Heng sat at the head of the dinner table, his presence commanding quiet authority.
Dalin and Marina were seated to his right, their expressions a blend of curiosity and caution, while Monica and Visaknu occupied the seats to his left, their gazes flickering between the dishes set on the table.
Heng looked at Monica and Visak.
"After leaving the hospital, both of you should go to Sophea's house and discuss the marriage plans, if possible" he said firmly. Visak's face lit up with excitement, but Monica shifted uncomfortably in her seat.
Monica hesitated before speaking, her voice measured. "But there are so many issues to take care of. I'm still in treatment. Can't we move it to next year?"
Heng's expression hardened. "Issues happen all the time. Delaying the marriage won't solve anything. Dalin is already helping at the company, and Marina will be trained from now on."
Visak nodded firmly. "Yes, Monica, listen to Dad. We can handle this more easily if we face it together."
Monica smiled, happiness about the wedding lighting her face, but beneath it lay a quiet worry—Dara's mother's case still pressed heavily on her heart.
Heng and Darlin seemed content, their smiles reflecting the warmth in the room. Marina, too, radiated joy. But Heng's gaze shifted to Monica, her expression betraying her unease. Concern flickered in his eyes as he asked gently,
"What's wrong, daughter? You still look worried. You've been in love for three years already, and I don't want the two of you to be apart any longer."
"I am still under investigation," Monica murmured, her voice barely above a whisper. Heng's expression softened, and he shook his head slowly, he reassured her,
"Don't worry about it. Dad knows how to handle this, alright?" Monica met her father's gaze, sensing his attempt to ease her, to take away the weight of her worries.
She nodded, a small relief settling in her chest. Then, as if the tension had lifted, everyone smiled and returned to their meal, the room filled with the warmth of unspoken comfort.
***
Monica sat in front of her laptop in her bedroom, working through some tasks before bed. She tried reaching out to Khun, the delivery man, calling and messaging him, but it was all in vain.
Just then, Marina appeared in the doorway, carrying a large box. "Wow, wow, wow!" she exclaimed. Monica looked up, raising an eyebrow. "What's that?" she asked.
"My brother-in-law gave it to me!" Marina grinned.
"Ahh, chocolate!" Elder sister guessed.
"Yes!" Marina nodded enthusiastically.
"Chocolate addicted," Monica teased.
"Man addicted!" Marina shot back with a wink.
"Me?" Big sister raised an eyebrow, a playful smirk forming.
Little sister grinned widely, her eyes sparkling. "Yes!" she confirmed, teasing her sister. Monica laughed, shaking her head, but couldn't help the smile tugging at her lips.
"Ridiculous!" She scoffed, her fingers flying across the keyboard.
Marina, undeterred, plopped down on the bed, her gaze drawn to the box. She opened it, plucking a piece of chocolate and letting it melt in her mouth.
"You love him so much! I can tell…" Little sister teased with a grin.
"Ok!" Monica replied, still focused on her screen.
"You admit it? Haha!" Marina laughed, sensing a victory.
But sister remained absorbed in her work, her attention elsewhere.
As Marina turned toward her sister, a piece of white chocolate still in her mouth, she noticed the locked notebook on the table. Curiosity piqued, she rose to grab it.
But before she could reach it, Monica was quick to snatch it back, almost knocking Marina off balance.
"What's this?" Marina asked, her eyes wide with surprise.
"Oh...Nothing," Monica stammered, her face flushed with embarrassment.
Suspicion flared in Mari's gaze as she watched her sister hurriedly slide the notebook into a folder.
"What was that about?" Marina pressed.
"Just my diary. I don't want anyone reading it yet," big sister muttered, her voice dropping.
"A diary?" Mari raised an eyebrow in disbelief. "You write a diary?"
"Yes," Monica replied defensively.
"You, of all people? Write a diary?" Marina's laugh was a mix of surprise and amusement.
