Kaye was watching Warren while he was still unconscious. She visited the hospital every day to watch over him. Sometimes, her husbands would take turns watching over him when she needed to go home to care for her son. Today, Kyle went home for proper sleep since he had been watching over Warren. Isaac was also at home, looking after Eros, while Mikhail was immersed in his responsibilities at the headquarters.
Beside Warren's bedside, Kaye tenderly held his hand, softly pleading, "Please, wake up now... Can you hear me?" Her words carried a mixture of hope and desperation.
She closed her eyes, gripping his hand tightly, praying he will wake up soon. A few minutes later, she felt his fingers move. Startled, she opened her eyes and stared at him.
"W-Warren?" she exclaimed, standing up, her heart racing. "W-Warren, can you hear me?"
His hand slowly moved until he finally opened his eyes. The first thing Warren saw was Kaye, tears streaming down her face as she clutched his hand.
"K-Kaye..." he called.
"Y-Yes! It's me..." she said, her grip on his hand tight.
Warren smiled and gently wiped away her tears.
"I... I thought you would leave me!" Kaye cried, overcome with emotion.
Warren attempted to rise, but he winced in pain from his wounds.
"D-Don't move! You just woke up," she cautioned. Despite Kaye's plea, Warren insisted on sitting down, and she helped him carefully.
"I thought I would never see you again," Warren confessed.
"You scared me. When I saw you wounded and losing so much blood, I was terrified... I thought you would die in my arms! Please be careful next time; I don't want to see you in that state again! I'm so scared!" Kaye burst into tears again, unable to fathom losing a loved one.
Warren held her hand tightly. "Me too... I also felt the fear when I thought I would leave this world and never see you again." He gazed at the ceiling. "Before, I wasn't scared of death. When I became an assassin, it was ingrained in my mind that my life would always be on the verge of death because of my job. So, dying held no fear for me. But when I met you, that was the first time I felt the fear of death. I don't want to die... I don't want to be separated from you. You are my life now, Kaye," he said, locking eyes with her.
Kaye smiled and nodded. "You offered your life to me, but I don't want you to sacrifice yourself for me. I don't want you to die because of me. So, without my permission, you cannot die... You cannot leave me," she pleaded.
Warren caressed her face. "I love you, Kaye... I will always love you, even if the world falls apart."
Tears streamed down from Kaye's eyes. Honestly, she had harbored feelings for Warren since their time in the Serolf Empire. He was always there for her, guarding her in secret, and watching from a distance. There were moments when she consistently caught him staring at her, prompting him to avert his eyes in embarrassment. In those instances, she couldn't help but blush and smile. It wasn't noticeable, but her heart always raced every time Warren showed up. She's resisting her feelings because she was already married. Although he had confessed to her before, she couldn't accept him due to her complicated situation. Now, even though she desired to embrace his feelings, the potential conflict with her husbands held her back. She must hold back her feelings for Warren and Shin.
"I'm sorry," she cried, seeking comfort by leaning on his lap. Warren, gently stroking her hair, wondered if he had been rejected.
"I understand," he said, a tinge of pain in his voice.
"N-No," Kaye replied without meeting his gaze. "I like you, but I can't accept you."
Warren was stunned. She liked him too?
"Even back in the Serolf Empire, I already had feelings for you. But I had to keep them to myself... I'm very sorry," she confessed.
Hearing her revelation, Warren's heart raced. All this time, Kaye had liked him too? When he had believed that Kaye would never reciprocate?
"Why didn't you tell me?" he asked, seeking answers to the emotions that now entwined their past.
Kaye finally looked into his eyes. "You know I'm already married, right? I can't hurt my husbands' feelings again. If they find out that I fell in love with someone else again, they will surely get hurt."
"So you sacrificed your feelings for me? You held back just for their sake? Then, how about me, Kaye? How about my feelings?" he said, pain evident in his eyes.
"I'm truly sorry," she said.
"You should have told me before... You don't know how jealous I am every time I see you being intimate with your husbands. And when you accepted Benjamin, it pains me again. I'm so jealous because I can't even hug and kiss you like what your husbands do." Warren pulled her close, hugging her tightly. "Kaye, we love each other. Why can't we be together? This is so unfair!" Tears streamed down his face. "This is so unfair, Kaye."
