Raon surveyed his surroundings, unable to spot Kaye. Approaching the pool, he tapped Haru on the shoulder. "Hey, where's Kaye?" he inquired.
"Huh? She's not here. I thought she was with the others," Haru replied.
"She's not at the beach," Raon added.
"Maybe she's in her room," Haru suggested.
Tristan joined the conversation. "She's not inside," he informed them.
"Then where is she?" Haru questioned.
Troy, passing by with towels, caught Raon's attention. "Troy, have you seen Kaye?" Raon asked.
"I saw her talking with someone on her phone. I heard her mention finding a good signal," Troy answered.
A sense of unease washed over Raon. "Let's find her," he urged.
The men went outside, rallying others to help search for Kaye. Minutes passed, and she remained elusive, triggering panic among the group.
"Where did she go?" Tristan muttered.
Mikhail arrived, asking, "Did you find her?"
"She's still not coming back," Troy said with concern.
Warren appeared, revealing Kaye's phone. "That's Kaye's phone!" Haru exclaimed.
Mikhail took the phone, studying it intently. "Where did you find this?"
"I saw it on the sand, far from us. But Kaye wasn't around," Warren explained.
"It's impossible for her to leave her phone somewhere unless it fell," Mikhail reasoned.
The men exchanged glances. "Damn it!" Mikhail exclaimed, grabbing his phone to call Kira.
"Let's search for her again," Raon urged, and the group divided into teams. Raon also reached out to the staff stationed at the entrance for assistance.
.
.
....
Kaye slowly opened her eyes, still feeling dizzy. As she woke up, she realized she was in a different room.
"W-Where am I?" she mumbled, holding her head. She stood up and went outside, surprised to find herself in a different resort.
"G-Guys?" she called, searching for others, but no one was around. "W-Where are you?" Anxiety crept in.
This place... It's an island. It's not a resort but a rest house on a private island.
"You're awake," a familiar voice said.
Startled, she turned around, stepping back when she saw Timothy. "T-Timothy?"
Timothy smiled.
"W-What are you doing here? W-Where am I?" Kaye stammered.
"Don't worry, baby. No one will hurt you here. From now on, we will live here and build our own family," Timothy reassured.
Kaye trembled, demanding, "Let me go home, Timothy!" as she glared at him.
Timothy laughed evilly. "No way, Kaye. No one will leave this place. You can't escape, even if you try. This place is very far; there's no boat, and no one lives here except us. We will live here forever," he grinned.
"N-No... No!!!" she shouted, desperate and frightened.
She cried and pleaded with him, "P-Please, Timothy... I'm begging you. Please let me go!" her voice filled with desperation as she knelt on the sand.
Timothy stared at her coldly, caressing her face. "Go take a rest inside, baby. You're tired from the long travel."
Kaye continued to cry, sitting on the sand, trapped and scared.
.
.
"Drink this," Timothy instructed, placing the medicine on the table. Kaye sat in the corner, tears streaming down her face.
Timothy sighed. "Baby, crying won't help you."
"P-Please let me go..." she sobbed weakly.
Timothy approached her, cupping her face. "We already talked about this earlier, right? You will live here with me. We will build our own family here."
Kaye continued to cry, and Timothy hugged her tightly. "You will forget them soon."
.
.
....
Days passed, and Kaye remained missing. Mikhail tirelessly searched for her, frustrated by the lack of leads. The prevailing belief was that she had been kidnapped, as there seemed to be no reason for her sudden disappearance.
"How's the investigation? Any lead?" Mikhail inquired.
"There's no CCTV in the place where Miss Kaye's phone was found. No one was around, so there are no witnesses," Kira reported.
Mikhail, feeling the pressure, suggested, "How about the street CCTV? Look for every car that passed by near the resort!"
"We've been gathering data about them, but it will take too long," Kira explained.
Gritting his teeth, Mikhail pressed further. "What about the mayor?"
"According to the report, he took a leave and went to Japan for a vacation," Kira replied.
