Shawn sighed, "You have more plans, right? Then focus on them. Leave the aftermath of this to the adults."
"That's right. You, young lady, should just focus on your recovery and what you will do after this."
The two of them turned to the door.
Wynter's eyes went wide, and she tried to get up.
"Don't… You can keep lying down," Sabrina said with a warm smile.
"But…" she trailed off, looking at the four people who came in.
"You are still injured, better stay lying down," Tiffany added.
"I am your doctor. And I say that you should keep lying down," Dominick followed.
Wynter blinked.
Her already disoriented mind a while ago became even more disoriented.
She heard that Shawn's family saved her, but she did not know that the Ashcroft family was also involved.
What's more, they came to visit her?
"Anyway, for now, Shawn is right. What you need to think about is what you wish to do next. As you are well aware, your family won't let you go just because we are the ones who took you away from there," Dominick started speaking.
"Something…" Wynter spoke up.
"Something I'm really grateful for. Even though it was also true that I used Shawn and his family for this. I—"
"How many times—"
"Shawn."
Shawn interrupted her, but Sabrina interrupted him instead.
Wynter looked at them, her eyes filled with guilt.
And despite their words that she should keep lying down, she still chose to sit up and face them properly.
"I could have done things differently without involving any of you. But instead, I made use of my connection to him, knowing that he would surely ask for your help since he would go against the Morgrave Family."
No one else talked, and they simply listened to her.
"I am no different from them, making use of whatever connection we have to have the outcome that we want. For that, I'm so sorry for my decision. I realized it too late."
"Why?" Sabrina asked her.
She looked at her.
"Why did you realize it too late?"
Wynter blinked. She opened her lips and closed them. Repeating this cycle before taking a deep breath.
"Because I don't want…"
"You don't want?"
"…"
"What, Lady Morgrave?" Sabrina sternly continued asking.
Shawn looked at his mother.
She was always gentle and warm, she rarely acted so sternly towards him or his sister. Even towards his cousins.
When she did speak this way, it was because she wanted someone to understand their fault. Or what they truly desire.
Wynter suddenly felt like a child who was being made to confess her faults.
"I don't want to be hurt even more," she cried.
Sabrina was looking straight into her eyes.
Not with the eyes of accusation or anger but of clarity and gentleness. Waiting patiently for her to be honest.
That is why for the first time in a very long time, she found herself crying, tears dropping without stop.
"I'm so sorry. I did not mean to get you all involved, but… but… with my other plans… I will get hurt, I will get hurt again and again. And I don't want to anymore. I don't want to get hurt anymore!!"
Shawn was stunned in place.
Just how much did she endure all her life?
Sabrina smiled before walking closer and enveloping her into a warm embrace.
"Yes, you did it for yourself. You did it to save yourself. That much of selfishness is fine, you can have that much."
Wynter cried more, as if all the tears she could not shed over the past years were now being shed.
Gabriel, who had arrived moments ago, sighed as he waited outside.
…
"Thank… you… for everything," Wynter said after she calmed down.
She felt lighter and much better.
"I don't know what they plan on doing now, but I won't cause— Ouch!"
She looked at Tiffany, stunned.
Tiffany had flicked a finger on her forehead.
Her look made both Sabrina and Tiffany giggle. She was looking at Tiffany as if wondering what had just happened.
"Since we are all already here, you don't have to think about doing things on your own. Or not getting us involved because we already are," Tiffany then told her.
She looked at the others who were looking back at her.
"And that is why we are all here as well."
Wynter tilted her head in bewilderment.
"We are going to ask you what you plan on doing now. Will you be continuing what you were studying, then we have discussed that you will be staying with the Lockhart Family, or if you…"
Tiffany trailed off.
Wynter wanted to ask for time since she had not spoken with her partner yet. Since she chose a different plan from what they were already planning since long ago, they have not talked about what to do next.
But she was shocked to hear that Shawn's family was willing to take her in.
"…if you want to pursue a career in scriptwriting or acting, you can stay with us."
Wynter stared at Tiffany blankly.
Tiffany smiled knowingly, "Shawn had told us that you have a talent for scriptwriting. And that you also have a talent with acting, but you don't seem like you were inclined to that side."
"I…"
This is truly unexpected.
She was too overwhelmed to come up with anything to say.
"Those are your options because we plan on protecting you from the Morgrave Family. And you staying with one of our places is the best way for us to protect you."
"Why… are you all doing this much for a stranger?"
This was the first thing that came to her mind.