Kaye continued to cry, feeling his embrace. It's painful for her too. But what can she do?
Warren cupped her face. "Kaye, if you don't want them to know that we have feelings for each other, then let's keep it a secret from them. Let's have a secret relationship."
"B-But... Warren, we can't do that. I don't want us to betray them. I can't bear that on my conscience."
"Then what about us? Are we really going to end up like this?" Warren looked upset.
Kaye couldn't answer him; she didn't know how to respond because even she didn't know what to do. Warren hugged her tightly again.
.
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Mikhail clenched his fists while standing at the door, overhearing Kaye and Warren's conversation. He walked away and headed to his car, venting his anger by striking the steering wheel. Questions raced through his mind. Kaye had feelings for Ryu for a long time? Why hadn't he noticed it before?
Although he felt a sense of relief when Kaye expressed she couldn't accept Warren, it didn't diminish the frustration he felt. He didn't care about that man's feelings; he couldn't bear the thought of Kaye accepting another man. He wasn't concerned if others thought him selfish. He was resolute – he would never accept him.
"Haa!" Mikhail let out a sigh, leaning back in his seat. He retrieved his phone and called Raon.
"He's already awake," he informed Raon over the phone.
.
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....
After spending several days in the hospital, Warren was finally discharged. Their first stop was Kaye's house to gather their belongings. Once they made sure they had everything they needed, they set off for J City. Inside the car, Kaye gently fed her son with a bottle of milk. Isaac, engrossed in his mobile games, and Warren, quietly seated in the back next to Nanny Sally, who was catching some rest. Mikhail, glancing at Warren through the rearview mirror, unable to suppress his irritation each time he saw him. It wasn't just jealousy; he was also vigilant, always monitoring Warren's interactions with Kaye and interrupting them to divert her attention. Warren noticed this but refrained from complaining.
After a long trip, they finally arrived in J City, where Raon and the others welcomed them. As Kaye stepped out of the car, Haru immediately hugged her tightly.
"Boo!" he cried, a mix of relief and anguish in his voice. "I was so happy you're alive! I... I thought I would never see you again. Each passing day felt like torture for me..." Tears cascaded down his face, reflecting the agony he endured.
Kaye, in response, couldn't contain her emotions. She burst into tears, clasping him in a tight embrace. "I-I'm very sorry... I'm sorry for leaving and hiding..."
Tristan, witnessing this emotional reunion, approached them, his heart heavy with the weight of Kaye's absence. She looked at him and enveloped him in her arms. Tristan, too, succumbed to tears within her consoling embrace.
"W-Why did you have to do that? You left me shattered; I felt like dying every day. I can't move on from the thought that you are gone. I'm truly devastated!" Tristan's cries echoed the depth of his pain.
Kaye, overwhelmed by guilt, continued crying, unable to find the right words to express her remorse.
"Kaye..." Kurtis stepped forward, his voice laced with the ache of longing. "You have no idea how painful it was when we thought you were dead. It's so painful... It felt like my heart was pierced and torn into pieces. Every day I woke up, I felt incomplete. Felt like my life had no meaning, no reason to live in this world anymore without you..." Tears streamed down his face, mirroring the depth of his sorrow.
"Kaye!" Benjamin's arrival added to the emotional turmoil. He rushed to her, embracing her tightly. "I thought you were dead... I was terrified! Every night, I blamed myself for not being able to save you, for not helping you through your troubles... Please, don't leave us again," he cried, his tears carrying the weight of guilt and the profoundness of his yearning for her.
Facing the emotional onslaught from those she deeply cared for, Kaye wiped away her tears, her voice breaking. "I-I'm truly sorry, everyone... I'm truly sorry! The fear struck me when I learned I was carrying Timothy's child. I was scared that you would despise me, cast me away. That's why I ran away and decided to end my own life. But believe me, there's not a single day that I don't think about you. Every night was also torture for me, yearning for all of you. I hope you will forgive me; I'm truly sorry." She knelt before them.
"Kaye, don't do that!" Haru exclaimed, stopping her from kneeling.
They helped her to stand, their eyes reflecting a mix of forgiveness and understanding.
