Episode 4 – The Girl Who Refused to Stay Silent

4.1 – Mr. Andrew Adams!

Author's POV

A few days passed after the engagement.

It was early evening.

The city glowed beneath the setting sun as Stella sat inside a restaurant with a group of her college friends. Their table was filled with laughter, unfinished meals, and endless conversations.

For a while, everything was ordinary.

Almost absentmindedly, Stella looked through the large glass window beside their table.

Outside, across the street, a familiar figure caught her attention.

Andrew Adams.

He was standing with several men.

From where she sat, it looked like they were arguing.

She looked away.

Probably just a discussion.

That should have been the end of it.

Yet...

Something kept pulling her eyes back toward the window.

Again.

And again.

Then—

The argument turned into a fight.

Her friends noticed the commotion too.

Curious, they glanced outside.

"Looks like someone's fighting."

"I wonder what happened."

Their voices remained casual.

But Stella wasn't listening anymore.

She had recognized Andrew.

And something else bothered her even more.

He was taking far more hits than anyone else.

Yet he barely reacted.

He wasn't even paying attention to the injuries in his own hands.

A thought quietly crossed her mind.

Even if you don't know someone very well...

Watching someone get hurt still hurts.

Another thought followed almost immediately.

He's my cousin's husband's brother.

That makes him family.

That alone was enough.

Stella stood up so suddenly that her chair slid backward.

"I'm leaving."

She grabbed her bag.

"You guys take care."

Her friends stared at her in confusion.

"Wait—Stella!"

"Where are you going?"

She didn't answer.

She was already running outside.

The cool evening air greeted her the moment she stepped onto the street.

By the time she reached them, the fight had already ended.

Andrew and his friends were quietly walking away as though nothing had happened.

Then Stella noticed his hands.

Blood slowly ran down his knuckles.

And he was completely ignoring it.

She instinctively took a step forward...

Only to stop when she overheard the conversation between his friends.

"Andrew, you're making us worry."

"You shouldn't have fought."

"Look at your hands."

"At least wrap those wounds."

Andrew barely glanced at them.

"It's nothing."

"They'll heal."

"Why are you all so worried?"

Something inside Stella snapped.

Her eyes narrowed.

Taking a deep breath, she shouted loudly enough for everyone to hear.

"MR. ANDREW ADAMS!"

Every head turned toward her.

4.2 – The Allen Family Rule

Author's POV

Silence fell instantly.

Andrew stopped walking.

His friends looked at Stella in surprise.

Without waiting for anyone to speak, Stella marched straight toward him.

She grabbed his injured hand.

Then gently—but firmly—pressed against the wound.

Andrew immediately pulled back.

"Are you crazy?"

"No."

She glared at him.

"You are."

"You just stood there saying you're perfectly fine."

She pointed directly at his bleeding hand.

"Then what exactly is this?"

"And your friends are telling you to treat it, but you're acting like it doesn't even matter."

Andrew opened his mouth.

She immediately raised one finger.

"Don't."

"You don't get to speak."

"You're going to listen."

Without another word, Stella took a bottle of water and her scarf from her bag.

She carefully rinsed the blood from his hand before wrapping the scarf securely around the wound.

Her expression never softened.

"Mr. Andrew Adams..."

She looked him straight in the eyes.

"If you don't like what I just did..."

"I honestly don't care."

"Because I know I'm not wrong."

She tied the final knot before continuing.

"Our Allen family has one rule."

"We take care of our own."

Andrew quietly watched her.

She continued,

"You might be wondering what any of this has to do with you."

"But from the day my cousin's marriage was arranged with your brother..."

"...your family became ours."

"So tell me."

"Why shouldn't I have the right to care?"

Her voice remained steady.

"And today, it happened to be me."

"If anyone else from my family has been here..."

"They wouldn't have stood quietly like I did."

"They would've dragged you away from that fight."

She folded her arms.

"You don't get to act like your injuries don't matter."

"Not while I'm watching."

A brief silence followed.

Then she spoke one last time.

"I'm serious, Andrew."

"You shouldn't be doing this."

Andrew said nothing.

He simply looked at her.

Trying to understand...

What kind of person she was.

4.3 – I Heard You

Andrew's POV

She's unbelievable.

None of this makes any sense.

Why is she talking to me like this?

Why does she care?

Then...

One sentence refused to leave my mind.

"Our family takes care of its own."

Something shifted.

Not confusion.

Something quieter.

Something unfamiliar.

Do people really think like this?

Do they really care... expecting nothing in return?

I've always understood responsibility.

Loyalty.

Family.

But this...

Felt different.

Before I realized it, Stella waved a hand in front of my face.

"Andrew?"

"Hello?"

"Where did you disappear?"

I blinked.

"I heard you."

"I understand."

Behind us, my friends exchanged amused looks.

"That's probably the longest conversation you've had all week."

"You actually listened."

Laughing, they patted my shoulder.

"We'll leave you two."

Before I could stop them, they were already walking away.

"...Traitors."

Their laughter only grew louder.

4.4 – What Kind of Person Is She?

Author's POV

Stella crossed her arms.

"I was inside the restaurant."

"I saw everything."

"I couldn't just pretend nothing happened."

She adjusted the strap of her bag.

"Anyway..."

"I'm heading back."

Andrew looked at her.

"Home?"

She shook her head.

"My apartment."

"It's close to my college."

"My dad arranged it for me."

Andrew nodded once.

"Send me the location."

"I'll drop you."

She blinked in surprise.

"You'll drop me?"

"Looking like this?"

Andrew glanced briefly at the bandage wrapped around his hand.

"It's only a cut."

Then he looked back at her.

"I'm not letting you go alone."

"...Come."

After a moment, Stella smiled.

"Fine."

They walked toward the car together.

The drive was quiet.

Well...

Quiet for Andrew.

Stella talked almost the entire journey.

About college.

About her friends.

About random things that somehow connect to even more random things.

Andrew listened.

Occasionally answering with a single word.

Oddly enough...

The silence between them never felt uncomfortable.

By the time they reached her apartment building, Stella looked outside in surprise.

"Oh."

"We're here already?"

Andrew looked at her for a brief second.

It wasn't a short drive.

You were simply too busy talking to notice.

She opened the car door before turning back.

"Go to a hospital."

"Get your hand treated properly."

"And don't ignore it again."

"If you do..."

She smiled confidently.

"I'll find out."

Andrew raised an eyebrow.

"And how exactly will you do that?"

Her smile only widened.

"I have my ways."

With that, she waved goodbye and disappeared into the building.

Andrew remained seated for another moment, watching the entrance long after she was gone.

Finally, almost to himself, he murmured,

"...What kind of person is she?"

For the first time in a very long while...

Someone had managed to stay in his thoughts long after they had walked away.

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Bye.

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