Khian's POV
The weeks had passed like a blur, and every single one felt heavier than the last. It wasn’t just the weight of the situation, Ethan’s recovery, our dad’s arrest, it was seeing Ella slowly break down. She wasn’t the same. She had this look in her eyes that haunted me, like she was there with us but somewhere far away at the same time. 
Ella had always been the strong one, holding it together when the world felt like it was falling apart. But these past few weeks, I could see how the cracks were beginning to show. Every day, she’d find a new way to beg me, to plead with me to let her visit Dad. And every day, I’d say no. I knew it wasn’t because I wanted to punish him, deep down, I just didn’t know how to handle it myself. 
What do you even say to your father when he’s the reason everything fell apart?
But I couldonly hold her off for so long. Sunday morning came, and I saw her sitting in the garden of our house, lost in her thoughts again. Her shoulders were slumped, her head down, and her hands loosely holding onto her phone, though I knew she wasn’t really paying attention to it. It hit me then, she wasn’t going to stop asking. And maybe... maybe she was right.
She just wanted to see him. To talk to him, to ask him questions that I don't have the courage to tell her.
I took a deep breath, walking toward her. The cool breeze of the morning swept through the garden, rustling the leaves as I stood behind her, my hands tightening around the piece of paper in my pocket. Ella didn’t even look up as I approached. She was too far gone in her thoughts, in her sadness.
"Hey," I said softly, standing beside her. She blinked, lifting her head to glance at me, but her face didn’t change. It was like she couldn’t muster up the energy to even pretend to smile anymore.
I reached into my pocket, pulling out the paper and unfolding it slowly. "Ella," I said, my voice almost breaking. "I think it’s time."
Her eyes widened, and for the first time in days, I saw a spark of something. She looked from me to the paper in my hands, her expression a mix of surprise and confusion. 
"What... what is that?" she asked, her voice quiet, hesitant.
I handed it to her, my heart pounding in my chest. "It’s a visit pass. You can see him."
Her hands trembled as she took the paper from me, her eyes scanning it over and over again as if she couldn’t believe what she was reading. Then, without warning, tears welled up in her eyes, and she pressed the pass against her chest, letting out a shaky breath.
"Thank you," she whispered, her voice barely audible. "Khian, thank you."
I nodded, sitting down next to her, the weight of the moment sinking in. "I didn’t want to keep you away from him," I said, my voice thick with emotion. "I just didn’t know how to deal with it. I didn’t want you to get hurt more."
Ella wiped at her tears, but they kept coming, streaming down her cheeks as she held the pass tightly in her hands. "I need to see him, Khian. I just... I need to know why."
I nodded again. I understood, even if I didn’t have the same need. She needed closure, and I wasn’t going to stand in her way anymore.
---
Later that afternoon, we made the drive to the prison. The silence between us was heavy, both of us lost in our own thoughts. Ella kept fidgeting with the pass in her hands, her fingers tracing over the edges as if she was still trying to make sense of it all.
When we arrived, the guards led us through a series of locked doors until we finally reached the visitation area. My stomach twisted as we sat down at the small metal table, waiting for him to appear. Ella looked nervous, her foot tapping against the floor, her eyes darting around the room. 
Then the door opened, and he walked in. Our dad. He looked older than I remembered, more tired. The years had taken a toll on him, and the weight of his actions seemed to hang on his shoulders.
Ella froze, her eyes glued to him as he slowly approached the table. He sat down across from us, his hands clasped together in front of him. For a moment, no one said anything. The silence stretched on, and I could feel the tension in the air like a heavy fog.
"Ella, Khian..." Dad’s voice was rough, like he hadn’t spoken in days. "I didn’t think... I didn’t know if you’d ever come."
Ella blinked, her eyes red from holding back tears. "Why, Dad?" she whispered, her voice shaking. "Why did you do it?"
He looked down at his hands, his face contorted in pain. "I didn’t mean for any of this to happen," he said quietly. "I was trying to protect us. The business, the family. But it got out of control. I made mistakes, Ella. Terrible mistakes."
I clenched my fists under the table, fighting the urge to yell at him. He had no idea how much damage he’d caused, not just to us, but to Ethan and his family too.
Ella’s voice broke the silence again. "You hurt people, Dad. You hurt us. Why didn’t you just tell us the truth?"
Dad’s eyes filled with tears, and he looked up at her, his expression full of regret. "I thought I was protecting you. I didn’t want you to hate me. But I see now that I was wrong. I should’ve told you the truth from the beginning."
Ella wiped at her face, her hands trembling. "I don’t hate you, Dad. I just... I just wish you’d trusted us enough to tell us."
He nodded, tears slipping down his cheeks. "I’m so sorry, Ella. I’m sorry for everything."
I swallowed hard, my throat tight. "It’s too late for apologies," I said, my voice low. "But you did the right thing by turning yourself in. That’s all we can ask for now."
Dad nodded again, his shoulders slumping. "I’ll face whatever comes. I deserve it."
Ella reached across the table, her hand trembling as she placed it over his. "I just want you to be okay, Dad."
He looked up at her, his eyes full of sadness. "I will be. I’ll be okay, as long as you two are."
We sat there for a while longer, talking about the past, about the mistakes he’d made, about how things could’ve been different. It was a difficult conversation, but it was one that needed to happen. 
As we left the prison, I could see a change in Ella. She still looked sad, but there was a weight that had lifted off her shoulders. She had the answers she needed, even if they weren’t the ones she wanted to hear.
In the car on the way back, Ella looked out the window, her eyes distant but calm. "Thank you for taking me." she said quietly, not looking at me.
I glanced at her, then back at the road. "You needed this, Ella. I’m glad we went."
She nodded, and for the first time in a long time, I saw a small, genuine smile on her face. The pieces were starting to come together, slowly but surely.