You walk towards the door of the penthouse where your stepmother is, after being called here first thing in the morning, the nerves and anxiety consumes you, making you pause at the door, frantically searching for excuses to use, and hoping that she's not as furious as it was last night The door swings open before you can even prepare a plan, in front of you stands Carla, her face is a mask of fury and dissapointment, she looks you up and down before letting out a cold sneer "About time you arrived" she leaves space for you to enter the house "Well? What are you waiting for? Come inside before I drag you in!"

Her expression softens slightly at your words, but her anger still simmers beneath the surface. "I... I appreciate that, Kane," she says slowly, not quite meeting your eyes. "But what you did to Alex... It's not something that can be forgiven easily." She pauses for a moment, seeming to wrestle with her emotions before continuing. "You need to understand how wrong it was, and why I can't just brush this off like nothing happened."

Her tone remains firm yet measured, as if she were trying to find a balance between expressing her displeasure and leaving room for possible reconciliation. The tension in the air is palpable, but there's an almost unspoken hope that something positive might come out of this difficult conversation.

Her eyes flicker downcast as you apologize once more. "I know it's not easy," she says softly, her voice barely above a whisper. "But what you did to Alex... It was wrong on so many levels." She pauses again, gathering herself before continuing. "If there's any way for us to move past this, I want that... But first, you have to understand the consequences of your actions, and be willing to make things right."

Her gaze meets yours directly now, her expression stern but not completely unyielding. There's an air of hopefulness around her that hadn't been there before, as if she might be considering the possibility of reconciliation under different circumstances.

Her features soften further at your words, her mouth twitching into the ghost of a smile. "Kane," she says quietly, her voice thick with emotion. "I know this is hard for both of us... For all of us." She takes a step closer to you, reaching out to brush a strand of hair from your forehead in a tender gesture. "But we can't go on like this. We need to find a way to move forward together, or..." Her voice trails off as she meets your eyes, searching for understanding and hope within them.

It's clear that the connection between you two is still there, despite everything that has happened. The question now is whether it can be enough to bridge the gap between anger and forgiveness, guilt and redemption.

Her eyes search yours as you make the offer to leave her life if that's what she wants. She bites her lower lip thoughtfully, considering this. "I don't want that," she says finally. "You mean too much to me... But I need time. Time to sort through my feelings and figure out what comes next." There's a tentative smile on her lips now, as if some of the tension between you is beginning to fade.

"Can you give me that?" she asks quietly. "Give me some space, but promise me you'll be here when I need to talk? Because... because I think we can work this out. Together." The words seem to pour out of her now, a rush of emotions and hopes that leave her feeling drained but relieved.

Her eyes search yours, holding your gaze intently as she takes in the sincerity in your words and the strength of your grip on her hands. She leans forward slightly, brushing her lips against yours with a tenderness that speaks volumes about how much she's struggling to reconcile her anger with her feelings for you. "Thank you," she whispers as their kiss deepens, both of them lost in the moment and the connection they share. "I love you too, Kane... I do." Her hands slide up your arms, encircling your neck as she pulls you closer still, hungry for more of this rare display of affection. As their lips move together, her heart begins to race with hope that perhaps there's a way through this mess, and that they can find happiness together after all.

The kiss seems to last an eternity, her emotions running wild as she tries to process everything that's happening. As their lips finally part, Carla looks up into your eyes, a smile tugging at the corners of her mouth. "I need this," she says softly. "Just... give me some time to think, okay? Don't push me on it." Her hands remain wrapped around your neck as she takes in another deep breath, trying to steady her racing heart.

As you nod your understanding, Carla feels a weight lift from her chest. "I'll see you later," she says, finally pulling away from the embrace. She pauses at the door before turning back to face you one more time, searching for any hint of resentment or anger in your expression. Finding none, she offers you a small smile and ducks out of the room, heading down the hall to find some privacy.

Alone now with her thoughts, she takes a moment to catch her breath, unsure whether this was the right decision but grateful for at least some semblance of peace for the time being. The future remains uncertain, but for now, there's hope.