Monica shot her a glare. "What? Do you think I can't write, I'm illiterate?" she snapped.
Marina laughed again, still trying to wrap her mind around it.
"Don't touch my stuff without asking from now on. Got it?" Sister's voice was firm, a clear warning.
The little one rolled her eyes, her tone sharp. "God, you make yourself look even more suspicious!"
Monica sighed, shaking her head.
"Forget it. I have work to do. And you—stop eating so late and go to bed already."
"As if I care!" Mari snapped, grabbing a small box and slamming it onto the table before disappearing into the bathroom.
Monica watched her sister's reckless defiance in silence, a mix of frustration and disbelief flickering across her face. With a deep breath, she turned her focus back to her work, trying to drown out the tension.
***
Midnight had fallen, and the house lay in hushed stillness. Monica, lost in the depths of her sleep, succumbed to the soothing grip of her medicine.
In contrast, Marina remained wide awake as laying next to her sister, the glow of her phone illuminating her face as she sketched on a digital art app.
Minutes turned to hours until finally, she set her phone aside, her expression shifting to one of curiosity—or perhaps mischief.
Leaning slightly toward Monica, Marina whispered softly, her voice barely piercing the quiet. "Monic? Monic?"
She waited, her eyes narrowing as if searching for the slightest stir from her sister.
The older sister remained still, unresponsive to the younger's calls—lost in the depths of sleep. Mari quietly slipped out of bed, curiosity drawing her to explore the room. Her bare feet brushed the floor as she padded softly toward the bedside table.
One by one, she tapped the surface of each, her fingers skimming until they landed on something unusual. In the lower drawer of the desk, she discovered that locked book. A spark of triumph lit her eyes.
"Here it is," she whispered, her voice barely louder than a breath, brimming with quiet excitement.
"Oh my!" Marina exclaimed, her voice breaking the silence of the room. She stared wide-eyed as the book fell open in her hands. But it wasn't a notebook at all.
Instead, beneath the fabricated cover lay a sleek tablet, hidden in plain sight.
"For God's sake!" she muttered, her heart pounding. "This witch is not as simple and passive as she seems!"
Mari crouched beside the small table, her fingers trembling as she tried to pry it open. To her dismay, it was locked with a password. Frustration mounting, she attempted her sister's fingerprint, only to be met with a sharp beep of rejection. It didn't work.
Gritting her teeth, she typed in a few guesses—random numbers, her sister's birthday—but every attempt was wrong. After several failures, the system froze, locking her out entirely.
"Damn it!" she hissed, running a hand through her hair, the headache pounding harder now.
At that moment, Monica stirred in her sleep, turning over with a soft murmur.
Mari froze, her breath catching in her throat. Panic surged through her, and she quickly abandoned her attempt, retreating to the book.
She forced herself to lie down, clutching the covers tightly as if they could shield her from her racing thoughts.
***
Monica lay quietly in the hospital scanner, the hum of the machine filling the air as her health check progressed. Meanwhile, Visaknu waited patiently in their shared room, flipping through a magazine but barely paying attention to its pages.
A short while later, Monica returned, the check-up complete. Together, they joined the doctor in his office, sitting across from him as he held the results in his hands.
"The results are good," the doctor began, offering a reassuring smile. "You don't need another surgery. The muscle pain you've been feeling is just from a lack of rest and sleep. It's improving now."
Relief washed over Monica's face. "No surgery?" she repeated, her voice tinged with disbelief and joy. The mere thought of another operation had terrified her. Visak, too, let out a sigh of relief, mirroring Monica's excitement.
The doctor continued, his tone firm but kind. "The wound on your foot has healed well, but you must be cautious. Avoid walking too much, get plenty of rest, and ensure you're sleeping enough."
"Yes! Thank you, doctor," Monica exclaimed, her voice filled with gratitude.
The doctor nodded, scribbling something on a piece of paper. "You'll need to follow up regularly. I've written your next appointment date here. Make sure you come on that day."
