Kali walked into her sister's apartment. She had planned to visit her earlier but kept pushing the date back until she couldn't anymore. June was home, and Kali left work early to catch her sister before it was too late. Samuel had taken the first step with Ember, and it was her turn.

If she waited, who's to tell what Ysabel might do? Just as she informed Kali about Richard as a desperate attempt to cause a rift between them, she might say something to June one of these days.

"I am glad you came. Sit. Can I get you anything?" June asked.

"A cold glass of water, please."

"Sure."

She wanted to tell June herself. Ysabel wasn't below, pulling her side to twist the story and paint Kali in a bad light.

"Thank you." She took the glass from June and drank deeply.

"Are you okay? You seem a little slow today. Exhausted?"

"I am."

"Poor thing. No doubt you have been working hard these past few days."

"Yes, but my exhaustion has less to do with my body and more to do with my mind."

"Oh?"

"There is something I have been wanting to say to you."

"What?" She bounced on the chair, folding her legs and planting her chin on her hand.

"It's something serious, and I want you to allow me to finish explaining before you ask any questions."

"Okay?"

Kali set the glass aside and swallowed nervously. "It's about our debts, the house, and how I actually paid it off."

"You said your mother-in-law did that."

"She did, but at a cost."

"Cost?"

"I asked you to hold your questions, please, or this won't be easy either way." June nodded, and Kali went to the beginning. "Remember the boyfriend I told you about before I announced my wedding to Samuel? Richard? It turns out that he was also Ysabel's lover. We broke up the day I found out, and I left everything regarding him and our past behind. But it wasn't enough. Ysabel found me and made me an offer. I either married Samuel or she would have the loan sharks call in our loans, and our house would be repossessed along with all of Dad's factories.

June gradually grew horrified as understanding dawned, and Kali began speeding up her story. "I refused at first, but I couldn't control my emotions, and in anger, she only gave me minutes to respond instead of days. I couldn't come up with a plan, and I knew she would keep her word, so I said yes. I felt at that moment that I had no other choice. I accepted to marry him."

"Why?" June shrieked. "All this time, Giovanna has been calling you a gold digger. She was claiming that you married her brother for money? The magazines they have printed out. You denied everything and told me she paid that debt because she wanted to. What do you mean you had no other choice? Look at how she treats you, how others treat you. How could this have been better? You lied to me."

"It was never my intention. I didn't want to lie, but Ysabel wouldn't allow me to tell anyone else."

"That's not an excuse."

"I am not excusing anything. I know what I did was wrong, but at the time it was the best option."

"No, it wasn't."

"Would you have preferred that we lost the house? Dad's factories? All the money we had left?"

"Yes. A million times over. I would never have allowed you to sacrifice yourself for me. That's why you didn't tell me. You know I would have been stubborn. I wouldn't have shown up to pick a gown for you to marry a man you didn't love. I suppose you barely knew him, too, right?"

"Yes."

"I would have preferred if we worked something out. I had my university funds. We could have paid off some of the debt with that."

"That wouldn't have made a dent, and you know it. Plus, that money was for sending you to college, nothing more."

"It would have been better. I planned an entire wedding thinking you were marrying the man you loved."

"I know."

"You didn't you trust me? We could have worked something out together."

"I didn't want you to carry this burden."

"We are both their children. I know you are my older sister, but I can take care of you, too. I can make sacrifices."

"It was because of guilt, not because I was trying to treat you like a child. I lived extravagantly all those years because I had a good deal with the sharks. So I took out more and more so I could live comfortably. Most of those debts were mine."

June slowed, bracing her arms on her hips. Kali understood why she was angry, but she had more to say. Kali stood, took June's hand, and led her back to the couch. They sat together, and she softly caressed her sister's hand.

"I know you are angry and have every right to be. But let me finish, and you can chew me out."

"There's more?"

"Unfortunately." Kali held back her tears, barely able to hold herself and finish the story. The more she said, the more ashamed she felt. "I fell in love with Samuel. I am happy now, June. But, I recently learned that Ysabel had more in store for me than just marrying me off to Samuel. She wanted to hurt Richard, Samuel and me. You see...Richard is...is...Samuel's biological father."

"What?"

Kali nodded. "They had an affair years ago, and Samuel was the product of that. She told me herself some days ago."

"What is wrong with that woman? What is wrong with Samuel? I thought he was a good man. I really did."

"He is."

"His mother bought you! She forced you to marry him, and he let it happen. How can you say that?"

"Samuel didn't want to be married to me either. His mother forced him by threatening the freedom of his ex-girlfriend. He is a good person. One of the few good things that came out of this marriage."

