Cheat Million Love

At Julia's apartment, the air felt unusually quiet. Charlotte stood outside her bedroom door and knocked a few times.

"Julia? Hey, you in there? I'm coming in, okay?"

No answer.

Charlotte sighed and turned the knob. It was unlocked. She slowly pushed the door open and saw Julia sitting at her desk, staring blankly at the monitor. Her cheeks were flushed, her eyes slightly watery, and she looked completely lost in thought.

"Julia, are you okay?" Charlotte asked, stepping closer.

Still, Julia didn't respond.

Charlotte walked up and gently touched Julia's forehead. "Are you sick or something? You're acting weird today."

Julia flinched, snapping out of her daze. She grabbed Charlotte's hand and replied quickly, "No, I'm fine! Seriously!"

Charlotte didn't buy it. She flicked Julia's forehead with a smirk. "Don't lie to me. I've known you way too long to fall for that."

Julia blushed again and finally let out a long sigh. In a small voice, she said, "I... I think I like someone."

Charlotte's eyes widened. Then her grin grew. "Oh? Who? Come on, tell me!"

Julia looked down, biting her lip. "He's... my last client."

Charlotte blinked, then her expression turned serious. "Your last client? You mean... the guy who—"

Julia quickly nodded. "Yeah... him."

Charlotte stared in disbelief. "Julia! You realize he killed a lot of people, right? You're seriously into someone like that?"

Julia slowly shook her head. "I know what he did… But I also saw everything. He's not what you think, Char. I really believe he didn't want to do it—he just didn't have any other choice."

Charlotte crossed her arms, clearly unconvinced. "You sure this isn't just sympathy? You're not mistaking it for something deeper?"

Julia didn't answer. Instead, she reached into her pocket and pulled out a small device. She handed it to Charlotte.

"Watch it. I recorded everything. His expressions... his reactions... they're real. You can't fake that."

Charlotte took the device and played the footage. As a seasoned detective, she analyzed every frame carefully. She saw Nic's face—full of desperation, yet driven by unshakable resolve. He moved with frightening efficiency, but there was no joy, no satisfaction. Only survival.

Charlotte let out a heavy sigh and handed the device back. "I get why you feel that way. But still... falling for someone like him is dangerous."

Julia gave a small, sad smile. "I know. But... I can't help how I feel. It's weird. It just happened."

Charlotte was quiet for a moment. Then she spoke up, her voice suddenly softer. "You know... when I brought Nic to my place, something strange happened."

Julia tilted her head. "What do you mean?"

Charlotte gave a half-laugh. "My chest... started pounding whenever I looked at him. Like... like someone falling in love. But I know that's ridiculous."

Julia's eyes widened. "Wait—are you saying you like Nic too?!"

Charlotte immediately pinched Julia's cheek hard. "Of course not! I said it was weird, not that I actually like him!"

Julia winced but laughed. The tension broke a little, and they both sat in silence, each lost in thoughts of their own tangled feelings.

---

At the Hospital

Meanwhile, at the hospital, the mood was tense. Kiara sat curled up in a corner of the room, hugging her knees, her face etched with frustration and heartbreak.

Their mother looked at her, concerned. "Kiara, you look upset. What's wrong?"

Their father added, "You've been crying? We should be happy, shouldn't we? No one's threatening us anymore."

Kiara finally couldn't hold it in. She looked up, tears spilling down her cheeks. "It's because of Nic..."

Her father frowned. "Nic? What do you mean, sweetie?"

Kiara swallowed hard and said it out loud. "Nic... Nic's the one who killed them all."

The room fell silent as her parents tried to process what they had just heard.

"That can't be!" her father said in disbelief.

Kiara continued, her voice cracking. "He's done something like this before… he beat an entire gang on his own. But he never killed anyone—until now."

Before they could respond, the door creaked open. Nic stood there, his expression cold and distant.

"I know you told them," he said, walking in.

Kiara stood up, her voice rising. "Why are you here?! Don't you get what you've done?!"

Nic didn't respond to her anger. He simply raised his hand slightly and spoke in a calm voice.

"You're safe now. No one's going to hurt my family anymore. No one's ever going to mess with our family again."

Then he turned to their parents. "I'm going to turn myself in to the police."

They all stared at him, stunned.

He looked back at Kiara, eyes full of pain. "Please take care of them."

Without waiting for a response, he turned and walked out of the room.

---

Out in the hallway, Daniella ran after him. "Nic, wait!" she called out, wrapping her arms around him from behind.

Nic froze, his whole body trembling. "Why...?"

Daniella's voice was soft. "You were amazing, Nic… You're not alone. Don't carry all this by yourself. Just tell me everything, okay? We're family."

Nic couldn't hold it in any longer. He turned and buried his face in her shoulder, holding her tightly as he began to sob.

"I just… wanted to protect you all… I just hate seeing people I love get hurt like that… I never meant to kill anyone… I only wanted to survive… If I hadn't done it, I would've died there… I know it's wrong… but at least, even if I suffer, the people I love are safe..."

Daniella hugged him tighter, gently stroking his back as he let everything out.

From behind the corner, Kiara listened quietly. Her heart broke as she saw the little brother she used to know—once so full of light—now so broken and weighed down by guilt.

She cried silently, feeling like she had failed him as a sister.

To be continued...