The Stark brothers lingered outside their home, rooted at the doorway far longer than usual.

A door that normally yielded with the lightest push now seemed unbearably heavy.

Ned sighed. "Robbie… do you think we've gone too far?"

True, there had never been much real affection between them and Mary or Rachel, but they had married them. For better or worse, they were bound for a lifetime.

A flicker of guilt crossed Robbie's face. Yet when he recalled the look of pure joy on Scarlett's face as she received their gifts, the guilt faded. In its place rose a conviction—it had been worth it.

After all, when they were boys, Scarlett had saved both his and Ned's lives without asking anything in return. She was kind and selfless. She deserved the very best the world had to offer.

"Don't overthink it. At worst, we'll just make it up to them. Mary and Rachel care for us deeply. They'll come around."

His gaze dropped to the fish he carried in one hand. When Mary came back with spinach, he thought, he could make her soup. She was far too thin; she needed nourishing.

The truth was, Robbie wasn't entirely indifferent to Mary. Ever since he'd known the marriage was set, he had accepted that she would be his wife.

He glanced sideways at his younger brother. Ned looked hollow, empty-handed. The bracelet he'd promised Rachel had already been given to Scarlett. No wonder he looked so ashamed.

For some reason, Robbie felt as though he had won. His mood buoyed, he pushed the door open.

But the house was strangely, unnervingly empty.

A closer look confirmed it: neither Mary nor Rachel was anywhere in sight.

Panic prickled his chest. Just then, their mother stumbled back from a poker game, swaying slightly as she walked. Robbie hurried forward.

"Mom, have you seen Mary?"

She blinked in surprise. "Didn't she go buy groceries? She isn't back yet? Then who's cooking dinner?"

Worry clouded Ned's expression. "And Rachel? Why isn't she here?"

"Oh, I think she said she was going home for a bit, right after you left. Why? What's going on?"

At her words, both brothers went pale.

The gnawing unease in their hearts hardened into certainty. Without answering, they spun on their heels and rushed out in search of their wives.

But they hadn't made it far when Scarlett appeared, her face flushed with anger, clutching the very items they had just given her—the admission letter and the passbook.

The brothers froze, dread coiling in their stomachs. Before they could ask, she spilled everything in a torrent.

"Robbie, Ned… Mary and Rachel have been playing us for fools! Look at this!"

Robbie stared at the envelope in her hand. Inside was not an admission letter at all, but a single slip of paper that said: Stop coveting what doesn't belong to you. As for those two pieces of trash, you can recycle them if you like.

The words were written in bold, confident strokes. Robbie recognized it instantly—it was Mary's handwriting.

Meanwhile, Ned's eyes were locked on the passbook. He knew very well that Rachel's wedding gift had been generous—the price her father had paid to send her away completely.

But the passbook in Scarlett's hands showed only a single cent.

The brothers lifted their heads and met each other's eyes. What they saw reflected back was the same: raw fear.

'It's over. Completely over. They knew. They knew everything!'