"You sound sad." Patricia asks over the phone. She had called at the right moment to find Mara being in the most vulnerable position. "Is everything okay? You don't sound well."

"No...I am okay...I think." She hesitates before asking this. "Do you think that dad...er...is he free tomorrow?" Mara was missing her mom so much. Usually, she would talk about it with Fabian or Nina but seeing them so close to each other, she had no other choice but to talk to her father.

"Don't worry Mara. He can always make time for his daughter. When would you like to meet him?" Patricia was thinking of another plan which would make Mara come to her side. But Jerome would be the only person to execute it.

"Umm...how about tomorrow? The small café in downtown?" Mara says a bit relieved. She also felt a bit guilty of how she left things with her dad before. She was a rude, insolent child and would now like to apologize for it.

"Okay honey. Try and get some sleep. I'll tell him about it. Also, don't forget to call me if you have any problems. Okay?"

"Hmm." And she cuts the call. Patricia seems so nice but suspicious at the same time.

x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x

"Remember what we talked about. Dad also approved of this plan so don't you dare to screw this up." Patricia warns Jerome as he was sitting in his car. He was heading towards the café where he had to meet Mara but with bodyguards. He would be followed by Patricia's men to make sure he works according to the plan.

"You don't have to use dad's name to threaten me every time." And closes the car door on her face.

After reaching the place, Jerome takes a deep breath. He has to do this right. He makes sure that the bodyguards are at a distance and enters the café. He looks at her and greets her with a warm smile.

"Hii dad." She greets him cheerfully.

"Hii Mara. Haven't you ordered yet?" He says sitting and glancing at the menu.

"Oh...no I didn't ...I did not know what you liked." She said in a low tone, almost inaudible.

"It's okay. I will eat anything that my daughter will order for me." He says holding her chin up.

After some small talk, Jerome finally starts to lay Patricia's plan on work.

"It's not that Nina is lying. It is just it has been a traumatic experience for the both of you and sometimes...sometimes our minds make up stuff to overcome it. Just like Nina's mind did."

"I don't really follow. Why will she be so specific about who killed mom if she is making it all up?" Mara asks, confused.

"She was traumatized more than you. She did see someone that night but since her mind was that of a teenager, she has fabricated it to say that it was Patricia. She saw her for the first time in her life in the hospital when she was admitted. Then how would she know she was the one who killed Juliana?"

"Even though she did see a person, she doesn't remember him except for a few details. Do you remember you had counseling sessions with the psychiatrist? I don't know how to say this to you...but she kind of confessed." Jerome fiddles with his fingers, begging to god that she would not buy this story.

"What? What confession?" Mara is more confused than ever.

"That...that she killed your mother. At first, we thought it was her trauma speaking. But for the rest of the sessions, the story became clearer. That night she did see a hooded man in her room. She got scared and took the bat beside her to hit him. But it was heavy and while swinging it, she accidentally hit her own mother. Before she could understand anything, she fainted. And the man? The man was a person your mother owed a lot of money to. He said that he was there to just threaten her but after he saw what Nina did, he ran away."

"Then...the man....the man Nina talks about who is in jail?"

"Yes. He is the one. Patricia somehow convinced him to take the blame. She wanted to protect Nina and she ends up being the villain." He holds her hand, "Mara, Patricia has done a lot for the both of you. But the way you girls are repaying her is breaking her heart. Just listen to her, please? Don't try to tell this to Nina, she might have a panic attack. The doctor had suggested that she shouldn't be reminded of these memories."

Mara could feel something in her hands. Was it a piece of paper? She looks at him with confused eyes and Jerome nods at her as if he read her mind. He then signals her to look around her. She notices that the place was surrounded by men. Patricia's men. It was all slowly coming together.

"Just...just stay away from Nina for a while." Mara nods at him. Yes, he was definitely lying. He was lying to show Patricia's men. But why?

After some time, Jerome takes his leave and says one last thing to make her suspicions clear, "Don't trust Nina."

Mara could see the hurt in his eyes when he said this. What was making him say this? More like who was making him say this.

x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x

Back at the villa, Nina was upset. She had got to know that Mara went to meet Jerome alone. She has no problem with her sister meeting their own father but she could have informed her. Somehow, her being alone with Jerome made Nina nervous. She keeps thinking that Mara would be taken away from her.

As soon as the lock of the door turns, Nina gets up with a jump. "Where were you?"

"Nowhere. Just for a stroll." Mara says avoiding Nina's eyes.

"You went to meet dad?"

"Yeah so? Do I need your permission for it?" she acts a bit. She somehow has the feeling that she can't talk about anything that happened today. So the only choice she has is to be rude to her.

"No...I mean you could have informed us. It is still dangerous for you to be out there alone you know." Nina goes towards her to pat her shoulder but Mara doesn't let her.

"It's none of your business okay? Whom I meet or whom I don't. I met my father and I don't think it is a crime. Don't babysit me. I am old enough to know what is right and what is wrong for me." she takes a deep breath. She knows what she will say will be very hurtful but for Nina's sake, she has to do it.

"Just because I talk to you doesn't mean I don't suspect you anymore. You still don't have a proof for yourself or for Patricia." And stomps towards her room. Nina is a bit taken aback. Did she do something wrong? She feels like everything is happening all over again. The time when Mara hated her, it's all coming back.

Fabian, who was watching all this from the kitchen, felt a bit suspicious. It felt as if Mara was saying things she did not mean. He goes over to Nina to console her, who was still standing there in shock.

"I'll talk to her. Don't worry." He taps on her shoulder and heads towards Mara's room.

KNOCK KNOCK!

Mara opens the door with a creak. She had expected Fabian to come.

"What do you want now? Don't lecture me on how to treat my own sister. Stop sucking up to her." It actually hurt Mara to say stuff like this.

"You don't have to pretend to hate her. I can see through your act. The only thing I can't understand is why you are doing this. Is someone threatening you?" Fabian asks, concerned.

"No one is doing anything to me. I am just sick of you people always being around Nina. Nina this Nina that. I am also my mom's daughter but she is the one getting all the attention. Ughhh...just get out of here. I have a headache and I can't listen to you lecturing me right now." And slams the door on his face.

Something is definitely suspicious. Fabian decides to look into it later as he wants to give Mara her space. Maybe she was genuinely feeling left out and this was her way of rebelling.

But Mara wasn't feeling the same. She was feeling guilty. Guilty of hurting Nina. Guilty of lying to Fabian.

"No Mara. This isn't the time to get emotional." She gathers herself and opens the letter which her dad gave her. It was a coded message and after some brainstorming, she finally cracked it.

"Don't believe a single word I said today. I want you to protect Nina at all costs. Patricia is planning something big."

Mara is confused as to what he meant but one thing was clear to her.

I have to protect Nina.