"What? Vacation?" Mikhail's bad feeling intensified. "Did you check if he was with someone when he left the country? What if he kidnapped Kaye?"
"It was said that he left the country alone. It was confirmed by the airlines," Kira stated.
"Did he really arrive in Japan?" Mikhail questioned.
"Yes, sir. The hotel he was staying in Japan also confirmed that he was there," Kira assured.
Mikhail clenched his fists. If Kaye wasn't with Timothy, then where the hell was she? Who kidnapped her?
"Inform me immediately once there's progress in the investigation. Please find her as soon as possible," he requested.
"Understood, sir," Kira replied and left.
Mikhail let out a deep sigh. "Kaye... Where are you?" he whispered, closing his eyes in frustration.
.
.
"Damn it!" Warren punched the wall out of guilt and frustration. If only he had known this would happen, he should have guarded Kaye 24/7 and not let her out of his sight. This was all his fault, another failure in protecting her. He felt she didn't deserve him.
Benjamin patted his shoulder.
"We have to find her," Warren declared.
"I know. And I'm also worried about her," Benjamin admitted.
After what happened between him and Kaye in the car, she became shy around him. He wanted to talk to her about it, but her husband was always around, making it difficult to find a chance.
"I'm sure she's terrified right now. If I find the people who kidnapped her, I will really kill them," Warren vowed.
Benjamin closed his eyes, feeling the weight of frustration settle upon him.
They have to find her, no matter what happens.
.
.
....
Kaye stared blankly out the window of her room, her eyes swollen from intense crying. Days had passed, and she remained locked inside her room on the island. Timothy consistently delivered her food, along with the strange medicine he forced her to drink, inducing dizziness and sleep. Kaye felt a growing sense of insanity, her stay on the island exacerbating her depression. Her eyes were exhausted from constant weeping, and she struggled to eat. Sleep and staring out the window were her only solaces as she pondered when this nightmare would end.
As night fell, Timothy entered her room once again. Seeing her seated in the corner, devoid of tears and displaying signs of deep depression, he spoke softly, "Baby, do you still hate me?"
Kaye offered no response, her gaze fixed in the distance.
Timothy retrieved the medicine once more. "Drink this," he said, placing it in her mouth and making her swallow it with water.
Kaye remained unresponsive, appearing to have given up on life.
Timothy hugged her tightly. "You will survive this, baby. Someday, you will wake up and realize that you also love me. That I am the one meant for you."
Guiding her to the bed, he began to comb her messy hair. "You didn't finish your food again; you only ate a little. You will lose weight if you continue like this," he remarked.
Kaye said nothing.
Timothy kissed her hair. "I love you, Kaye," he whispered before kissing her from her ear down to her neck.
.
.
Timothy watched Kaye as she slept beside him, gently caressing her face. He couldn't believe he had fallen in love with her. Back in the Serolf Empire, he had attempted to kill her numerous times due to her interference with his plans. Aria was the most beautiful woman in the empire, and if they had met under different circumstances, he might have sought her hand in marriage. However, driven by his hunger for power, he had even tried to behead her, a decision he now deeply regretted.
Now that they had crossed paths again, Timothy was determined to make Kaye fall in love with him. His feelings for her bordered on obsession. The loss of her had driven him to madness, and he yearned for her constant presence. Timothy desired her as his wife, someone who would wait for him at home and be the mother of his children.
"Kaye..." he whispered, "I will go mad if you ever leave me again," as he gently kissed her forehead.
He stood up and went to the veranda to make a call.
"How's it going there? Did they find you suspicious?" he asked someone on his phone. "Good, make sure that everything is under control. Don't dare to make a mistake, or else you know what will happen," he warned.
After the conversation, he sat down on the chair and watched the sea.
.
.
....
Kaye woke up, finding herself already dressed. She couldn't accept that something had already happened between her and Timothy, but she no longer had the strength to resist him.
When Timothy brought food, fear and defiance consumed her. Grabbing a fork, she pointed it at him, stammering, "S-Stay away from me! I hate you! I will never accept you!"
