After Adham saw the girl he loved throw herself into the flames, his mind stopped working.
He didn't know what her intention was.
Was she trying to end her life and take herself away from him forever…
Or was she trying to end her pain, leaving him to carry that pain for the rest of his life?
That thought alone consumed him.
Adham was just a child—no more than eight years old.
And yet, in that moment, something inside him broke.
Without thinking twice, he rushed forward, his body moving on its own, ready to throw himself into the fire after her.
But he didn't make it.
James White caught him just in time, holding him back with all his strength.
"No! Adham, stop!" he shouted, pulling him away from the flames.
Adham struggled, trying to free himself, his eyes locked on the burning house.
"Hilaria…!" his voice broke.
On the other side, for the first time in her life, Hilaria chose to face her fear.
This time, she wasn't hiding.
This time, she was the one running toward danger.
Toward the flames.
Toward her mother.
She ran toward the inner door of the house—the place where the fire was the strongest. The flames were violent, devouring everything in their path. The heat alone was unbearable, terrifying for a child.
But Hilaria didn't stop.
She was strong enough to keep going.
Step by step, she approached the burning entrance.
Then suddenly—
The door collapsed.
It fell directly onto the lower part of her body.
Flames covered it instantly.
The pain was unimaginable.
Fire wrapped around her legs, burning her small body as she screamed.
A scene that would never leave her.
A nightmare that would follow her for the rest of her life.
But then—
Everything went dark.
Hilaria lost consciousness.
And in a cruel way… that was mercy.
Because she no longer had to hear her mother's screams as she burned.
At that exact moment, sirens filled the air.
Police.
Ambulance.
Firefighters.
They arrived all at once.
George was arrested on the spot.
The firefighters rushed to control the flames, battling the fire that was devouring the house.
The paramedics carried Hilaria away, her small body barely moving.
But while the fire in the house could be extinguished…
What about the fire inside Adham?
The fire that burned in his chest after watching the person he loved throw herself into flames while he could do nothing?
And what about the fire inside Gloria and Hilaria?
After witnessing their father burn their mother alive…
Would they ever forget her screams?
The scene looked like the ending of a tragic movie.
Firefighters fighting desperately against the flames.
Smoke filling the sky.
Chaos everywhere.
Gloria stood frozen, her eyes wide, staring at what was left of her mother…
Nothing but ashes.
Her father was taken away by the police.
Her little sister… her fate unknown.
Not far from her, Adham stood in shock.
His body was there, but his mind wasn't.
And in that moment, the only thing he wished for…
Was that Gloria wouldn't suffer more.
James White and his wife followed the ambulance.
They took Gloria with them.
No one said a word during the ride.
At the hospital, they sat in the waiting area.
Hilaria was inside, surrounded by doctors.
Time passed slowly.
Too slowly.
Everyone was waiting.
Afraid.
Confused.
Not knowing what to feel.
Should they grieve Eva, who had just died?
Or the two girls who had just become orphans?
Or Hilaria, who was fighting for her life?
Or Adham… who had already felt this kind of pain before, three years ago, when he was still in the orphanage?
Silence filled the place.
Heavy.
Unbearable.
Then—
Footsteps.
Slow.
Firm.
The silence broke.
Everyone turned.
She had arrived.
Valoria Weller.
The grandmother of Gloria and Hilaria.
A ginger-haired woman with a cold, imposing presence.
She lived far away, in a place called Dream Falls, deep within the forest, inside an old gothic castle inherited from her ancestors.
She was rarely seen in town.
People avoided her.
Whispers followed her name.
Some said she was a witch.
Others said her entire family was tied to something unnatural.
No one knew the truth.
Valoria was known for being distant.
Cold.
Strict.
She barely spoke, and when she did, her words carried weight.
She had cut ties with her eldest daughter, Eva.
Because Eva was nothing like her.
Because she had chosen George.
Because she had abandoned the Weller name.
And because she got pregnant with Gloria and insisted on marrying a man Valoria considered a failure.
To Valoria… those were unforgivable choices.
She had another daughter once.
But that daughter died from severe seizures.
Since then, something inside Valoria had hardened.
That was why she was never close to Gloria.
But everything changed the day Hilaria was born.
A child with ginger hair.
Just like hers.
On that day, for the first time in years, Valoria's eyes filled with tears.
Her heart trembled.
It felt as if her lost daughter had returned to her.
That was why she gave her the name.
Hilaria.
An ancient name from the Weller family.
And on that day, she had spoken with pride:
"Our family's blood has not disappeared… and you, Hilaria, will be the heir."
Now, she stood in the hospital.
Silent.
Watching.
What is the truth behind the Weller family?
Are the rumors real?
Is their blood truly connected to something beyond the natural?
And will Adham lose Hilaria… before he even gets the chance to tell her how much she means to him?
that's what waiting us in the chapter 3...