After the meeting with the chancellors, Olivia and Melvin walked out of the room together.

"Thank you," Melvin said, her gaze fixed on the sea as they made their way down the corridor.

"You're welcome," Olivia replied, looking over at Melvin.

"Does that make us friends?" Olivia asked, her voice tinged with both hope and doubt.

"I don't think so," Melvin said, running her hand along the silver fence as they walked. "I can't forgive your mom for all the chaos we went through that easily, and I can't just forget that you're her daughter, not that easily. It's even harder for Kalvin. He suffered even more than me," she explained, her eyes focused ahead.

"I understand. It's not easy for me to forgive my mom either, but I try because I don't want to die hating her," Olivia said, her voice laced with emotion as she thought of her mother.

"I can relate to that. I hate Kalvin, but I don't want to," Melvin sighed.

"You love him, you just can't forgive him for what he did. You can't accept that he killed someone," Olivia said, her understanding evident.

Melvin looked at her. "He never abandoned you as my mom did to me," Olivia said, sorrow in her voice.

"Guess life was hard on you too, then," Melvin said thoughtfully. Olivia nodded, letting out a heavy breath. Melvin bit her lip for a moment.

"Can you do me one favour?" she asked, uncertainty in her tone. Olivia nodded, meeting Melvin's gaze.

"As a start, tell Carl about this, then Tara or Curie. We can't just go around telling people we're the children of criminals," Melvin said.

Olivia considered her request, then nodded. "Okay, I'll let them know. It's the least I can do to help," she replied, her expression resolute.

The two young women continued their walk, the weight of their shared burden palpable between them, yet a glimmer of understanding and tentative trust had begun to emerge, a small step towards a fragile alliance in the face of their uncertain futures.

As soon as Olivia reached the dining room, Carl, who had been waiting for her for an hour, stood up.

"Hey, you okay? What's going on?" he asked curiously, searching for clues in her face.

"Mmm," Olivia said, sitting down at a table next to him, thinking about how to start.

"It's a long story," she said, looking into his amber-colored eyes.

"Then, long story short," he said jokingly, still curious. Olivia smiled.

"Okay, there's no short way, so I'll tell you the long story," she said, smiling at him. He nodded, still smiling.

The boy called Norman, who was working in the restaurant because he loved cooking, came to them.

A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation.

"Anything from the trolly?" he joked, and Carl smiled.

"Two milkshakes, please, sir," he replied jokingly, and the boy left, smiling.

"On my way," he said, walking to the kitchen.

"That's a funny guy with no family at all. I wonder why he joined the crew, knowing about the risks," Carl said, looking back at Norman.

"Who knows, he might have his reasons," Olivia said, not caring much as she was nervous to tell Carl the story.

"Back to the topic," Carl said, staring at Olivia. Olivia stared at him, taking a heavy breath before starting the long story.

Olivia took her time explaining everything to Carl, being careful not to include the details about the Asia case, and not revealing any information that could put both of their lives at risk.

As she finished, Carl let out a long breath. "This is complicated," he said, raising his eyebrows to indicate the gravity of the situation.

"Do you think it's their fault?" Olivia asked, looking at him carefully, curious to hear his perspective.

"Well, I can't say that," Carl replied thoughtfully. "Also, you can't say Kalvin is right either."

Olivia frowned. "But it's not fair to blame. Everyone makes mistakes," she argued.

"It's a crime, Liv, not a mistake," Carl said, his voice laced with seriousness.

Olivia let out a loud breath. "Now it's clear why he hates you, your mom. She tried to kill them for being a criminal's kids. Didn't they tell you why that criminal was highly wanted?"

"No, I think it could be some secret information," Olivia replied, a hint of nervousness in her voice. Luckily, Carl seemed confused by the story and didn't catch that Olivia was hiding something.

Carl nodded thoughtfully. "This is a bit shocking. Kalvin seems like a nice guy, I never would have thought something like this could be behind it all." He shook his head. "It's going to be really hard for those siblings. People mostly won't accept them as friends after this."

Olivia looked troubled. "I feel sorry for them, although they hate me. Melvin is a nice girl, she just keeps faking to be rude to hide her innocence. I think she's been through a lot."

"Let's do what we can to help," Carl said kindly. "I'll talk to Kalvin. He'd probably be grateful to get some support when everyone starts treating them like criminals."

Olivia smiled. "I know you would. You're such a nice guy, you'd never let people bully others." She leaned over and kissed his cheek, a proud and grateful expression on her face.

Carl returned her smile, reaching out to give her hand a gentle squeeze. "We'll get through this, Liv. Together."

The two sat in silence for a moment, the weight of the revelations they had just discussed hanging heavily in the air. But at that moment, Olivia felt a renewed sense of hope, knowing that she had at least one person she could count on, no matter what challenges lay ahead.

As Norman returned with their milkshakes, Carl and Olivia hurried to take them.

"Let's go, meet Kalvin after this," Carl said, eager to provide support to their friend.

Olivia smiled. "You'll go. I need to tell Tara about this. Melvin asked me to do so."

Carl nodded, understanding. "Okay," he said, returning her smile.

Olivia took a sip of her milkshake, the cool, creamy texture providing a brief respite from the weight of the conversation they had just had. She knew she needed to find Tara and share the revelations, just as Melvin had requested.

"I'll catch up with you later, then," Olivia said, rising from her seat.

Carl reached out and gave her hand a gentle squeeze. "OK. And Liv? Don't be a stranger, okay? We're all in this together now."

Olivia nodded, a grateful smile tugging at the corners of her lips. "Thanks, Carl. I really appreciate you being here for me through all of this."

With a final wave, Olivia turned and made her way through the dining room, her mind already racing with how to broach the sensitive topic with Tara. She knew it wouldn't be an easy conversation, but she was determined to honor Melvin's request, and hopefully find an ally in her friend.

As Carl watched Olivia depart, he couldn't help but feel a sense of unease settle in the pit of his stomach. The revelations they had discussed were heavy, and he knew the road ahead would not be smooth. But he was resolved to support his girlfriends, no matter the cost. Taking a deep breath, he too rose from his seat, ready to seek out Kalvin and offer whatever comfort and encouragement he could.