She glanced up, brows crinkling in curiosity. “Sure.”
The two slipped out of the ward and into the corridor, where the sterile chill of the hospital pressed in around them. The soft hum of the HVAC filled the silence as they walked a short distance away from the door.
Seven hesitated for a moment, as if gathering his thoughts. “K, I need a favor.”
Katherine tilted her head slightly, waiting.
“I can’t leave here for a while, but I need my laptop… and a change of clothes. Could you go to the house and grab them for me? The door passcode is your birthday.”
“Got it,” Katherine nodded slowly, sensing that there was more. “Is there anything else?”
Seven’s jaw tightened, shadows from the fluorescent light emphasizing the tension etched across his features. “There’s something else,” he admitted, his words heavy.
“Before Dad passed, he left some important documents—his will, the house deed, everything.” His eyes met hers, filled with quiet intensity. “They’re in a safe in your closet. The code’s the same as the door.”
He paused, watching her closely. “He left everything to you; you can decide what to do with all the assets. If you want to sell the house, I can move out anytime.”
“What?” Katherine blinked, like her mind had short-circuited. “Why would he leave everything to me? I thought...”
Her voice trailed off, but the unspoken words hung between them: I thought you were his favorite.
Seven’s lips softened into a wistful smile. “There’s a letter in the safe… from Dad. When you read it, you’ll understand.”
For a second, his gaze faltered. There was vulnerability there, something she rarely saw in him. “You’re strong, independent, capable now,” he murmured, “but to me, you’ll always be my little sister. No matter what, I’m here for you. Always remember that.”
Katherine’s throat constricted, a rush of sorrow crashing into her. Her father’s love, his expectations—suddenly heavy on her shoulders. Her lips parted, but no sound came. Then, without warning, her vision blurred, and the tears began to fall, hot and unstoppable. Guilt tore through her chest like claws, dredging up years of misunderstandings, years of distance.
Seven pulled her in for a hug, his embrace firm and grounding as she trembled against him. “I’m sorry I can’t be with you right now,” he whispered. “I’ve arranged for Dad to be buried next to Mom… in case you want to pay your respects.”
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That did it. The dam broke.
Her sobs came in ragged waves, raw and wrenching, echoing softly down the sterile hall. Seven held her tighter, saying nothing more, just letting her grieve. His shirt grew damp under her tears, but he didn’t flinch.
It felt like forever before she finally pulled back, her breath hitching as she tried to compose herself. Her cheeks were blotched, her lashes wet. “I… I’ll go tomorrow,” she finally said.
……
Inside the ward, lighthearted banter filled the space. But when Seven and Katherine returned, a hush fell, the mood instantly shifting, turning somber.
Katherine’s tear-streaked face was the first thing Ami noticed, and her maternal instincts kicked in. “Little Kate, what’s wrong?” She reached out, touching her arm. “Did your brother bully you?”
The gentle question undid her. The dam she’d been trying to hold up collapsed again, and fresh tears spilled. She clung to Ami like a child, her speech cracking with raw emotion. “No… I made a mistake... a terrible mistake... and now I’ll never get my Dad’s forgiveness...”
After Katherine poured out the gist of her woes, Ami wrapped her arms around her. “Little Kate,” she soothed, “I’m so sorry for your loss and for the misunderstanding you had with your father. I’ve never met him, but I doubt he favored Seven over you. That would explain why he left everything to you.”
She paused, letting that sink in before adding, “If I’m right, your father probably spent his time disciplining and training Seven. But he didn’t do that with you.”
Katherine pulled back just enough to meet her eyes, her breath catching in her throat. “H–How did you know?”
Ami smiled softly, brushing a strand of hair from her cheek. “From the way Seven looks after Sana. That protectiveness… it reminds me of my boys learning from their father. I imagine your dad taught him the same way.”
The truth hit Katherine hard. All those years of resentment, all those wrong conclusions were shattered. It wasn’t favoritism. It was preparation, a hand-off of responsibility from father to son.
Tears welled again, but this time they came with the bittersweet knowledge of a love she had doubted for far too long. “I’ve wronged him,” she whimpered, burying her face in the crook of Ami’s neck. “I’ve wronged him all these years.”
Ami stroked her back gently. “It’s alright, Little Kate. He’s at peace now with your mother. He must’ve entrusted everything to Seven, otherwise he would’ve stubbornly held on until you returned.”
Seven, who’d stayed mum until now, spoke quietly. “Aunt Ami’s right. Dad refused treatment… said he missed Mom, and all he wanted was to be with her again.”
He wavered, then added, “He told me to leave the service after he passed away, to find you and take care of you. There’s more in his letter to you. I… I hope you’ll be able to accept everything he wrote.”
Katherine lifted her doleful gaze to her brother. “You… you know what Dad wrote?”
Seven gave a small nod. “Yes.”
Silence hung between them, thick with sentiments too heavy to be said. Then Seven cleared his throat. “K, I need your help with one more thing. Sana bled out in the backseat of my car. I can’t leave now. Could you arrange for it to be cleaned?”
Before she could answer, Kasra stepped in. “Don’t trouble Kate with this, Seven. I’ll handle it. If there’s anything else you need, just say the word. We’ve inconvenienced you enough.”
Seven handed him the key fob. “Thanks, Kasra. It’s a silver Range Rover Sport. Plate reads ‘HTTP 404’. There’s a find-my-car kiosk in the garage. It shouldn’t be hard to locate.”
Katherine watched on, but her thoughts had already strayed. Seven's mention of the letter from her father lingered, looping over and over in her mind. What could he have written? The digital safe waited in her closet, and her heart raced. What secrets did it hold?
Author’s Note 1:
A little something for the tech-savvy among you—did you notice the license plate on Seven’s car? Those who know their HTTP codes might have smirked (or quietly geeked out) along with a certain someone… ??
Author’s Note 2:
Thank you for reading! Katherine is left wondering what her father’s letter contains. The suspense continues… ??
Tuesday, 5 PM SGT (Singapore). That’s:
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5 PM CST (Beijing, China)
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6 AM EST (New York)
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3 AM PST (Los Angeles)
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11 AM GMT (London)