"Why would he do such a thing if the woman was his ex? Don't get me wrong, I am not saying he should have allowed his mom to hurt her, but he could have found an alternative."

"She wasn't his ex then. They were together. She did something, and his mother found out. His choices were to break up or watch her go to prison. He couldn't bring himself to do it."

"Why?"

"We don't know. We still don't know. I don't think it was meant to go on for as long as it did. What felt like it would only be a month or two is nearing a year."

June fell silent. Kali wished she could say everything at once, but she knew June needed time to take everything in. She released her sister's hand, shuffling back on the couch to give her a little space when June sprung out of the seat and made a beeline for the door.

It took a second for Kali to realise what June intended to do. She staggered to her feet, rushing towards the door and barely making it in time to stop her sister.

Kali slammed her back against the door, forcing it shut and perched herself in front of it.

"Where are you going."

"I am going to tear that house down. You said you felt guilty for the debts. Fine. But guilt is not a reason to have anyone treat you how that woman does. I thought she was a bit much. But I convinced myself that she was a prissy, overprotective mom. If she thinks she can humiliate you, I will remind her that you are not alone. She is going to hear me."

"June, no."

"What do you mean by no? You've wasted enough time keeping quiet. Now it ends."

"It's going to end, okay? I promise. I am also tired of everything. I am working on ending things. I need you to trust me."

"Like you trusted me?"

"I know you are angry, but I am not the only one at stake here. If we don't do this right, two innocent people could lose their freedom. Samuel and I want us to be a complete family. Without lies. Without secrets. And without costing anyone anything. For that to happen, we need to be smart."

"Smart." June scoffed. "Do you know what this feels like? All the time I spent with that family, all of it was a lie. It finally felt like you found a place to be happy. Instead, it was all lies."

"It wasn't. Peter, Ember, their love is real. Forgive me for lying. In fact, don't forgive me if you think that's what I deserve, but the family you found here is real. Peter loves you, and so does Ember and Timothy. Giovanna is coming around too, and Samuel adores you."

"You both fell in love."

"We did. And I am happy."

"With the son of your ex?" Kali stuttered, lowering her head as the tears finally fell. "That is what she has done to you. That is the life she gave you. And me? I knew nothing. Gosh, how I enjoyed all this? The money, the good life. My sister was finally living her dream, and I got to live it with her. She had good man, good-in-laws."

"It still hurts. I can admit that. It hurts that Richard is still in my life, and in the worst way possible, but I am not going to acknowledge even his shadow. He was and is the biggest curse of my life, but I don't plan to let him win."

"Win what? It's not a game."

"It is. To the both of them, it is." She soothed June by rubbing her arms lovingly. "Please, let's sit, and let's finish."

"There's more!"

"Yes."

"Oh my goodness."

Kali managed to get June back on the couch and offered her a glass of water to drink. She did so grudgingly. When June set the cup aside, Kali poured herself another glass and drank from it. She dried her tears and gathered herself.

"The only thing I have left to say I am saying because of what you said. The people you have come to love love you, too. They see you as part of the family because you are. Samuel and I weren't in love when we married, but the marriage is real. Now more than ever. Timothy is still every bit a father figure to us both, and his love is real, too. He sees you, sees us as his daughters."

"Does he no."

"No. But he will find out soon, and I am sure he would be as disappointed in us as you are. I only have one thing to ask."

"What?"

"I didn't do it for the money. I want you to believe and understand that. If she left the debt for me, I would have paid. It had nothing to do with money and everything to do with keeping our home and our father's factories. Don't be disappointed in me."

June shook her head. "I am not. I know you like to live well, but I also know you won't get married just for money. That I believe."

"Will you forgive me?"

"I am disappointed to find all this out, but mostly because of all you had to go through. I don't know how you will live like this."

"If you are with me, I'd survive anything. I can't do this without you."

"You've been doing it without me for months."

"No. You have been by my side. All this time. I am afraid by telling you the truth, I'd lose you. Things are already hard enough for me."

"I don't like the decision you made. I hate the life you've been living because of it. But I understand what made you do it. It will take some time to come to terms with everything, but I am here. I will always be here."

Kali teared up again. "Thank you. Thank you so much."

"But no more lies."

"None. Everything I have told you is all there is."

June bobbed her head. "Since you don't want me making a scene, I want you to tell me what plan you have to end this charade once and for all."

Kali took a deep breath and filled June in on everything they had planned to unearth Ysabel's true motives and protect anyone who could be caught in the aftermath of her anger. Heads would roll once they upended her plans, or at least Kali thought so.

They needed to cover all their bases.