The world around Mariana stopped turning as the last few words unraveled right in front of her eyes. She couldn't believe what her mother had gone through that ensued after the death of her grandparents.

Reading the hidden sufferings, masked by the graceful loops of letters that danced across the page, made her realize that this new Xavier was not the uncle she once knew, and now this unknown new person has taken over, with only his beloved nature being a shadow of the things of the past.

It didn't help the fact that Mariana was a direct copy of her grandmother. Her mother sometimes mentioned it but it never seemed bothered her. And she'd always loved Mariana despite that. Maybe through her, her mother tried raising a better person than her grandmother because with what she did, Mariana would never dream of doing to her future kids.

But she guessed that Xavier couldn't get past the looks and now, she had to suffer for something that wasn't even her fault.

She turned the phone off to stare at her sullen reflection. Every freckle on her nose, every curl that fell on her head, even those sparkling brown eyes. Did she really look like that monster of a human? Was that how Xavier saw her? As someone who was wicked and cruel at heart that they have no love within them?

She unlocked the screen once again and kept staring at the letter, hoping the memories inscribed in it weren't true. But she had no choice but to accept she was never getting her old uncle back, no matter how hard she wanted it to happen.

Her mind that drifted off into the world of the letter, was suddenly disturbed by the swift moments made by bedsheets. She looked up and Micah's fingers were twitching as he moved slightly.

Mariana rushed to his side and his forest eyes slowly cracked open.

"Micah? Are you awake?!" She exclaimed.

His lips quivered into a squiggly smile that was barely able to surface on his face. "Hey..."

"Oh my gosh, you're actually awake!" She ran over and hugged him, never wanting to let him go. He had finally awoken and she wasn't going to lose him again. "How are you?" She cupped his face softly.

"Still in pain but not as bad as last night."

"Aw well, I'm so happy your awake now," she slowly rubbed his cheeks as she couldn't keep her eyes off his eyes. It felt like forever since she's seen them, and now gazing into their glistening glow, gave her hope that Micah will be better soon.

Suddenly, they got startled by the door closing with a bang, and Leilani and Miguel returning.

"Hey, we're back!" Leilani announced.

They came closer to the bed where Micah propped himself up a little to see them.

"Oh Micah, you're awake!" Leilani exclaimed.

"Hey guys," he uttered weakly.

"How are you doing, Micah?" Miguel asked.

"Still in pain but okay."

"I'm so glad you're awake Micah," Leilani said.

"Thanks, Leilani."

She smiled at him and then sat down next to Miguel.

All of a sudden, in the corner of their eyes. a screen flashed repetitively like a signal. "Is that my phone?" Micah asked.

Mariana suddenly remembered what she had discovered on it and quickly picked it up. "I'll keep it safe for you so it doesn't get lost."

"Okay, thanks, Mariana."

She smiled and slipped the phone down her pocket while still maintained eye contact.

The room suddenly filled up with silence but Micah was so happy to be alive and see the bright daylight. The darkness that crept on him just before unconsciousness felt like death was just minutes away, waiting to take his life away. But thankfully, he was alive, and feeling the fresh air run through his lungs, was as refreshing as the morning dew in the early hours of the day.

He suddenly snapped out of his thoughts from the shuffling of Leilani's feet as she got up and approached him.

"Well Micah, I hope you get better soon. I have to go to work now but we'll come visit you again."

"Okay, thank you all for coming to see me."

"Bye Micah, see you soon," Mariana bent down and hugged him carefully. She didn't want to let him go for fear that he will leave her but she'll just have to wait another time to see him.

When they left the building, they got back into Miguel's car and started driving to Portals Vells.

"Leilani," Mariana said.

"Yeah?"

"Can I stay with you for a little bit?"

"Um sure but why?" Leilani turned her head in confusion.

"I need someone to talk to about something." Mariana still felt unshaken about what she had just read, and she didn't want to keep it all to herself, or stay in the hotel alone for the time being.

"Hm, okay you can come with me to the lab."

"Okay, thanks."

When they got to the laboratory, Mariana got out of the car and Leilani kissed Miguel goodbye before getting out herself.

They waved goodbye to Miguel as he drove off to his workplace.

"Okay, let's go inside, and then you can tell me everything," Leilani said, digging into her handbag for her card.

She scanned it and they entered.

"So what is it you need to talk about?" Leilani asked as they sauntered through the lab.

"Well, Micah got a text on his phone about my mother."

"Really?" She pushed through her office door and allowed Mariana in.

"Yeah, it's a letter she wrote about her and Xavier."

"Oh, how comes she was involved?"

"Well, they are siblings."

"What? They are related?" She was speechless as she sat down and grabbed her breakfast from her bag.

"Yeah, it's quite sad."

"Well, he can't hurt you anymore now."

"Yeah I know." Mariana smiled sheepishly as Leilani got out a fork and started eating.

Suddenly, there was a loud alarming knock on the door. Leilani yelled a 'come in' and a young man dressed in black attire appeared.

"Here's your morning coffee," he said.

"Thanks, Max."

"You're welcome." He placed it down on her desk and departed from their presence.

Leilani took a sip while rubbing her reddish amber eyes. "I am so tired today."

"Did you not get that much sleep?"

"No, my baby usually kicks in the night so it makes me uncomfortable sometimes." Leilani slightly leaned forward while resting her head on her hands. "But I don't mind, just means he's active and alive so yeah."

She placed down her coffee and propped herself up on the chair. "Anyway so, what did your mother write in the letter?"

Mariana began to elucidate all that she had read in the beloved writings of her late mother. From the abandonment to Xavier wanting revenge and essentially driving him mad.

"From the end, Leilani was completely speechless as her mouth hung open. It was like someone snatched the voice from her throat. She still had her coffee which was barely touched, and she slowly rubbed her swelling stomach while being deeply disturbed.

"Wow, so I guess Xavier's anger finally took over him," she muttered tiredly.

"Yeah, I miss who he used to be."Mariana sighed.

"It must've been nice because I can't imagine him any different than how he is now." She readjusted her seat and drank more of her coffee while her eyes scruntinized the wall ahead. She couldn't believe herself what Xavier's mother did.

"Yeah, it really was." She sighed again and looked out of the window, reminiscing the good times they had before he snapped.

She used to look up to him when she was younger but now, she couldn't do that anymore. The only thing she had were her treasured memories of her precious memory.

Those were the only things that could keep her forgotten past alive.

Alive in her memory as long as she was living.

A/N: Hey guys! This was a double update for 1K reads! How did you find it?

I'm sorry if this got so depressing, I didn't mean for it to go this way XD.

But next chapters gonna make you smile :)).