"Did you meet her on the way?" I asked Zane.

Zane was my cousin from my father's side and also one of the best psychologists the world knew.

"I did," He nodded, his eyes focused on the video playing before him. "She resembles Aunt Selene."

I smiled, agreeing with him. She looked the exact carbon copy of Mama. Just a bit shorter and her cheeks chubbier than Mama.

Which made her even cuter.

"So, what do you think?" I asked once he finished watching all the videos in the file.

I had seen them all as well after returning home. More than half of them were of Aylin getting tortured.

"I think you made a mistake." Zane responded. He took off his spectacles and proceeded to wipe it with a handkerchief.

"What do you mean?" I have done so many mistakes regarding her that I didn't know exactly which one he was talking about.

"Forcing her to open up by beating Kai?" He scoffed in disbelief. "Have you lost your mind?"

I had told him everything that had transpired in the past three months, not leaving the slightest detail out.

"What else was I supposed to do? Sit there and watch her hurting inside?" I defended. "She wouldn't talk to me in any other way. I tried everything!"

"And why do you think she is so unwilling to share her issues with you?" He shot back.

"If I'm not wrong she willingly showed her scars to Ezra's ex-girlfriend." Zane added.

"That's because she wanted to buy off Iris's silence about the anti-psychotics." I told him.

"You are still not getting it, Stephen." He sighed.

"Regardless of her intentions, she trusted Iris enough to keep her secret." He pointed out. "And she doesn't trust you leading her to continuosly lie about it."

"Forcing her to open up when she wasn't ready only pushed her further away from you. Before, you at least had a chance but now I highly doubt she will ever consider sharing her thoughts with you."

I took a deep breath, processing everything Zane just said.

While I thought I had taken a step forward in breaking her walls, I had actually taken ten steps backward.

Fucking Idiot.

Why couldn't I wait a little longer instead of forcing her at the expense of Kai?

"What do I do now?" I focused on the more important question. It was pointless getting hung up on what I can't change.

"You don't really have much options in your hand." He stated.

"I think you should admit her to a psychiatric hospital. She needs professional help right now." He added.

"No." I refused, I didn't even need to think about it. I was not sending her anywhere. Period.

"Think it through, Stephen. She's not stable." Zane said, showing me some pamphlets he took out from his suitcase. "You will still be able to meet her on regular basis. But right now she needs to be in a professional environment that knows how to help her."

"No." I shook my head, my decision already made.

"You saw what the voices did to Uncle Alejandro." He reminded. "Do you really want the history to repeat itself?"

"Don't make the same mistake our grandparents did. Love doesn't cure everything, brother." He added.

"So, you think it's genetic?" I voiced out.

"Schizophrenia tends to run in families." He agreed. "While it can't be cured, with professional help, she will learn to manage it better and not let it affect her life."

I couldn't help but chuckle. Dad still managed to haunt her even after death.

Dad had schizophrenia which only got worse after Mama's death.

He was just a sick man who loved too deeply.

And Aylin had to pay the price of it.

"I can't send her away again. She's finally back after nine years, Zane."

"It will only get worse, Stephen. Worse than Uncle Alejandro." Zane tried to convince me. "Do you not want her to have a chance at a normal life? It will be futile if it's too late, if the voices overpower her own thoughts."

"I get what you are saying. But I'm not letting her leave again. Anything but that." I stated firmly.

Zane sighed, giving up trying to convince me.

"In that case, don't tell her you found these clips from her institute. Don't force her to express her feelings and let her do it in her own pace."

"Get her to trust you again. Maybe take a vacation. A change of scenery wouldn't hurt." He suggested.

I nodded, the idea of a vacation not sounding bad.

"Try to mend her relationship with Diego if you can." He added.

"Why?" I wondered if Diego bribed him to tell me this. Diego and Zane were of the same age so they were pretty close to each other.

"She still hates him. Bitterness will only feed her intrusive thoughts more." He explained. "She needs to let go of the past if she wants to turn a new page."

"I will see what I can do."

"Also, don't tell her I'm a psychiatrist." Zane requested. "She might take it the wrong way."

"Okay." I nodded. "Come on, it's time for dinner."

Upon reaching the dining hall, I saw everyone was waiting for us to arrive.

"Where is Aylin?" I frowned when I saw her chair was empty.

"She went to call you to dinner. You didn't meet her on your way?" Ezra responded in a confused manner.

Shit.

I didn't lock the door to my study.

"Start without me," I told them before striding towards my study.

I sighed in relief when I saw the door to the study was closed and Aylin four feet away from it.

"Why are you here?"

"Ezra asked me to call you. I thought you were still in there." She answered.

I immediately knew she was lying from the slight tremor of her hands.

She thought she was a good liar but her hands gave her away every single time.

"Is something wrong, sweetheart?" I asked carefully.

"No," She forced a smile on her face. "Nothing's wrong."

I wanted to pry longer but Zane's advice on letting her open up in her own pace rang in my head and I let it be.

I still didn't know this choice of mine would ultimately make me lose everything.

... ... ...

3 a.m.

My eyes went to the digital clock placed in my bedside table. I looked beside me to see the spot beside me was empty.

Aylin's room still wasn't repaired so I insisted her to sleep in my room again which then led to a heated argument between me and Diego.

Of course, she chose my room over Diego's. I bet he was still hovering outside my door.

Did she go to Kai's room?

I decided to check myself, my heart not sitting well with her missing in the middle of night.

"You're still up?" I asked at the sight of Kai sitting infront of the canvas with a brush in his hand instead of sleeping.

"You need something?" He raised a brow at my sudden visit to his room. I rarely went to their room, much less after midnight.

"I was on my way to the kitchen then saw your lights on so I came to check." I lied, not wanting him to worry.

I checked Noah and Eve's room after that but Aylin wasn't there. After checking every other room in the second floor, I felt anxiety building up.

Where was she?

I paused once I stepped in the third floor. The familiar tune of Für Elise rang through the air.

Upon reaching the piano room, I couldn't help the smile that appeared in my face.

Für Elise was one of the only pieces Aylin had mastered. She had quit the piano too soon to master the other complicated pieces.

Did she finally forgive me for not attending any of her recitals?

I knew how much she loved playing piano. Even Dad and Diego never deprived her of this one source of happiness.

But in the end, it was me who ruined her dreams.

I leaned against the doorframe,my eyes focused solely on the figure sitting in the middle of the room.

She was wearing a white dress, a soft smile on her face as she played the piano. Her long hair unkept, flowing in the wind that came through the open window.

The sight before me looked ethereal.

Like an angel had descended from heaven just to play this melodious tune. All she lacked were the wings behind her back.

I was so entrapped in the melody that I had failed to notice her white dress was now dyed red.

I failed to notice how blood dripped from her fingers, painting the keyboard in red.

And when I did notice, it was already too late.

The music abruptly stopped.

Her body slumped over the piano, banging against the keyboard and producing a discordant tune. Her hazel eyes swiftly drained of life, yet they were still beautiful.

She slid to the floor and fell hard.

A scream followed.

It took me a moment to realize, it was me who had screamed.

I rushed forward, cradling her in my arms as I begged her to keep her eyes open.

But it was too late.

I had once again failed as her brother and I feared I would never get another chance.

"You're no longer in control," Her voice was only a soft whisper. "I am."

And then she closed her eyes.