"Got it," Monica said, taking the note with a smile.
Visak hesitated for a moment before speaking again. "Doctor," he began, his voice soft but clear, "we're getting married. Is that alright?"
The doctor's smile widened. "Of course, it's fine. No worries at all. Congratulations to both of you."
A wave of smiles spread across the room, warmth filling the air.
***
Visak drove the car, his hand gently resting on the wheel as they made their way to Monica's home. When they arrived, he pulled up in front of the house, quickly reaching over to grasp her arm, pulling her into a tender kiss.
"I'm so happy, honey. You're alright now," he whispered.
Monica smiled softly. "Yes, I'm fine."
Visak sighed, a hint of regret in his voice. "I'm sorry, but I have to go to the office now."
"That's okay," she replied, her tone reassuring. "You can go."
"Don't forget to tell dad that we will go to meet your mom next time soon" Visak reminded.
"Yes! I'll tell him"
He nodded, his gaze softening. "Rest for a few more days before you go back to work."
"I will, for sure," she said with a nod. "Now go, and tell me when you've made it to the office."
"I will, dear," he promised, giving her one last smile then driving away.
***
Monica stepped into the house, and Nuth hurried over to greet her.
"Why are you back so soon?" Nuth asked, surprised.
Monica's face lit up. "The doctor gave me the all-clear. No more surgery needed!"
"Really?" Nuth's eyes widened with relief.
"Yes!" Monica beamed.
"Oh, thank goodness! I'm so happy for you, my sister!" They exchanged a warm smile, hands briefly touching in shared joy.
"And Dad and Marina, are they home?" Monica asked.
"Yes, sir was in his room, but Marina's been locked in your room all morning. She only just left to meet a friend before now."
"That kid is strange!" Monica chuckled. "Did she say anything about helping Madam Dalin?"
Nuth shook her head. "No, I don't think so."
"Alright, I'll go talk to dad for now." Monica nodded, heading off toward her father.
"Yes, go ahead!" Nuth called after her.
***
As Monica made her way upstairs, she paused at the sound of Heng's voice drifting from the study room. She couldn't quite make out the words, but there was a clear urgency in his tone.
"I have to clear this now, no matter the cost," Heng said urgently over the phone.
"I have no power to stop the police!" a male voice responded sharply through the phone, but Monica only heard her father's response.
"You need to help me with this. I know the police are reopening the case, but Monica can't be involved anymore," Heng snapped, his voice laced with frustration.
"You can't say that. Whether your daughter was involved or not will be determined by the truth," the voice replied.
"Work with Chief Vann to close this. There's nothing more to prove. My daughter met her as usual. I kept all her things after the police returned them to me. She died because she took her own life, and that's the end of it. Her fingers and feet were injured because she picked lotus flowers with just her hands and feet. She always did that, all the time. No more evidence to prove my daughter's guilt," Heng concluded, his tone final.
"So, if your daughter is innocent, why try to stop the investigation?" came the sharp reply.
Heng, bewildered, faltered. "At first, you seemed to be on my side, helping me out. I even sent you money. Now… why are you saying this?"
Monica, standing by the door, froze as she overheard. Her heart skipped a beat, and she stumbled back in shock.
"Monica! I brought this for your dad!" Nuth called, carrying a tray of hot tea as she stood behind her. Hearing his voice, Heng's heart skipped a beat, and he quickly ended the call, rushing toward Monica at the door. But before he could reach her, she was already storming down the stairs, her frustration and anger evident in her every step.
"Nuth, what's going on?" he wondered aloud, confused by her sudden behavior.
"Monic!" Heng called, hurrying after her. "Monic! Stop right there!"
But Monica didn't pause. With a determined stride, she walked straight out of the house and toward her car, black luxury brand, ignoring him completely.
Heng rushed outside, his pace quickening as he tried to reach Monica before she could leave. But by the time he stepped onto the driveway, she was already in her car, engine revving as she sped away.
***