"An art studio?" Kaye set down her tablet and looked at Troy.
"Yes, Shin said he will help me open an art studio here. I don't want to be a burden; I also want to earn money to contribute to our household expenses," Troy explained.
"But you don't have to do that; Kurtis was rich," Cedie said.
Troy smiled. "I can't rely on him for expenses. I can use my talent to earn money. That's why I want to open an art studio and sell paintings. I will also offer workshops for those who want to learn to draw and paint."
"Your idea is great; I will support you. I can also help with the workshops during weekends," Kaye said. They both loved arts.
"Thank you!" Troy's eyes sparkled. Kaye smiled and tousled his hair. Troy sat beside her, watching her draw on her tablet.
Tristan came in, looking exhausted. "What happened? You look tired," Kaye put down her tablet and approached him.
"It's our research; we made a mistake and have to restart again," Tristan explained.
Kaye grabbed his bag and placed it on the table. Tristan sat down on the couch, closing his eyes. He hadn't slept much for several nights.
"Take a rest upstairs. I'll wake you up when the food is ready," Kaye said.
Tristan smiled, holding her hand and kissing it. "But I want to see you instead of sleeping in the room."
Kaye sat beside him, leaning on his shoulder. "Why don't you live with us?"
"I want to, but my family doesn't want me to leave the house and live on my own," Tristan sighed. His family was respectable, with strict parents who were also professors.
"If they found out that I already have a wife, they will surely faint," Tristan chuckled.
Kaye chuckled and hugged him, glad that Gawain was here. Gawain was sweet and gentle. Even back in the Serolf Empire, she tried her best not to upset him. He was sometimes a crybaby, always keeping his problems to himself. She couldn't bear to see this man sad again.
Cedie scowled when he saw them being lovey-dovey. "Hey, let's grab some food from the fridge," Cedie whispered to Troy.
Troy nodded, and they stood up, walking to the kitchen. But Troy took a quick glance at Tristan and Kaye. He sighed; he loved Kaye too, but he couldn't compete with her husbands.
They started watching a movie. In the middle of it, Kaye's phone rang. Her brows furrowed when she saw Timothy calling.
She stood up and went to the balcony to answer it. "Hello?"
A female voice replied, (Hello, is this Miss Kaye?)
"Yes, why?"
(This is J General Hospital. We want to inform you that Mayor Villamayor was admitted here because of an accident. He doesn't want to inform his family, and you are the first person on his call list, so we contacted you to inform you.)
"What? What happened to him?"
(Please visit the hospital for the details.)
"Alright, I'll be there." The call ended. Kaye massaged her temples. Just what the hell happened to Timothy?
She glanced at the others; she couldn't tell them. They would get curious, and if they met Timothy and saw that he resembled Gilmesh, they would surely make a fuss about him.
"I'll go out for a while," she said.
"Where are you going?" Tristan asked.
"I will visit my friend in the hospital; the nurse called and informed me about what happened," she replied.
"Then I will drive you there," Tristan offered.
"No, it's fine. You are tired; you should take a rest," she said.
"Alright, please be safe," Tristan said and kissed her on the cheek.
Kaye smiled, grabbed her coat and bag, and left.
.
.
At J General Hospital, Kaye entered Timothy's room to find him seated on his bed, his left arm in a sling.
"Kaye," he greeted with a smile.
"What happened?" she inquired.
"We had a party last night, and I got drunk. I lost control while driving, ending up here in the hospital. Luckily, no one else was involved, so it's just me here," Timothy explained.
"Why did you drink so much? Look at what happened to you," she scolded, placing the fruits she brought into a bowl.
Timothy grinned. "I'm fine now; no need to be angry."
"Timothy, I'm not on your side anymore. Please take better care of yourself. Have you eaten?" she asked.
"My secretary went out to buy food. I can't stand hospital meals," he replied.
A silence fell, making the atmosphere awkward.
"Kaye, can you stay a little longer?" Timothy requested.
"I'm sorry, but I can't. I have things to do at home," she said.
Timothy sighed. The door opened, revealing a doctor.
"I'm here to check the patient," the doctor, Kurtis, stated.
Surprised, they all recognized each other. Kurtis was taken aback by Timothy's resemblance to Gilmesh, but his astonishment deepened upon spotting Kaye.
