"I'm truly sorry, Tin. I desperately want to attend, but Timothy won't allow me to go outside; he insists it's still dangerous," Kaye explained over the phone. "I'll make it up to you once everything settles. Thank you for understanding. I miss you all. Bye, see you soon." She hung up, sighing on the couch.
If only she hadn't witnessed that fateful night, this wouldn't be happening.
Feeling thirsty, she rose and headed to the kitchen when the doorbell rang.
Pausing, she wondered, "Huh? Who could it be?"
Certain it wasn't Timothy, as he wouldn't use the doorbell, she cautiously approached the door.
Though the doorbell persisted, she hesitated for her safety.
Finally, the person outside shouted, "Pizza delivery!"
Pizza? She hadn't ordered any. Did Timothy order it for her?
"Pizza delivery from Mr. Timothy Villamayor, anyone there?" said the delivery man.
Convinced it was from Timothy, she responded, "Coming!" and opened the door.
To her surprise, it wasn't a delivery man. Outside stood a man with glasses and others dressed in black. They looked familiar, and her eyes widened as she recognized them from that ominous night.
"Hello, Miss Kaye," greeted the man in front.
As she attempted to close the door, the man moved swiftly, managing to slip inside before she could shut it.
"D-Don't come... I'll call the police!" she warned.
The man smiled, "We won't harm you, Miss Kaye. Our underboss just wants to see you."
Panicking, she accused, "You're a mafia, right? Don't come near me, or I'll scream!"
The man reassured, "We're not here for trouble; our only interest is you, Miss Kaye." He scanned the house. "Living with the mayor? Unexpected. Does the public know about your relationship? I wonder what will happen..."
Determined, Kaye glared at him. "What do you want?"
He explained, "Our underboss wants to see you. Come with us voluntarily, or we'll have to drag you out, causing a scene. If you don't want the mayor in the headlines, come with us."
Kaye fixed her gaze on them, realizing the truth. Only a handful of people were aware of her relationship with Timothy. If these mobsters stirred up chaos in Timothy's home, news would undoubtedly spread, and as the man mentioned, Timothy would be thrust into the headlines. The Fuentebella family wielded considerable influence, and Kaye hesitated to entangle Timothy in their affairs. This predicament was hers alone to bear.
Sighing, she relented, "Fine."
The man, smiled. "Good. By the way, I'm Kira."
Uninterested, she said, "I don't care who you are. Promise me you won't harm me."
He assured, "Don't worry. Our underboss values you. He'd kill us if we touched you."
Kaye nodded.
"Shall we leave now, Miss Kaye?" Kira asked.
Before stepping outside, she glanced back at the living room.
"I'm sorry, Timothy," she whispered.
.
.
....
Kaye sat in silence inside the car, and Kira stole occasional glances at her.
Is she the woman his underboss had been searching for for months? He couldn't recall meeting her at any of the places or events they attended together in the past. Who was she?
"Stop staring at me," Kaye finally said, her gaze fixed on the passing scenery outside.
Kira smiled. "I'm just wondering how you and my underboss met. I've never met you before."
Meeting her eyes, Kaye replied, "I haven't met your underboss either. I don't even know who he is."
"Eh?" Kira was surprised.
If she hadn't met his underboss, why was he searching for her?
"He wanted to see me because of what happened that night, right?" she questioned.
"Well, I guess so," Kira admitted, falling silent again.
Kaye returned her attention to the outside world, maintaining silence throughout the entire trip.
.
.
"Miss Kaye..." Kira's voice brought Kaye back to awareness as he gently tapped her shoulder.
She had dozed off during the journey.
"We're already here," he informed her.
Kaye stepped out of the car, her eyes widening at the sight of a grand mansion – one of the many owned by the powerful Fuentebella family on their private lands.
"Let's go inside," Kira suggested, and she followed him.
As they entered, Kaye couldn't help but shiver at the imposing presence of Fuentebella's bodyguards and henchmen; they all exuded an intimidating aura. The mansion was vast, leading them upstairs, passing numerous rooms before halting in front of a massive door.
Kira knocked, announcing, "Sir, I brought Miss Kaye."
"Come in!" a voice from within beckoned.
Kira opened the door, and they entered. In the room sat a man behind a desk. As their eyes met, Kaye swiftly averted her gaze, a subtle act to conceal the emotions churning within her.
.
.
Mikhail stood up as Kaye entered his office, his eyes locked on her. Seeing her, he exclaimed, "Kaye!" and hugged her immediately.
However, Kaye pushed him away, shaking visibly.
"W-What do you think you're doing?" she stammered.
Mikhail glanced at Kira, silently signaling him to leave the room. Kira understood and exited.
"Kaye, it's me, Mikhail. Can't you recognize me?" he pleaded.
"I don't know you," she replied, her voice trembling.
Mikhail was surprised. "What do you mean? I'm your husband. Before you left Serolf Empire, I promised you that I would follow and find you."
"Husband? Serolf Empire? What are you talking about?" Kaye questioned, bewildered.
Was the underboss of Fuentebella losing his sanity?
"I don't know what you're talking about. I don't know who you are. Please let me go home. I promise I won't tell anyone what I saw that night. I will keep my mouth shut for the rest of my life," she pleaded.
Mikhail was confused. Why couldn't Kaye remember him?
"Kaye, I don't know what happened to you, but please believe me. I'm your husband, and I won't harm you," he insisted, reaching for her hand.
Kaye pulled her hand away and stepped back. "Don't touch me," she warned.
Mikhail clenched his fist. "Have you lost your memories when you returned here?"
Kaye furrowed her brows. "How did you know?"
Mikhail sighed, realizing his hunch was right. "Kaye, I will make you remember everything. So please listen to me," he urged.
"Why would I listen to you? I don't trust someone like you. Don't you know how scared I am when I entered your house? I am inside a beast's den, and I don't trust anyone here, even you," she declared.
"Kaye, you can trust me! I promise I won't hurt you. I will help you remember everything — how we met and how we fell in love in Serolf Empire," he explained.
"What?" she exclaimed, surprised. "You're crazy."
"Believe me!" he shouted.
"Just let me go home!" she pleaded.
"No!" he yelled. "You will stay here until your memories return."
Kaye attempted to run, but Mikhail's men blocked her way.
"You can't run away from me, Kaye. This place is far from the city, and this is the only house around. Even if you try to escape, no one will help you," Mikhail declared.
She looked at him, trembling in fear with tears in her eyes. Mikhail walked closer, wiping her tears. "Please stay with me, Kaye."
Confused and frightened, she couldn't comprehend who this man really was and why all of this was happening to her.
.
.
....
Items crashed to the floor as Timothy threw them in frustration. Kaye was nowhere to be found when he returned home. Numerous calls went unanswered; her phone was off. Upon reviewing the building's CCTV footage, he witnessed Kaye leaving with men he recognized as Fuentebella members—individuals he had seen in the reports during his investigation into her previous ordeal.
"Fuck!" Timothy exclaimed, his frustration boiling over.
Regret consumed him; if only he had foreseen this, he wouldn't have left Kaye alone, and he would have increased security throughout the entire building.
Sinking into a chair, he anxiously bit his fingernail. "I need to devise a plan to rescue her from them. Kaye needs me."
What terrified him even more was the possibility that the Fuentebella underboss was also a transmigrator like him. What if this person was truly Mikhail?
"Fuck! If Mikhail is indeed the crown prince, and the two of them met... Kaye will recall everything!"
Fuck! Fuck!!!
Frustration surged within him. "I won't let him have her again. Kaye is only mine!" he muttered determinedly.