Rehab for SuperVillains (18+)-Chapter 272: Earlier that day

Earlier that day,

The villa was quiet after breakfast, sunlight filtering through the corridors in lazy golden beams, warming the hardwood but doing nothing to ease the tension curling in Kael’s chest like a coiled snake.

His feet whispered against the floor as he walked down the hall toward the twins’ room, his hazel eyes steady but heavy with purpose, the weight of his secrets pressing against his ribs.

The door was slightly ajar, a sliver of sunlight spilling through.

Inside, Lila lay curled sideways on her bed, a soft book cradled between her palms, her curly black hair shimmering faintly in the sunbeam that kissed her shoulder, her black eyes soft and unguarded.

She glanced up as Kael stepped in, her expression warm but sharp, a quiet question in her gaze.

"Hi Kael," she said, tilting her head, her voice sweet, soft as always, her black eyes glistened. "Do you need something from me?"

Kael didn’t answer immediately, standing by the edge of her bed, his arms at his sides, his hazel eyes steady, unwavering.

"I’m going to do the final step today Lila," he said, his voice low, resolute, carrying a weight that made the air thicken.

Lila’s expression faltered, her black eyes flickering, a faint crease forming between her brows.

"...Final step?" she echoed, her voice trembling slightly, her fingers tightening on the book.

He nodded once, his hazel eyes darkening with grim certainty. "Today is an important step for Tila’s rehabilitation."

Lila sat up, her knees folding beneath her, her black eyes wide, her curls bouncing as she set the book aside.

"What are you going to do?" she asked, her voice soft but edged with fear, her hands clenching in her lap.

Kael didn’t hesitate, his tone dropping, heavy and unyielding. "I’m going to show her the truth."

"...The truth?" Lila echoed, her breath catching.

Kael looked at her—through her—his voice a low, steady hammer. "Ashbrook Orphanage."

The air shattered.

The book slipped from Lila’s hands, tumbling to the bed with a soft thud, her lips parting but no sound escaping.

Her entire body went still, as if a blade had pierced her spine, her breath frozen in her chest.

The name—Ashbrook Orphanage—echoed like a curse, a wound torn open after years buried in silence, a lifetime ago, its weight a blood-stain in her ears.

"H-How do you...?" she stammered, her voice breaking, her black eyes glistening with unshed tears. "That place—no one knows. We destroyed it. We—"

"I know," Kael said softly, his hazel eyes steady, his voice a quiet anchor in her rising panic.

Lila’s breath hitched, her hands trembling as she clutched the sheets.

"And I know you two aren’t real twins," Kael said, his words dropping like a blade, sharp and final, cutting through the air.

Lila didn’t answer, didn’t blink, her black eyes frozen, her breath ragged, slow.

For a long moment, she just sat there, a fragile statue, her heart pounding visibly in her chest.

Then she whispered, her voice cracking, barely audible. "You... you know what happened there?"

Kael nodded, his hazel eyes softening, heavy with understanding.

Tears pooled in Lila’s black eyes, spilling over, tracing silent paths down her cheeks, her voice trembling with guilt and fear.

"Then why are you still helping us? Why don’t you hate us? Why don’t you kill us for what we are—what we did? We were monsters, Kael. Wretched things pretending to be people—"

Kael stepped forward, pulling her into his arms, his embrace firm, grounding, a shield against her unraveling.

She didn’t resist, her body trembling against his chest, her black eyes squeezing shut as sobs broke free, soft and fragile, tearing at his heart.

"I don’t hate you," he said quietly, his voice raw, steady, his chin resting against her hair.

"I won’t lie and say what you did was right... but I know desperation. I know the kind of terror that eats children alive. You did what you had to... and when it was done, you built a mask. You wore guilt like armor, played the villain because you thought it protected you."

Lila sobbed softly, her face pressed to his chest, her curls clinging to her tear-streaked cheeks.

"You’re not wretched," Kael said, his voice a quiet vow, his arms tightening around her. "You’re just lost."

"...Will it work?" she whispered, her voice cracking, as she looked up at him. "Whatever you’re going to do with her... will it work?"

Kael exhaled, resting his chin against her hair, his hazel eyes heavy with doubt. "I don’t know," he admitted, his voice low, raw.

He pulled back slowly, meeting her gaze, his hazel eyes steady but heavy with resolve. "But I want to try. That’s why I need your permission."

Lila blinked through her tears, her black eyes searching his. "Permission for what?"

Kael’s expression tightened, his voice low, grim.

"Tila might suffer through this. Pain—real pain. Mental, emotional, maybe worse. And this time... I don’t want you running in to shield her. I need you to give me one day. Just one. Leave her in my hands."

Lila didn’t answer, her body going still, her black eyes wide, her breath shallow.

She pushed gently against him, stepping out of his arms, her curls bouncing, her hands trembling at her sides.

Kael took a slow step back, his hazel eyes watching her, his heart heavy with the weight of his request.

Lila sat in place, silent, her black eyes flickering with a storm of emotions—fear, guilt, love.

Then something shifted, a change so subtle yet so profound it made the air turn cold.

The warmth vanished from her gaze, her posture straightening, a different current filling her veins.

Her tears dried, her lips flattening into something almost neutral, her black eyes snapping to his—unflinching, icy, predator-sharp.

Kael felt it immediately, a chill running down his spine, his hazel eyes narrowing.

"...I knew it was you," he said softly, his voice steady, unshaken.

She tilted her head, her black eyes glinting with a cold, unfamiliar edge, a silent challenge.

Kael’s eyes held hers, his voice low, resolute.

"The shadow twin."