Ryan had a brutal year cleaning up the Sunlight Plaza disaster. He'd been running around nonstop, trying to fix the mess after everything exploded. If people found out Daphne died because of the accident, the media would spin wild stories and make things way worse. So Ryan came up with a plan to stall. Russell used that as an excuse to dodge Blair's questions. There was no way he could just tell her Daphne had died in the accident. That news would hit Blair like a truck. They'd been inseparable since childhood—almost like sisters. Russell's vague answer made Blair panic. Her cheerful face got a worried edge. "Don't worry, Mom. Daphne is lucky. She'll be fine." "That collapse was huge, but most people only got injured. You and Kyla came back safe, didn't you?"One by one, the seven kids chimed in, trying to calm Blair down. She touched her right leg and nodded. "I hope so. I need to heal fast. If Daphne gets better and sees me like this, she'll be terrified." They'd cleared that hurdle for now. Everyone let out a quiet sigh of relief. News about Daphne's death would be as bad as Kyla's betrayal. If they could keep it hidden for now, they would. Kyla went back to her room, locked the door, and collapsed onto her bed. Tears started again. Once she calmed a little, she noticed her phone lighting up. A message from Tobias showed up in her chat. Since coming back from Endralsia, he had been texting Kyla every day. After the accident messed up her face, she stopped replying. She was scared he'd see her now. But he kept reaching out, and she wondered if she truly meant anything to him.Kyla remembered the deep hug in the Endralsia hospital bathroom. Tobias's soft words, his heartbeat, his cologne—all that made her fall harder for him. Thinking about her situation now, she couldn't just wait around. So Kyla answered Tobias. She kept it casual and told him the basics about what had happened. He replied right away, "Thank God you're fine. I've been so worried—I thought something bad happened! "I didn't dare visit the hospital because I thought you wouldn't want to see me. Now that you're out, I can finally relax!" Reading those heartfelt words from the guy she liked, Kyla felt her nose tingle and nearly burst into tears again. Even a random outsider cared more than the Jensons. How ridiculous was that? "Why is life so cruel to me? What did I do wrong? "My face is ruined, I can't see the guy I like, and my family turned away. Why couldn't this happen to Tilda? She has everything, while I get nothing!"Kyla hated how unfair it felt. After talking to Tobias, she felt a little better. He texted, "Kyla, can we meet soon? I just want to see you and make sure you're fine." Her heart jumped. Then, she said no without hesitation, "My family is dealing with stuff, and I'm injured. I need to rest. Let's meet later." "Alright, Kyla. I'll always wait for you." Kyla's chest hurt worse. She couldn't hold it in anymore. She jumped up, walked into the bathroom, and glared at her scarred, dull face in the mirror. She snatched the cup off the sink and smashed it straight at the glass. From the cracked mirror, her twisted reflection glared back at her. How could Tobias ever look at such a face?! He was handsome and elegant. If he saw her like that, his love and affection would disappear instantly. He might not even want to be near her again.If that day came, she'd rather be dead. Just then, her phone buzzed with a new message. Thinking it was Tobias, Kyla quickly grabbed it. But the text was from some random number she didn't know. "I'm here to help you deal with Tilda. If you believe me, reply." That same stranger had been bugging her for months. At first, Kyla ignored it, assuming it was just another scam.