That evening, Cherry's fingers moved slightly beneath the blanket.
Her eyelids slowly fluttered open.
The first thing she saw was the unfamiliar white ceiling.
She blinked several times, confused.
"Where... am I?"
Elian, who had been sitting beside her bed, immediately lifted his head.
"Cherry?"
Her eyes slowly turned toward him.
"Elian?"
He quickly stood, his relief obvious.
"You're awake."
Cherry looked around the room.
"Why am I in a hospital?"
Elian reached for her hand.
"You collapsed at the party."
Cherry frowned, trying to remember.
"I remember falling into the pool..."
Her voice was weak.
"Then Nicklaus took me upstairs."
Elian's expression tightened, but he said nothing.
Cherry looked at him again.
"What happened after that?"
Elian gently squeezed her hand.
"You lost consciousness."
She stared at him.
"For how long?"
"Since last night."
Cherry's eyes widened slightly.
"Last night?"
Elian nodded.
"You've been sleeping for hours."
She slowly looked around again.
"Where are your parents?"
Elian glanced toward Nicholas and Jennie.
"They're here."
Cherry noticed Jennie standing quietly across the room.
Mrs. Jennie's eyes immediately filled with tears when she saw Cherry awake.
"Cherry..."
She stepped closer.
"How are you feeling?"
"A little weak."
Jennie nodded quickly.
"That's okay. Don't try to move too much."
Cherry looked at everyone, still confused.
"Why is everyone acting so worried?"
Nicholas exchanged a brief look with Elian.
No one mentioned the drugs.
The doctor had warned them that Cherry needed to recover before being overwhelmed with what had actually happened.
Elian gently brushed some hair away from her forehead.
"Just rest for now."
Cherry studied his face.
"Did you stay here all night?"
"Yes."
She noticed the bandage around the back of his head.
"What happened to your head?"
Elian immediately tried to dismiss it.
"It's nothing."
Cherry frowned.
"That's clearly not nothing."
"It's fine."
She looked at him suspiciously, but she was too exhausted to argue.
"Okay..."
Elian smiled softly.
"You just focus on getting better."
Cherry slowly closed her eyes again, still unaware of the truth about what had happened to her.
Across the room, Jennie watched her quietly.
Her eyes then shifted toward Elian.
The question she'd been carrying all day returned to her mind.
Could he really be her son?
A few days later, Cherry was finally discharged from the hospital.
Outside the hospital, she was resting in the back seat of Elian's car, still weak from everything she'd been through.
Elian stood beside Nicholas and Jennie.
"Cherry is coming to my house."
Nicholas immediately shook his head.
"No. She's coming home with us."
Elian's expression hardened.
"Absolutely not."
Nicholas stepped closer.
"She is my daughter, Elian."
"And she's not staying around your rapist son."
Nicholas's face changed instantly.
"Watch your mouth."
"I'm telling you what he is."
Without warning, Nicholas punched Elian across the face.
"Don't you ever call my son a rapist without proof!"
Elian stumbled back, then wiped the corner of his mouth.
He looked furious.
"That's exactly what Nicklaus is!"
He punched Nicholas back.
Nicholas staggered, then immediately moved toward him again.
"Stop!"
Mrs. Jennie rushed between them, trying to separate the two men.
"Nicholas! Elian! Stop fighting!"
Nicholas pushed forward angrily.
"You have no right to accuse my son!"
Elian tried to move past Jennie.
"I saw him with Cherry when she was unconscious!"
"And you have no proof that he drugged her!" Nicholas shouted.
Elian's fists tightened.
"The doctor confirmed she was drugged!"
"That doesn't prove Nicklaus did it!"
Mrs. Jennie grabbed Nicholas's arm.
"Please, enough!"
She looked desperately between them.
"Cherry just got out of the hospital. Do you really want her waking up to this?"
The argument finally quieted.
Elian glanced toward the car where Cherry was still asleep.
His anger remained, but his voice became firm.
"She's coming with me."
Nicholas glared at him.
"Over my dead body."
Elian met his eyes.
"Then we'll let Cherry decide when she's awake."
Nicholas stepped forward, his anger returning.
"I don't need your permission to look after my own daughter."
Elian's expression hardened.
"And Cherry is my girlfriend. I'm not going to stand by and let her stay somewhere I don't believe she's safe."
Nicholas glared at him.
"You don't get to dictate where my daughter stays."
"I do when her safety is at risk."
Elian's voice rose.
"Until Nicklaus is held accountable for what he did, I'm not letting Cherry anywhere near him."
Nicholas clenched his fists.
"You keep calling my son a rapist!"
"Because that's what he is!"
Nicholas suddenly lunged at him.
Elian immediately fought back.
"Stop!"
Mrs. Jennie tried to get between them, but the two men were already exchanging blows.
"Nicholas!"
She grabbed her husband's arm.
"Elian, stop fighting!"
Neither listened.
Nicholas shoved Elian backward.
"You have no proof!"
Elian pushed him away.
"I walked in and saw him over her unconscious body!"