"Kaye? What are you doing here?" Kurtis asked.
"The mayor is my friend; I came to visit him," she explained.
Kurtis shot a glance at Timothy, gritting his teeth. "Kaye, can we talk outside?" he requested. Kaye nodded, following Kurtis out of the room.
"That guy looks like Gilmesh," Kurtis remarked.
"I know. Even I was surprised at first, but he's not Gilmesh," she explained.
"Are you certain he's not actually him? What if he, too, was transmigrated here like us?" Kurtis questioned.
Kaye pondered the possibility. What if Kurtis was right?
Then again, Rubie also resembled Jenny without being a transmigrator; they simply happened to look alike. Moreover, if he were Gilmesh, he should have recognized her from the start and attempted to kill her.
"I don't think he's Gilmesh. If he were, he would have tried to kill me already," she assured.
"What if he's just acting? I may not have powers anymore, but I can still sense bad motives. Don't trust that guy; I don't like him," Kurtis warned.
Kaye comforted him with a pat on the shoulder. "He's only a friend, and I won't see him often. No need to worry."
"You should have told us about him," Kurtis suggested.
"I'm sorry," Kaye apologized.
Kurtis smiled. "It's alright. I just want to make sure you're safe. I'll go back to my rounds. Please go home now." He kissed her forehead.
Kaye smiled back. "I will. See you at home."
After Kurtis left, she returned to Timothy's room. "I'll go home now. Take care of yourself," she said.
"Will you visit me again?" Timothy asked.
"I'm sorry," she replied and left.
Unbeknownst to her, Timothy clenched his fists, forcefully removing his arm sling. "Tsk." He hadn't been truly drunk; there was no way he would get inebriated. It had been his plan from the start. Deliberately crashing his car into the street walls was his scheme to land himself in the hospital, making Kaye worry about him. However, his plans were now in ruins due to Kurtis's interference.
.
.
Kaye was on her way home when a commotion in the street grabbed her attention. A man wearing a cap and sunglasses was surrounded by excited people.
"Please stop the car!" she urgently requested. The confused driver halted, and she handed him money before exiting the taxi.
Staring intently, Kaye couldn't be mistaken.
"I'm sorry; you must be mistaken! I am not the person you are saying!" Haru protested as fans clamored around him.
"Let's take a picture!"
"I always buy magazines with you featured!"
"I'm a fan!"
Haru's sunglasses accidentally fell to the ground. Kaye covered her mouth. "S-Sheen?"
The man struggling to escape the crowd was unmistakably Rasheen.
Panicking, Haru shouted for help. Kaye took a deep breath and walked toward them. "Excuse me! Excuse me! Please make a way!"
Confused, the people parted. "I'm sorry, but I am his friend, and we are leaving now," she declared, pulling Haru's hand as they escaped the crowd.
Haru gazed at her in shock as they ran, making a turn into an alley. Both were panting when they finally stopped. Without hesitation, Haru quickly embraced her. "Kaye!"
She smiled through tears. "Sheen..."
"Is it really you, Kaye?" he asked, examining her from head to toe.
Kaye chuckled. "Yes, it's me, Sheen."
Haru hugged her tightly again. "I've been looking for you. I almost went crazy searching for you. I'm glad I came to this city, or else we wouldn't have seen each other again."
"I'm also glad I found you. Xerxes, Gawain, Hachi, Leon, and Cedrik are already with me. We're still looking for the others. Xes explained everything about how you guys followed me to my world," she explained.
Haru sighed in relief. "I'm with William, Ryu, and the crown prince. They told me Claudius and Nikolai are also here."
"Really?" Kaye grasped her shoulders. "Where are they?"
"We can meet them together. Come with me, Kaye," Haru suggested.
"I'll call the others," she said, taking out her phone.
.
.
....
"Really?" Raon exclaimed in surprise, rising from his seat. He was on the phone with Benjamin.
Rein looked at him, puzzled.
"Where are you guys?" Raon inquired. "Alright, we will go there," he said, ending the call.
"What happened?" Rein asked, munching on his chips.
"Let's go; they've already found Kaye," Raon declared.
"Really?" Rein dropped his chips.
They swiftly left Rein's condo, hopping into the car and heading to the location Benjamin had mentioned.