Timothy sighed, "Kaye, we already talked about this, right? Why are you acting like this again? I guess it's time for you to take your medicine." He took the medicine out of his pocket.
"N-No! I will not drink that again! No!!!" she covered her ears, stepping back, feeling like she was losing her sanity.
Timothy held her shoulders. "Kaye, look me in the eyes," he said calmly.
"No! No!" Kaye closed her eyes.
"Kaye, listen to me," Timothy tried to calm her. "Kaye, look at me. Everything will be okay. You don't have to get scared."
Kaye slowly opened her eyes. "Right, just like that, Kaye. Everything will be okay," Timothy assured, taking the fork from her hand. "Calm down and just listen to me."
Kaye breathed heavily, crying once again.
"Sshh... Don't cry, baby. No one will hurt you in this place," he whispered, guiding her to sit on the bed.
"Take your breakfast now. I brought a beautiful dress for you. After you finish your food, you will wear it. You will surely love it," he said.
With no strength left, Kaye forced herself to eat. After eating, Timothy led her to the bath and washed her.
"You look so gorgeous, baby," Timothy admired her in a beautiful white dress, but Kaye showed no emotion.
"Now, let's sign this together," Timothy presented a marriage contract and certificate. Kaye stepped back.
"Kaye, you don't have to be scared," Timothy said, holding her hands. "Come, let's sign this so we can end this quickly." He gave her the pen.
Kaye stared at the documents, feeling powerless. She wanted to run, but Timothy held her firmly. Forced to sign the papers, Timothy left the room after kissing her. Kaye sat on the floor, feeling hopeless.
"Everyone..." she sobbed. "I-I'm sorry!!!"
.
.
....
Two months passed, but Kaye remained missing. Mikhail's frustration manifested in his anger towards his men.
"Why can't you still find her? You are getting paid to do your job properly, but you always fail!" he scolded, venting his frustration by throwing things on his table.
His men knelt on the floor, heads lowered, unable to meet his gaze due to fear. Kira tried to calm him, "Sir, please calm down."
"How can I calm down? My wife is still missing!" Mikhail yelled. "And what about the mayor?"
"According to the report from our men, the mayor always arrives at the city hall very early in the morning, stays in his office for the whole day, and only leaves late at night. It's suspicious that he rarely leaves his office and doesn't entertain anyone," Kira reported.
"As if he was avoiding everyone?" Mikhail questioned.
Kira nodded. "No one is allowed to enter his office except his secretary," he added.
Mikhail pondered deeply, contemplating the mayor's behavior.
Mikhail ordered, "Order our men to visit his office and check him personally. I doubt that the one in the office is really Timothy. What if someone is pretending to be him?"
"As you wish, sir," Kira acknowledged.
As Mikhail lit a cigarette, he found Timothy suspicious, feeling he was hiding something.
Kira's phone rang, and he answered it. "I understand," he said, looking at Mikhail. "Sir, the nurse called. Your brother, he's finally awake."
Mikhail dropped the cigarette. "What?"
He rushed home and found his grandfather talking to Isaac. "Khail, come. Your brother finally woke up!" his grandpa said.
Isaac got worried seeing Mikhail, who stared intently, making Isaac fidget. "Grandpa, if you won't mind, I was hoping to spend time with my brother alone right now," Mikhail said.
His grandpa smiled. "Alright, I know you missed him so much. I will leave you two now." His grandpa left with a wide smile on his face.
Mikhail took out his gun and pointed it at Isaac.
Isaac was startled. "W-What are you doing?"
"Why the fuck did you come here?" Mikhail said furiously.
"W-What do you mean? B-Brother... It's me, your twin brother. I don't know what you're talking about," Isaac explained.
"Shut up! Cut that crap; I won't believe you. How did you manage to escape the guards from the cold palace and enter the portal?" Mikhail interrogated.
