BELLA
"Then why does he hate me?"
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The question came out before she could stop it.
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Raw.
Unfiltered.
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Because nothing made sense anymore.
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If Rico's father was the monster…
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Then why did Rico look at her like she was part of the problem?
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Why did his anger feel… personal?
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Her father didn't answer immediately.
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And that—
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That was enough to make her heart start racing again.
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"Say it," she whispered.
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Silence.
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Then—
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"He thinks I killed his mother."
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The words dropped like a bomb.
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Bella froze.
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"What?"
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Her voice barely came out.
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"He grew up believing it," her father continued. "Because that's what his father told him."
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Her head shook slowly.
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"No… no, that doesn't make sense."
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"It doesn't have to," he said quietly.
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"It just has to be believable."
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Silence.
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Bella's chest tightened.
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"So you're telling me…" she swallowed.
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"Rico thinks you're the reason his mother is dead?"
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"Yes."
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The confirmation hit harder than she expected.
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"And because of that…" she whispered,
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"He hates me."
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Her father's gaze didn't waver.
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"You're my daughter."
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That was answer enough.
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Bella felt like the ground beneath her had shifted.
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Everything she thought she understood about Rico—
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His anger.
His control.
His distance.
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It all changed.
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It wasn't random.
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It was built.
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Fed to him.
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"Why would he lie to his own son?" she asked.
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A pause.
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Then—
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"Because the truth would destroy him."
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Her breath caught.
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"Or worse," her father added quietly.
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"It would turn him against him."
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Silence.
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Bella's mind raced.
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So Rico grew up believing—
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That her father destroyed his family.
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That she was connected to that destruction.
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That everything he felt…
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Was justified.
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But it wasn't.
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It was a lie.
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A carefully crafted one.
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Her chest tightened painfully.
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"Does he know any part of the truth?" she asked.
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"No."
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The answer was immediate.
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"He only knows what he was told."
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Bella closed her eyes briefly.
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That explained everything.
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The way he looked at her sometimes—
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Like he didn't trust himself around her.
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Like he was fighting something inside.
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Not just desire.
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But conflict.
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"You should stay away from him," her father said.
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Her eyes snapped open.
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"No."
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The word came out stronger than she expected.
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"He deserves to know the truth."
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"And what do you think will happen when he finds out?" her father asked calmly.
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Silence.
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Bella didn't answer.
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Because she didn't know.
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Would he believe her?
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Or would he see it as another lie?
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"He's not just angry, Bella," her father continued.
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"He's been shaped by that anger."
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A pause.
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"And if you take that away from him…"
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Her breath hitched.
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"You might break him."
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Silence filled the room.
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Because now—
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This wasn't just about truth.
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It was about consequences.
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FINAL SCENE
Bella stood there, her thoughts spiraling.
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Rico hated her—
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Because of a lie.
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A lie his father planted.
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A lie that shaped everything he had become.
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And now—
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She had the power to destroy that lie.
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But also—
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To destroy him.
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Her fingers curled slightly at her sides.
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What was worse?
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Letting him live in a lie—
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Or forcing him to face the truth?