Kael stood at the edge of the empty stall, his jaw clenched so tight the veins stood out along his neck. The white of his knuckles matched the bone buttons on his dark flannel sleeve, thumb pressing desperate circles into the bruised wood of the counter. When Irisa entered, rain-damp hair curling wildly around her flushed face, he barely looked up. She crossed her arms—a floral print blouse beneath a battered denim jacket, fingers trembling where they tucked beneath her elbows. For a second, neither of them spoke. Only Irisa’s nerves vibrated in the tight set of her mouth, eyes fierce and red-rimmed behind her bravado.

He broke first, voice low and hoarse. “Did you ever intend to tell me?” His stare pinned her, searching for something softer behind the anger flickering there. Irisa’s chin tipped up, stubborn, but her throat bobbed with the effort to stay strong.

She forced herself to meet his gaze, though her lower lip quivered. “I was scared, Kael. You don’t know what it’s like—” Her voice wavered, breaking. That brief flash of fear in her green eyes undid some hidden knot in him, but the ache beneath his ribs only sharpened.

Kael’s fists trembled at his sides, the storm in his eyes darkening. “I needed you. I trusted you.” He laughed bitterly, running a hand through his hair so the strands spiked, exposing how badly they shook. “You could have saved me years of wondering. Instead, you left me in the dark.”

The words sliced her open; Irisa’s composure shattered. She pressed a knuckle to her mouth, fighting tears. “I hated myself for not speaking, every single day. But I was so… so damn alone.” Her voice dropped, broken. “I never wanted to hurt you.”

He swayed closer, unable to contain the hurt and fury in his body. For a moment, his thumb brushed her cheek—unexpectedly gentle, rough skin tracing the salt of her tears. “You did.” His voice was ragged. “You did more than anyone.”

Outside, Lex lingered. His apron was dusted with flour, eyes shadowed by weeks of longing and exhaustion. He caught sight of Irisa’s crumpling posture and couldn’t resist. He entered quietly, his voice a cautious balm. “Irisa, hey. You all right?” His hand hovered near her elbow, not quite touching. She shook her head, trembling, then turned to him—her eyes pleading, but her body still tipping unconsciously toward Kael.

Lex’s jaw flexed, jealousy and concern wrestling in his gaze. “Kael,” he said, soft but firm, “You can’t just—” But Kael spun on him, grief morphing into fury.

“What do you want, Lex? You want her, too? You want to be the fucking savior?” Kael spat, his whole frame taut with the energy of barely-contained violence.

Lex’s fists balled at his sides, but he didn’t back away. “I just want her to be okay. I want this—” He gestured between them with helpless longing. “—to stop destroying everyone.”

Irisa’s eyes filled again, and she stepped between them, voice ragged. “Stop. Please, I can’t—” she choked, pressing her palms to her face, shoulders shuddering.

Kael’s anger sputtered. For a heartbeat, he looked lost—boyish, wounded, his chest heaving with the effort not to sob. “I loved you,” he whispered, the words ripped from somewhere raw. “I still do. I don’t know how to stop.”

Irisa let out a sound like surrender—part sob, part laugh. She stepped forward, hands trembling as she touched his chest. “I never stopped, Kael. I just… I kept loving you wrong.”

Their foreheads pressed together, breaths mingling. Everything ached between them—anger, guilt, and the spark of something dangerous. Kael’s hand slid into her hair, and for a second, it seemed the world narrowed to just trembling mouths and unresolved hunger. Irisa’s lips parted, but she faltered, pulling away as if burned.

In the hallway, Myka’s footsteps echoed. She ducked in, eyes sharp, phone clutched tight in her fist. “You need to see this,” she hissed, voice trembling. “Renon—he’s in the security booth. He’s deleting footage from the night your brother disappeared.” Her eyes darted to Kael, then to Irisa, guilt making her cheeks pale.

Kael’s fury reignited, but this time with purpose—a cracked, wild hope sparking in his eyes. He lunged past Irisa, shoving open the door so hard it rattled on its hinges.

Lex and Irisa followed, urgency burning through the remnants of heartbreak. The lovesick triangle dissolved, for a moment, into the hunt. Down the corridor, Renon’s broad back flashed between flickering lights. Kael’s shout reverberated—raw, desperate, a warning and a promise all at once.

The three collided in the chaos, old wounds forgotten in the race for truth. No one knew if forgiveness or ruin waited on the other side of that door.

To be continued…