found you broken, the day you begged me to stay. But I didn't. I loved you. And this…" she pressed her hand to her stomach, "…is what I get."
Her eyes, red and glistening, met his one last time. "Thank you for ruining what was left of me."
Then she turned and left — the echo of her footsteps louder than her sobs.
No one moved.
Finally, Miso whispered, "Leader… what now?"
Arora exhaled slowly, pushing her glasses up her nose. "Follow her. And take Edwin. Don't let him near this mess."
"Got it." Miso slipped out quietly.
Kelvin stood frozen, his cheek burning. His voice came out hollow.
"Why… does it hurt watching her cry?"
Arora didn't answer. For once, she didn't know.
Out in the hallway, Jennie stopped a nurse. "Who was that woman who came to see Dr. Kelvin?"
The nurse looked terrified. "I… I don't know. But she said she wouldn't come back."
Jennie's heart pounded.
And for the first time that night, Arora — the woman who planned everything — realized the chaos had shifted.
And she was no longer in control of it.
To be continued…