Chapter 1892

Whenever Kieran’s sister was mentioned, the entire Stone family would fall into an unspoken silence. Even now, her name was barely uttered.
Karina picked at her food during the meal, barely eating, her thoughts miles away. Afterward, she stepped outside with a small bundle of flowers and a candle, placing them on the stone marker in the yard-a quiet tribute.
As she lit the candle, someone crouched down beside her.
“Let me help,” came a familiar voice.
She didn’t need to look up to recognize it-it was Kieran.
“About what happened back then…” Karina started, her voice tinged with hesitation.
But Kieran interrupted, as if he already knew what she wanted to say. “Let the past stay in the past. I won’t bring it up, and neither should you.”
He stared at the flickering candlelight, his tone quiet but firm. “When I was in rehab, I had a lot of time to think. Things weren’t supposed to end up this way.”
Who was at fault for how it all turned out? Himself, their parents, or maybe the entire Stone family? Likely, they all shared the blame.
Karina lowered her eyes, staying silent.
Once the candle burned low, Karina rose and left the Stone family home, carrying with her an ache she couldn’t quite describe.
As she approached the stairs, Kieran stood in the doorway, watching her for a long moment.
Just as she began descending, he called out suddenly, “Karina, don’t come back again. Forget everything from before and move on.”
Startled, she turned to look at him, but Kieran had already shut the door. It felt final, as though he was severing all ties between them. She hadn’t even had a chance to read his expression.
*
“Back already? How did it go?” Wilfred asked as he opened the car door, draping a coat over her shoulders.
A cold sensation fell onto her hair. Thinking it was rain, Karina glanced up and was surprised to see snowflakes swirling in the air.
She exhaled a warm breath, watching it dissipate in the cold. “It’s snowing.”
“Yeah,” Wilfred replied. “And it looks like temperatures will drop even lower tonight. Let’s head home. You shouldn’t be standing out here in this weather.”
He didn’t mind being the snow, knowing he could handle it. But Karina’s condition was different- keeping warm was essential.
Karina murmured her agreement and was just about to get into the car when her gaze caught something from the corner of her eye.
Upstairs, thick smoke began billowing out of the Stone family’s apartment, followed by the unmistakable glow of flames.
Her heart sank, a deep sense of dread spreading through her chest. “Is that… a fire?”
Wilfred was already on the phone with emergency services, calmly providing the address. Once the cal ended, he noticed Karina still
l.ne
standing in stunned silence near the entrance. He gently tugged her arm.
“Don’t stand in the way. People will be coming down.”
*
QUMS
Soon, residents began evacuating, hurrying down the stairs. The building management arrived, conducting a headcount and identifying which families were still inside.
Karina scanned the crowd, searching for the Stones, but their faces were nowhere to be seen.
Then, a voice shouted from the
crowd, “There’s still a family upstairs. That’s where the fire started-it’s the Stones’ apartment! Did anyone call the fire department? Get them out, quick!”
Boom.
Karina’s mind went blank. Her legs wobbled, and she nearly collapsed.
Wilfred quickly steadied her, holding her close. “Karina, stay with me. You need to stay strong.” “How could this happen?” she whispered, her voice trembling. “It was fine just a moment ago…” The distant wail of sirens signaled the arrival of the fire trucks.
Instinctively, Karina moved to follow the firefighters, but Wilfred gently held her back. His voice was calm but carried a note of urgency, even pleading. “Listen to me. Stay here, okay? Don’t go up there.
“There are firefighters. They’ll get everyone out safely. You can’t forget your condition. Please, Karina, trust me and stay here.”
Wilfred’s words, steady and patient, slowly broke through her panic. After several deep breaths, Karina finally nodded, forcing herself to stay put.