"That doesn't prove what you're claiming!"
"It proves enough for me!"
Their voices echoed across the hospital entrance.
Mrs. Jennie desperately tried to separate them.
"Please! Stop!"
Then a faint movement came from the car.
Cherry slowly opened her eyes in the back seat.
She could hear shouting outside.
Confused, she lifted her head and looked toward the hospital entrance.
"What's happening...?"
Cherry slowly pushed herself upright in the back seat.
Her head still felt heavy, and her body was weak, but the sound of the arguing outside had caught her attention.
She looked through the window.
Elian and Nicholas were still fighting.
"Elian?"
Her voice was barely audible.
She opened the car door and carefully stepped out.
The driver immediately noticed.
"Miss Cherry, please—"
"I'm okay."
She took a few steps toward them.
"Stop!"
Her voice wasn't loud, but it was enough to make Mrs. Jennie turn around.
"Cherry!"
Jennie hurried toward her.
"What are you doing out of the car? You should be resting."
Cherry looked past her toward the two men.
"What happened?"
Nicholas and Elian both stopped.
Elian's expression changed immediately when he saw her.
"Cherry, go back inside the car."
She frowned.
"Why are you fighting with my father?"
Nicholas straightened his shirt.
"He doesn't respect boundaries."
Elian shook his head.
"I'm trying to protect you."
Cherry looked between them.
"Protect me from what?"
Neither man answered.
Elian glanced at Nicholas.
Then at Cherry.
"I'll explain everything when you're stronger."
Cherry's expression became suspicious.
"No. I want to know now."
Mrs. Jennie stepped closer, her voice gentle.
"Cherry, please. You're still recovering."
Cherry looked at her.
"Why is everyone hiding something from me?"
Silence.
Elian walked toward her.
"Come with me."
Nicholas immediately objected.
"She's coming home."
Elian stopped.
"No. She's coming with me."
Cherry stared at both men.
Then she sighed, exhausted.
"Stop deciding for me."
Both men went quiet.
Cherry looked at them firmly.
"I'm not a child."
She turned toward the car.
"I'll decide where I'm going."
Elian watched her carefully, realizing that after everything she had been through, the last thing she needed was another person making decisions for her.
Cherry stood beside the car, looking between Elian and her parents.
"I'm going home."
Nicholas immediately nodded.
"Good."
Elian's expression fell.
"Cherry..."
She looked at him.
"I'm still weak, Elian. I don't want to argue right now."
He took a breath and nodded.
"Okay."
Nicholas moved toward the car, but Elian stopped him with his voice.
"But I'm coming with her."
Nicholas turned around.
"No."
Elian's jaw tightened.
"I'm not leaving her alone."
"I said no."
Cherry sighed.
"Both of you, stop."
They looked at her.
"I can go home with my parents. Elian, you don't have to follow me."
Elian looked hurt.
"But—"
"I'll call you when I get home."
He hesitated before nodding.
"Promise?"
"Promise."
Elian stepped closer and gently touched her hand.
"Please rest."
Cherry gave him a small nod.
"I will."
He reluctantly let go.
Nicholas helped Cherry into the car while Mrs. Jennie followed.
Before the door closed, Cherry looked at Elian through the open window.
"Don't fight with my father again."
Elian gave a tired smile.
"I'll try."
Cherry shook her head.
"Not try."
He sighed.
"Okay. I won't."
The door closed.
As the car pulled away, Elian stood watching it disappear.
Nicholas looked back at him through the window with a warning expression.
Elian didn't react.
His attention remained on Cherry until the car was completely out of sight.
That afternoon, Elian returned home furious.
He paced back and forth across the living room, his hands clenched at his sides.
Mrs. Anna sat quietly on the sofa, watching him.
"I can't believe him," Elian said angrily.
He turned around and continued pacing.
"I was the one who found Cherry unconscious. I was the one who stayed beside her at the hospital, and now Nicholas is acting like I'm the one who can't be trusted."
Mrs. Anna sighed.
"Elian, calm down."
"How am I supposed to calm down, Lola?"
He stopped briefly.
"Nicklaus was alone with her when I found her. She had been drugged. And somehow I'm the bad person because I refuse to let her stay around him?"
Mrs. Anna looked at him carefully.
"You need to be careful with your accusations."
Elian's jaw tightened.
"I know what I saw."
"I understand."
She paused.
"But fighting Nicholas won't solve anything."
Elian resumed pacing.
"He punched me first."
"And you punched him back."
Elian went quiet.
Mrs. Anna gave him a knowing look.
"You can't protect Cherry by turning everything into a fight."
Elian lowered his gaze.
"I just don't want anything to happen to her again."
Mrs. Anna's expression softened.
"I know."
Elian sat down heavily on the sofa.
"I'm terrified, Lola."
She looked at him.
"I almost lost her."
Mrs. Anna reached over and placed a comforting hand on his shoulder.
"Then protect her with your actions, not your anger."
Elian took a deep breath.
"I will."
But the anger in his eyes hadn't completely disappeared.