"I'm still eighteen?!" Cleo gasped. "Are you serious?"

"What? Do you expect to be a thirty-year-old woman now?" Herrace asked her back before rolling his eyes. "I should tell you that just because you're already eighteen doesn't mean you can now do everything without giving any care to everything around you."

"No. Brother, that's not what I mean. I..."

Thinking that Cleo is trying to make more excuses again, Herrace let out a sigh and put a hand on his sister's hand.

"Cleo, I am not being strict with you because I want you to suffer. Not only me but also mom and dad are acting like this because we just want the best for you. We don't want to see you suffer and be harmed in the harsh reality of the world."

When Cleo did not say anything, Herrace gives her a pat before continuing.

"Maybe I keep on saying the same thing to you for the past months, but I am only doing it because I want you to be safe and aware of your surroundings and the people who approach you."

Herrace doesn't want his sister to suffer any hardships that will only result in heartbreak for her. In their family, Cleo is their treasured child. Their parents spoil her a lot and Herrace takes his role as a big brother seriously. If it's possible, Herrace just wants his sister to leave comfortably for the rest of her life and prevent her from experiencing any hardships and grievances.

While Herrace is thinking about how to make his sister understands him more, Cleo is secretly balling her hands into tight fists under her blanket. The words Herrace said just now are similar to the words he gave to her when Cleo insisted to be with Chandler until the very end. Herrace told her that he was strongly against with Chandler being her lover not because he doesn't want her to be happy. Herrace doesn't like Chandler Zedd because he probably knows his real color and he just wants to use her for his personal gains.

But Cleo refused to listen to his words. She truly believed Chandler when he said to her that Herrace doesn't want them to be happy together. Chandler told Cleo that her brother is against with their relationship because he only came from a middle-class family and Herrace is looking down on his background.

But thinking about it, Herrace had probably discovered Chandler's schemes and he was trying his best to protect her from him. But because Cleo was really infatuated with Chandler, she refused to believe her brother and accused him of trying to destroy the happiness she wants to achieve in life. Cleo decided to push her brother away if that was only the way to protect her lover.

"You may not understand me now, Cleo. But as your brother, I will never allow you to get hurt."

She doesn't want to say something. Cleo is afraid that her tears will fall again once she opens her mouth to speak. Instead, she only nodded her head to show Herrace that she was listening to him.

Herrace's heart is getting soft seeing his sister being obedient to him. Usually, Cleo should be fighting with him saying he needs to stop interfering with her life and just leave her alone. The more she grows up, the more her spoiled attitude is getting worse.

Herrace really wants to blame his family's overly indulgence they give to Cleo. Because their family raise her as a spoiled little princess, they are now getting a hard time telling her advice. The car accident she experienced probably gave her a huge shock that's why she looks different after waking up from her coma.

Before Herrace can give Cleo a hug, they heard several footsteps outside their room. Soon, the door opens revealing their parents. Herrace takes a step backward to give space to their mother who quickly rushed towards Cleo.

"Sweetheart, are you now okay? Do you feel any pain? Is it okay for you to sit down like this?" queried Jannica.

"Mom, I'm alright." Cleo softly replied. "The doctor said I only need to rest my body."

"That's good to hear." Jannica said as she gently hold her youngest child in her arms. "I'm so happy that you are already awake, Cleo."

Jannica planted a soft kiss on her forehead. If it's in the past, Cleo will stop her from doing it. Every time her mother kisses her forehead, Cleo feels like her mother is still treating her like a child who can't even do anything to herself. Ever since she reached her legal age, Cleo wants to do nothing but be free and live independently away from them.

But when that actually happened, Cleo cannot deny to herself that she was missing her family so much. When Cleo declared to everyone that she will cut all of her ties with her family, none of them tried to contact her again. She continued living independently just like what she was dreaming of in the past. But after a few months, the loneliness Cleo feels from living alone has slowly crept up to her body until the weight of the decision she made came crashing to her out of nowhere.

To say that it was devastating is not enough to describe what she had experienced at that time.

Jannica just remembered Cleo does not like it when she kisses her forehead. She is about to say sorry when Cleo suddenly hugs her. That gesture really surprised Jannica.

"Mom, I'm sorry." Cleo murmured while burying her face on her mother's shoulder. "I should have listened to all of you."

"Oh, dear."

Cleo tightened her hold on Jannica's waist and quietly cry on her shoulder. The warmth Cleo is feeling right now is something that she has been missing all this time. This is the loving warmth that she easily dismissed in the past without knowing its true value in her life.

Jannica carefully holds her daughter while gently patting her back. She looks at her husband and eldest son who is also observing Cleo's weird behavior. When Cleo rub her face on Jannica's shoulder, she did not push her daughter away. Instead, she also tightens her hug to convey into actions that she will always stay next to her.

While Jannica is busy consoling the youngest member of their family, Dean and Herrace leave the room for a moment to talk outside. Dean asked about Cleo's condition and his son conveyed the words that her doctor had told him earlier. After that, Dean falls silent for a moment before he let out a sigh.

"Cleo must be really scared for her to cry like that." Dean said before letting out a sigh.

"I'm also thinking the same. I can't remember the last time she cried like that."

"But what's more important is that she's safe."

Herrace nodded his head when he heard that. Of course, her safety is the most important. They are going to be her support system until she recovers.

"Did Johan already knows that Cleo is now awake?" Dean suddenly asked.

"Ah, right. I forgot to tell him because I got surprised with Cleo's sudden outburst earlier."

"That child must be really worried right now. You should give Johan a call and inform him about Cleo's condition."

Herrace nodded his head before fishing his phone to call Johan who is probably agitated and anxious because of what happened to Cleo.