"In the end, Helena told me that she didn't harm both of you, keeping her side of the bargain. What I couldn't understand was that if she left you unharmed, why did you guys escape?" He sighed. "I didn't know where you two went to, but it killed me from the inside to know if you were safe or not." He looked at Dawn and said, "You were really good at concealing yourself well. And I can't imagine how you saved yourself from the clutches of Helena and Jason that too with a ten-year old brother in tow, but you did a great job."

Daryn's body trembled against Dawn thinking that she could have died.

​​

"When I saw you back in that engagement ceremony, I was so relieved. I went to Luke Wyatt's grave and vowed that I will look after you no matter if you gave me a chance. And I was ecstatic that you were my son's mate. Dawn, you cannot imagine the happiness you have given me. This is my salvation. I may have triggered something sinister, but it was only in retaliation to what your father did to me." Saying that Gayle hung his head low. He rubbed his hand over his face. "You can hate me all you want, but don't hate my son. He is your mate and loves you irrevocably. If you will leave him, I know that as a mate it would be unbearable for him. He wasn't a part of this plan and even he has come to know about it now."

Dawn's mind was utterly confused. She could see how much Gayle regretted, but because of his lust of vengeance, her mother and father were killed. And Helena… All the memories came cascading in front of her. She stopped her tears from coming out. She got up and walked out of the room to the portico. She needed time to process everything that Gayle said. The reality was huge. It was pressing her like an elephant. She wanted to be with her brother.

When Cole followed her out to the balcony, he hugged her tightly and cried on her shoulders. He cried so badly that Dawn didn't stop him. He had to let out his emotions. But she didn't cry. She closed her emotions and let them pent up. It was needed for her revenge.

She stroked Cole's back until he became quiet. When he looked at her with his red eyes, his lips were swollen. "I— I am so— sorry— sorry for all this." He felt confused as well because the way Gayle had taken care of the siblings, the amount of love he had shown was now clearly a part of his retribution. The man was dedicated to their happiness. He didn't know how to react to his father's stance. He loved his father and loved the memory of him. And now… it was tainted. That man—did he ever love his wife? He loved his kids and that is why knowing that he was about to get killed, he hid them in the hospital.

Confusion. Anger. Pity. Revenge.

Every feeling churned inside him.

Dawn stroked his hair and wiped the tears away from his face. She shook her head. "Don't be sorry Cole. We were victims of deep conspiracy." And I am going to take avenge it.

"I like Gayle despite what he did to our father," he confessed. "Maybe we should look past his mistakes. We have come a long way though. It was our father's weakness that put him through this situation."

Dawn didn't reply. She walked to the railing and leaned on it. She took a deep breath and said, "I think I will take time to come to terms with it Cole, but I won't stop from how you feel about this situation. We have a lifetime ahead of us to think about it."

Cole didn't push her. She was the one who suffered the most. As for him, she always protected him. How he wished that he were elder to her. He went to stand behind her and said, "I understand Dawn. Take your time sister." Even he had a lot to process. After standing there without talking for the next twenty minutes, Cole walked inside only to find that Gayle had left. Daryn was pacing the room. He wanted to go to Dawn and comfort her, but he knew that the siblings needed to be alone. As soon as he saw Cole coming in, he rushed to Dawn.

"Baby…" he said and hugged her from behind. He closed his eyes and kissed her repeatedly on her head and on her temples. "Please darling, tell me what you are thinking." She had shut off everyone. Her mental shields were too strong.

Dawn turned to look at him. "Revenge." The word escaped her lips in a hiss.

"What do you have in mind girl?" he breathed out. She looked devious.

She stood on her toes and pressed a kiss on his lips.

Next day Anne was extremely surprised when her secretary announced that Dawn Wyatt had come to see her. She was sitting ramrod stiff when she allowed Dawn to come in. She could hear ten security guards positioned outside her office door. When Dawn walked in, Anne's muscles were corded with tension. She stared at her until she walked to her office desk.

"Won't you ask me to sit down?" Dawn asked, casually.

Anne was wide eyed. The girl who was not talking to them until yesterday came with a lovely disposition today. "Please sit," she said, waving a hand to a chair.

When Dawn sat down, she kept her purse on the table and smiled at Anne. "I have decided to withdraw the defamation case against you."

"What?" Anne jumped in her seat with excitement. She was aware that Helena had gone to her office yesterday and she had created drama. But the outcome of the drama – it was awesome.

Dawn smiled sweetly. She nodded. "Yesterday I came to know that it was Gayle Wyatt who came after my father."

Anne nodded. "Yes he did. He is a vicious man."

"But he had sent Helena to carry out the job," added Dawn.

Anne's shoulders tensed and her face became dark. What was this girl getting to?

"I am ready to reconcile with you all, but I have my terms," she said.

"What terms?"

"I will withdraw the case only if you sever all relations with Helena," she replied with the same sweet smile.

A plan formulated in Anne's mind immediately. What a fool this girl was? Anne laughed on the inside. "We are already planning to do that Dawn," she said. "Consider her gone from this instant!"

"How would you assure me?"

Anne picked up the phone and called her lawyer. "Get Helena to evict our premises with immediate effect."

"What?" a man's voice came from the other side.

"You heard me. Do that. Now!" Then Anne looked at Dawn and said, "See, how simple? You should have asked this earlier. None of us like Helena. In fact even Jason would go with her."

Dawn reached her purse. "You are really nice, aunt Anne," once again her dimples emerged.

"So come back to us Dawn. Your Grandmother really misses you and is very ashamed at how she treated you, and so am I..." She lowered her eyes.

"I will, but I have to take care of Gayle," Dawn replied instantly. "You must wait for the right time."