"I am the father of this mute boy, and I have the authority to decide whether he leaves or not! I won't be spending a single cent on this treatment; he's leaving immediately!" Damian's father shouted as he advanced toward Damian.
 
As soon as he entered the room, Damian stiffened, his face displaying distress as his father closed in on him.
 
This situation did not go unnoticed by Aleena or Dr. Matthew, who already harbored suspicions about how Damian had sustained his injuries.
 
"Mr. Robert, please refrain from getting any closer to your son. He is still in the process of healing, and trust me, he absolutely requires this treatment," Dr. Matthew implored.
 
Damian's father glared angrily at Dr. Matthew.
 
"Listen carefully, this young mute boy is my son, and he will return home, whether he agrees to it or not!"
 
The nurse gasped audibly, and Doctor Park's eyes widened in shock.
 
The harsh scraping of a chair across the floor captured the entire group's attention. Aleena rose from her seat, her anger surpassing even that of Damian's father. Her hands trembled with barely contained rage at her sides, her gaze locked onto the older man.
 
"How dare you utter such words about Damian!" Aleena exclaimed.
 
Aleena's mind flashed back to the moment when Damian had been unconscious in her arms, blood on his head and bruises marring his body. It had been the most terrifying moment of her life. Her hands shook violently as he dialed 119, anxiously awaiting the arrival of the ambulance. She recalled glancing up at the staircase where Damian's father had stood, frozen in shock. Aleena had instantly recognized him as the source of Damian's suffering, and she had never despised anyone more. Although she had wanted to confront the man, perhaps even throw a punch, her primary concern had been for Damian.
 
She had spent the entire night at Damian's bedside, waiting for the boy to regain consciousness. Now, this man had the audacity to enter this room, insult and demean his own son, and attempt to take him home when Damian hadn't even healed from the injuries he had inflicted.
 
Aleena seethed with fury.
 
"How dare you walk in here as if you weren't the one who caused him harm! You don't deserve to be called his father; you're a monster!" Aleena declared coldly, her voice quivering with emotion.
 
"Why, you little..." Damian's father growled, shifting menacingly toward Aleena. "Who are you to speak to me like that!"
 
Aleena remained unfazed, staring resolutely back at him.
 
"I love Damian. After this, you'll never see him again," Aleena stated calmly.
 
His father's eyes widened with fury as he unleashed a barrage of angry shouts, advancing menacingly toward Aleena.
 
Dr. Matthew immediately sensed the escalating confrontation and stepped in, hastily calling for the nurse to summon security. The nurse yelped and hurried out of the room, while Dr. Matthew worked to restrain Damian's father, who continued to hurl profanities at both Aleena and Damian.
 
"Worthless child!" he continued to yell as he was forcibly removed from the room.
 
Dr. Matthew then turned his sympathetic gaze to Damian, who remained in a state of shock, frozen in place since his father's departure.
 
"Damian," Dr. Matthew began, adjusting his glasses, "I want you to understand that there are various legal measures you can take against your father. The hospital staff is here to support you, and he won't be able to come near you again. I'll leave you alone for now, but I'll return to talk to you later." With that, he exited the room and closed the door behind him.
 
Silence enveloped the room, leaving only Damian and Aleena in its wake.
 
Damian's mind raced with a whirlwind of thoughts, but Aleena's declaration to his father had almost short-circuited his mind. "I love Damian," Aleena had said, utterly serious, her voice unwavering.
 
Still in shock from everything that had transpired, Damian couldn't shake the impact of Aleena's confession. Aleena hadn't shown disgust toward Damian when his father yelled at her; instead, she had glared angrily at Damian's father.
 
Deep in thought, Damian's brow furrowed as his heart raced at the thought of Aleena.
 
Aleena, on the other hand, stole a glance at Damian. Her expression was a mix of nervousness and lingering anger over the ordeal. Then, realization struck her—she had just proclaimed her love for Damian in front of him. She had been so caught up in her anger that she had forgotten Damian was in the room. What if Damian hated her?
 
But the words were true, she realized. She hadn't hesitated for a moment.
 
She loved Damian. She had grown to love the boy who didn't speak but conveyed his emotions so deeply though his eyes. Aleena wanted to be there for Damian, by his side, even in silence. Damian had mended the hole in her heart, despite having multiple holes in her own. Damian, who had been there for her all this time, and whom Aleena loved with all her heart, perhaps even more than she had loved Shane.
 
She had already said it; there was no going back now.
 
Aleena was about to say what she had intended to say from the start—that nothing would happen between her and Shane—when a small, hesitant voice beat her to it.
 
"Is it true?"
 
The words were barely audible, and Aleena would have missed them if she hadn't been fixated on Damian. It took her a moment to process that Damian had spoken, and she felt a rush of excitement.
 
"Hmmm?" Aleena responded, not quite intelligibly.
 
Damian's eyes remained wide, locked onto Aleena's.
 
"Do you love me?" Damian clarified, hope and vulnerability shining in his gaze.
 
His voice was gruff and slightly raspy from disuse, much deeper than Aleena had imagined.
 
Aleena's heart threatened to leap out of her chest, and she couldn't tear her eyes away from Damian's. She gulped, her throat suddenly dry.
 
"Yes," she answered, voice trembling. "Absolutely." She breathed, her words quivering.
 
Damian's heart swelled, feeling as though it might burst out of his chest. The presence of the girl before him made him happier than he could have ever imagined. For the first time since his mother's passing, he didn't feel worthless. He had something to live for, even if it was just to see Aleena smile. The shackles that had bound his voice for nearly a year melted away, and he felt like he could finally breathe, speak, and not be afraid.
 
Using his voice after so long felt strange but in a wonderful way. He found himself hoping for a future, even in the face of a past filled with hopelessness. Aleena was with him now, declaring her love for him.
 
Even if it was only temporary, even if a small part of Aleena still loved Shane, for Damian, this moment was enough.
 
"Me too," he rasped.
 
Aleena's responding smile was the most beautiful thing Damian had ever seen.