Isaac's face turned serious. "Tsk." He knew pretending not to be Izekiel wouldn't work. "So what? I am also Kaye's husband. I have the right to see her!"
Mikhail pressed the gun on Isaac's head. "Husband? Don't make me laugh. We all know she only married you to protect you from Gilmesh. Kaye doesn't love you!"
"You're wrong! KAYE LOVES ME!" Isaac pushed the gun away. "And I'm not scared of you! Dare to kill me. If Kaye finds out what you did, do you think she won't hate you? Let's not forget that she also cared for me." He smirked.
Mikhail gritted his teeth.
"Now, where is Kaye?" Isaac demanded.
Mikhail smirked. "And why would I tell you?"
"Where is she?!" Isaac shouted.
Mikhail walked to the door. "I don't know. Find her yourself. But in your condition, I don't think you'll leave this house without someone guarding you."
"Mikhail, please tell me where she is!" Isaac tried to chase him but fell from the bed.
Mikhail ignored his pleas and left him. Isaac clenched his fists. "Once I recover, I will find you, Kaye..." he whispered to himself.
.
.
When Mikhail entered the living room, he paused upon seeing his grandpa having tea with Dhyna. Dhyna's face lit up when she saw him.
"Khail!" she exclaimed, hugging him tightly. "I've been calling you, but you're not answering my calls."
"What are you doing here?" Mikhail asked coldly.
Dhyna pouted. "Why are you so cold? I came here to see you. You're always busy and forgot about me."
"I don't remember having obligations to you," Mikhail stated.
His grandpa chuckled. "Haha, come on, Khail. Dhyna came here to see you. Why don't you ask her for dinner?"
"Grandpa, you know I'm busy," he replied.
His grandpa stood up and patted his shoulder. "You can take a break; you shouldn't give all your time to work. Sometimes you need to relax too. I don't know why you're always busy, but I was hoping you would take a break sometime. Work can wait."
But if I stop, I won't be able to find Kaye. She's waiting for me to save her.
"Khail, why don't you listen to grandpa? I know a good restaurant; why don't we try there?" Dhyna suggested.
Tsk.
Mikhail removed her hands from his arm. "Fine. Let's go," he said and walked ahead.
He knew this woman wouldn't stop until he agreed. He would only join her to eat and then leave once they finished.
.
.
At the restaurant...
Dhyna kept talking and telling stories about her day, but Mikhail wasn't listening to her. His mind was on Kaye, still pondering what he needed to do to find her immediately.
It's been two months, and he's worried that something bad might have happened to her while in the hands of the abductor. The thought of such an occurrence is driving him to madness.
"Hey, Khail. Are you with me? You seem not to be listening to me," Dhyna said, irritated.
Mikhail drank his wine. "Are you finished?" he asked.
"Excuse me?" Dhyna said, raising an eyebrow.
"If you're done, I shall leave first. I'm busy," he said.
"Is this about that woman again?" Dhyna asked, crossing her arms.
"It's none of your business," he replied.
"I heard she was missing. Are you sure she was really kidnapped? What if she just ran away and left with another man?" she suggested.
Mikhail slammed the table, making other customers look in their direction. "Kaye isn't like that. And you don't know anything about her, so shut your mouth," he said angrily.
"Seriously? What's with that woman? Why are you so obsessed with her? She's not that pretty; I'm much better than her," she claimed.
Mikhail laughed in a scornful way. "You're so proud of yourself. I'm sorry, but no woman in this world can compare with her. She's different," he stood up. "Now stop spitting bullshit. Don't waste my time next time."
"You're leaving me, for real? Just because of that woman?" Dhyna shouted.
But Mikhail ignored her and continued to walk straight to the exit of the restaurant.
"Khail, you can't do this to me!!!" she shouted, her fury evident in her voice.
But Mikhail already left. She threw the glass in anger, noticing the customers looking at her and murmuring.
"What are you murmuring? Stop looking at me!" she yelled.
The people looked in other directions and continued eating. Dhyna furiously walked out of the restaurant.