When Reika answered, her answer was cryptic:"Summer in the States is always great,stay out of our way,and you won't be a mistake."

Reika’s reply echoed in my mind like an unsolvable riddle. Her cryptic message—"Summer in the States is always great, stay out of our way, and for our parents you won't be a mistake"—left me with more questions than answers. I could sense the underlying tension in her words, the unspoken threat, but there was something else buried beneath the surface: a suggestion, perhaps even a solution.

Summer. Reika was referring to Summer, Dad’s old friend. I hadn’t thought about her in years, not since I was a toddler, keeping my distance while she visited. I had always sensed that she wasn’t just a family friend, though. There was more to her, something that caused Mom to avoid even mentioning her name. I’d heard bits and pieces over the years—how Mom had been jealous, how Summer was originally supposed to marry Dad before he chose mom instead.

The idea of going to live with Summer seemed like the perfect escape. It would keep me away from Tifani and Reika’s schemes, give me the space I desperately needed, and, most importantly, make me appear to be taking the 'helpful' step my parents wanted without letting them send me somewhere I couldn’t control. But I knew Mom wouldn’t like it. Sending me to Summer would be a painful reminder of the past she had tried to bury. And with tensions already high between them, I doubted she’d agree without a fight.

Still, it was worth a try. I needed to act quickly before Tifani could weave another web around me.

I approached my parents later that evening, trying to sound as calm and composed as possible. "Mom, Dad, I’ve been thinking a lot about what you said," I began, carefully choosing my words. "You’re right—I’ve been under a lot of stress, and maybe stepping away from all of this would be a good idea."

They looked at me, surprised by my sudden change in tone. Mom’s face softened slightly, but I could see the wariness in her eyes. Dad nodded, encouraging me to continue.

"I was thinking..." I hesitated for a moment, then pressed forward. "What if I went to stay with Summer for a while? She’s in the States, away from the media, away from everything here. It would give me a chance to get away and... recenter myself, like you suggested."

Mom’s reaction was immediate. Her eyes narrowed, and her lips pressed into a thin line."Summer is not your family,wouldn't you rather stay with your θείες in Greece instead?Reika is already with your θείες in Greece, and it would be good for you to reconnect with your roots." Her voice was sharp, her words dripping with disapproval.

I had expected resistance, but the force of her reaction still hit me like a wave. I could see the jealousy bubbling beneath the surface, the old wounds flaring up at the mere mention of Summer’s name. My mother had never let go of the fact that Summer was supposed to marry Dad, and now the idea of sending me to her—of letting her play a role in my life—was too much for her to bear.

Dad, however, remained quiet, his expression thoughtful. He was weighing the pros and cons, trying to find a solution that wouldn’t tear the family apart even further. After a long silence, he spoke. "Adara, maybe Yukina has a point. It’s not about Summer; it’s about Yukina getting the space she needs. We’ve already sent Reika away... we can’t do that to Yuki too, at least not in the same way. The media is watching us closely, and anything we do could easily be blown out of proportion. If she goes to Summer, it could be seen as a responsible decision—a family friend helping in a time of need."

Mom’s eyes flashed with anger, but she didn’t immediately argue back. She knew Dad had a point. Sending me to Greece would raise questions. The press had speculated enough about Reika’s sudden disappearance; another one of their daughters being shipped off abroad could stir up even more rumors. But sending me to Summer? That could be spun as something more palatable to the public.

"Yuki has met Summer before, hasn’t she?" Dad continued, as though trying to defuse the situation. "When she was younger. It’s not like she’d be with a stranger."

I nodded, though the memories of Summer were vague and distant. I remembered her as someone kind but aloof, someone who stayed out of Tifani’s and Reika’s way. That alone made her more appealing to me now. If I had to be anywhere, at least with her, I wouldn’t have to constantly watch my back.

Mom was silent for a long moment, her hands gripping the armrests of her chair so tightly that her knuckles turned white. Finally, she sighed, her voice strained. "Fine," she said through clenched teeth. "But this isn’t permanent, Fuyuki. She goes there for a while, and only for as long as it takes for her to get better. And I want regular updates from Summer. I don’t want to be left in the dark about my own daughter."

I felt a small surge of relief, but I knew this wasn’t over. Mom’s reluctance was palpable, and she wouldn’t make this easy for me. But for now, I had won the first battle. I would get out of here, away from Tifani’s manipulations and Reika’s cryptic warnings.

As I walked back to my room, I couldn’t shake the feeling that this was only the beginning of a much bigger game. Reika’s message still lingered in my mind, and I knew there was more to her cryptic words than just a suggestion to leave. There was something she wasn’t telling me—something I needed to figure out before it was too late.

Summer in the States might be my escape, but it was also a new battlefield. I had to be ready for whatever came next.

That night once Tifani fell asleep I snooped on her letters again and found a concerning letter that sent chills down my spine. It wasn’t like the others, filled with superficial gossip and idle chatter. This one was different—short, concise, and full of quiet menace. It was addressed to someone I didn’t recognize, written in Reika’s hand:

"The pieces are moving. Stay quiet and wait, Tifani and I will handle the rest. The spotlight won’t be on us for long, and when it shifts, the fall will be spectacular. The Kumo and Astrino names won’t recover. By the time they realize, it will be too late."

My heart pounded as I read those words, the implications sinking in. Reika and Tifani weren’t just playing their usual twisted games—they were planning something far bigger. Something that could ruin not just me, but the entire family. They were setting the stage for a public scandal, something that could destroy the very foundation of everything my parents had built.

But why? Why would they go this far? The jealousy, the manipulations—they had always been there, simmering beneath the surface. But this felt darker, more dangerous than anything they had done before.

As I carefully placed the letter back where I found it, my mind raced. Reika’s cryptic warning suddenly made sense: "Stay out of our way.";She wasn’t just trying to get rid of me; she was protecting their plan. They didn’t want me interfering, didn’t want me around to piece together what they were doing.

And yet, I couldn’t shake the feeling that this was only a small part of something much larger, something I hadn’t yet uncovered. What exactly were they planning? And why were they so sure that it would bring down the family?

I felt a shiver run down my spine. Whatever it was, I had to stop it. But how could I fight against them when I barely understood what was happening? Reika and Tifani had always been one step ahead, and now, with me heading to the States, I was about to be out of the picture entirely.

Before I could think any further, I noticed a small note tucked underneath Tifani’s pillow. It was hastily written, as though she didn’t expect anyone to find it:

"Summer in the States might be great for Yukina, but by the time she’s back, it won’t matter. We’ll be legends, Reika. Legends. And they’ll be nothing but a headline."

The note confirmed my worst fears. Tifani and Reika weren’t just plotting to tarnish the family’s reputation—they were aiming for something bigger, something that would cement their legacy while destroying ours.

As I slipped back into my room, I knew that I couldn’t let them win. But I was out of time. Summer was my only chance to regroup, to figure out how to stop them before they could carry out their plan. Whatever it was, it was going to hit hard and fast.

I lay awake for hours that night, my mind spinning with the weight of what I had uncovered. The Astrino name was hanging by a thread, and only I knew the truth.

But the final, cryptic words of Reika’s letter echoed in my mind, haunting me:

“By the time they realize, it will be too late.”

And with that, I knew I was racing against a clock I couldn’t see.