"Kaye, we are not angry with you," Raon reassured her. He walked closer, gently wiping her tears away. "You should have told us about it; we told you before that if you have problems, you will share them with us, right? Running away won't solve anything. If you told us about your pregnancy, we would understand you. It's not your fault, Kaye. Timothy kidnapped you and forced you; if there's someone we will resent, it will be him and not you. I love you deeply, Kaye. Even if you already have a child with someone else, I will always accept you and love you." Raon embraced her, placing a tender kiss on her forehead.
Kaye's tears continued to fall as she found solace in his arms, realizing the depth of forgiveness and love surrounding her. She couldn't explain how fortunate she was to have such understanding husbands.
A car suddenly arrived, Shin, Ivan, Troy, and Rein stepped out. They rushed to her as soon as they saw her.
"Kaye!" Ivan cried, gripping both her shoulders. "Please never do that again! It hurts so much! Promise me you won't ever think of taking your own life again," he pleaded desperately.
Kaye, tears streaming down her face, cupped Ivan's trembling face and nodded. "I... I promise," she uttered with heartfelt sincerity.
"Kaye..." Shin approached, enveloping her in a tight embrace. "I've been blaming myself for not stopping you that day. If only I had sensed the burden of your troubles, that dreadful incident wouldn't have occurred. I'm truly sorry for being worthless."
"Don't blame yourself, Shin. The fault is mine," Kaye reassured him.
"But still..." Shin's words were silenced as Kaye gently placed a finger on his lips, shaking her head. "It's all right now, Shin. Please stop blaming yourself," she whispered, and Shin nodded, pulling her into another comforting embrace.
"Waaahhh Kaye!!!!" Troy's cry echoed like that of a wounded child. "Y-You really scared me!! Waahhh!!! I... I thought I would never see you again! I was so scared!"
Kaye tenderly wiped away Troy's tears. "I promise I will never leave you guys again."
Troy sniffled, and Kaye, understanding the vulnerability, embraced him tightly.
The last to approach was Rein, his head lowered, unable to look into her eyes.
"Rein..." Kaye called out to him.
Rein shifted his gaze away, eyes welled up with tears, torn between deep hurt and overwhelming relief.
Kaye drew closer, wrapping him in a tight embrace. "I'm very sorry," she whispered. Tears cascaded down Rein's face, and it wasn't long before he succumbed to the emotional storm, crying in her arms, a poignant display of the profound pain he had endured.
After their emotional reunion, they gathered in the living room and began sharing stories of the past year. The men met Eros and, surprisingly, each insisted on being his father. Isaac pointed out his status as the father on Eros' birth certificate, leading to a heated discussion. Eventually, they reached a consensus to collectively act as Eros' fathers, treating him as their own. Kaye was overjoyed at their acceptance.
When Cedie arrived, his shock at seeing Kaye was palpable. They had kept her arrival a secret, considering Cedie had an exam on the same day. Overwhelmed with emotion, Cedie cried loudly, expressing his deep longing for his mom. Once he calmed down, he stuck by Kaye's side, clinging to her wherever she went.
Finally, their family was complete again, now with the addition of Eros. In the evening, they celebrated Kaye's return and captured the moment with a family picture, intending to cherish and display it on their wall.
.
.
....
The following day, Kira was tasked with picking up Kaye's parents to meet her. Witnessing their daughter alive brought tears to their eyes, overwhelmed with gratitude. Despite scolding Kaye for running away and faking her death, their hearts softened upon meeting their grandson, Eros. Kaye opened up about everything, especially Eros' father.
"Did you inform the mayor about Eros?" her mom inquired.
Kaye shook her head. "No... I don't want him to know about our son."
Her parents exchanged glances, understanding the complexity of their daughter's situation. Accepting her child's father was not an easy feat for Kaye.
"But I heard from the news that the mayor will return to his duties next week. Will you be alright?" her dad asked.
"Mikhail already hired bodyguards for me; he's doing his best to keep my son's identity hidden from Timothy," Kaye replied.
Her mom held her hand. "Kaye, next time you face a problem, please don't hesitate to share it with us. I don't want to lose you again, dear."
Kaye nodded. "I will, Mom. I'm sorry again for running away."
Her parents embraced her tightly, engaging in a lengthy conversation about Kaye's life in the other province over the past year. When night fell, Kaye stayed in a hotel with her parents and Eros, relishing the opportunity to spend the night with her family.