Timothy clenched his fists as he brooded over thoughts of Eros and Kaye. Despite his fervent desire for information about the child, no reports had surfaced. Determination surged within him; he resolved to obtain even a strand of the child's hair for a DNA test. He harbored a strong conviction that Eros was his son, and DNA testing was the only way to confirm it.
Summoning his secretary, Timothy set about devising a plan to approach the child discreetly, evading Kaye's vigilant husbands. Days later, he received intel that Kaye had taken Eros to the hospital for vaccinations, a facility where Kurtis was employed. With urgency, Timothy canceled his meetings and arrived at the hospital in disguise. From a distance, he observed Kaye cradling Eros. Despite becoming a mother, Kaye still looked beautiful to Timothy, and his love for her remained strong and unchanged.
Moving cautiously to avoid detection, Timothy drew nearer until he overheard Kaye conversing with the nanny.
"Nanny Sally, I need to use the restroom. Could you hold Eros for a moment?" Kaye entrusted Eros to the nanny's care and departed without noticing Timothy.
Timothy swiftly changed into nurse's attire and approached the nanny.
"Good morning, are you Eros Fuentebella's nanny?" he inquired.
The nanny nodded affirmatively. "Yes, I am."
"It's time for his vaccination. Where's his mother?" Timothy pressed.
"She stepped out to the restroom. She'll return shortly," the nanny replied.
Timothy glanced at his watch. "But it's his turn now; the doctor is ready. Could you accompany the child inside? I'll inform his mother upon her return."
The nanny hesitated momentarily.
Timothy sighed. "If you delay, we'll have to attend to the next patient," he warned.
"Alright," the nanny relented, following Timothy as he led the way with Eros in tow.
A smirk played on Timothy's lips. Upon reaching the door, he requested the nanny to allow him to hold the child for a brief examination. Seizing the opportunity, he discreetly plucked a strand of Eros's hair before returning him to the nanny's arms and allowing them entry.
Swiftly changing back into his civilian attire, Timothy departed the hospital without a trace. Meanwhile, Kaye returned and encountered Kurtis, who had just completed his rounds.
"Where's Nanny Sally and Eros?" Kurtis inquired.
"I'm not sure; I left them here briefly to use the restroom," Kaye replied, her anxiety mounting. What if Timothy had abducted them?
However, her fears were assuaged when Nanny Sally and Eros emerged unscathed.
"Nanny, where have you been?" Kaye asked, visibly relieved. "You had me worried."
"I apologize, madam. The nurse called us, urging us to see the doctor promptly, lest they call the next patient. Eros has received his vaccination," Nanny Sally explained.
Kaye and Kurtis breathed sighs of relief.
"Thank goodness you're both safe. I feared the worst," Kaye confessed, embracing her son tightly and planting a kiss on his cheek. "I thought I had lost you..."
"Next time, Nanny Sally, please inform us beforehand. We don't want to unnecessarily worry," Kurtis advised.
Nanny Sally nodded contritely, offering her apologies once more. After the vaccination, they returned home, grateful for the uneventful outcome of their hospital visit.
.
.
Timothy smiled as he gazed at the small plastic container containing Eros's hair strands. Anticipation welled within him as he realized that it would take a few weeks to receive the results, and he couldn't wait to see them. After handing over the hair strands to the testing center, he departed, feeling a mixture of excitement and nervousness coursing through him.
.
.
....
At the mansion, the men were playing with Eros when Kaye approached them, wearing a worried expression as she glanced in another direction.
"Wifey, is there something wrong?" Mikhail inquired, his concern evident. The other men turned to look at her, puzzled by her demeanor.
She nervously scratched her nape before speaking. "Actually... Tin and Rubie want to visit Eros tomorrow," she began.
"They don't know about our relationships. They only know that Mikhail and I are lovers, and they don't know the rest of you. If it's alright with you, I'd like you to go out tomorrow for a while and return home after my friends leave. If that's okay with you guys," she explained, her words tinged with apprehension.
The men exchanged glances, processing her request.
"I... I know this might be asking too much. But please don't misunderstand. I'm proud that you guys are my husbands and boyfriends. However, having multiple lovers at the same time isn't common in our country. I just... I don't want them to be shocked, and I don't want you to receive negative criticism from others," she elaborated, her voice tinged with concern.
The men smiled understandingly. Kurtis stood up and placed a reassuring hand on her shoulder. "You don't have to worry about us, Love. We understand," he assured her.
"Then we'll go to the park tomorrow. It's the weekend. Afterwards, we'll visit the supermarket for groceries," Tristan suggested, offering a plan to accommodate Kaye's request.
Kaye's face lit up with gratitude. "Thank you for your understanding," she said, moving closer to them and kissing each of them tenderly.
Rein silently observed the scene, his heart aching with longing. He too hoped that Kaye would one day accept him fully.
.
....
The next morning.
"Eros!!!" Rubie and Tin exclaimed upon seeing Kaye's son.
They rushed over to him, pinching his cheeks as he giggled at the attention from the beautiful ladies before him. They settled in the living room, while Nanny Sally went to the kitchen to prepare snacks for them.
"Wow! Your house is so huge!" Rubie remarked, glancing around in awe.
"You're living with your boyfriend, right? Mr. Fuentebella?" Tin inquired.
Kaye nodded. "Yes, ever since I returned, we've been staying with him."
"I'm glad he accepted Eros. He's so sweet. You're lucky to have a very caring boyfriend," Rubie commented.
"He may look scary, but he's really a good person," Kaye said, smiling warmly.
"But what about Isaac? He claimed to be Eros's father, right?" Tin asked, her curiosity piqued.
"Well... Mikhail and Isaac have already discussed it, and Mikhail is fine with it. They're brothers, after all," Kaye explained, scratching her head.
Tin and Rubie exchanged confused glances. It was rare for brothers to react that way.
"Anyway, Kaye, have you found a job yet?" Tin inquired.
"I've received a call from one of the companies I applied to. My interview is scheduled for next week," Kaye replied.
"Thank God. We were worried about you. If you get hired, please let us know, and we'll join you," Rubie said.
"Huh? But PD was a good leader. Why would you resign?" Kaye asked.
"Because we want to be with you!" the two friends chimed in unison.
Kaye smiled gratefully at her two best friends. As they waited for the snacks, they engaged in lively conversation. However, their discussion was interrupted when they noticed Mikhail descending the stairs, looking like he had just woken up.
"Hey," Mikhail greeted, kissing Kaye on the forehead. He then glanced at her friends. "I didn't know you had visitors today."
Kaye felt confused and surprised. "I told you yesterday that they were coming today," she reminded him.
Mikhail shrugged. "I forgot," he admitted, sitting beside her and playing with Eros.
Kaye glanced at her friends, who simply smiled back at her. To avoid any awkwardness, she decided to steer the conversation toward her friends' love life. They were enjoying their chat when the sound of someone else descending the stairs caught their attention. It was Isaac.
"Good morning!" Isaac greeted cheerfully.
Kaye's eyes widened in surprise. Why was Isaac here too?
"I... I thought you went to the park?" she asked.
"I woke up late," Isaac simply replied and sat beside her.
She now found herself seated between Isaac and Mikhail, and the atmosphere grew awkward once again.
"Hehe... It's my first time meeting Mr. Mikhail's brother," Rubie said nervously, attempting to break the tension.
"It's nice to meet you. Kaye mentioned you to me before. I'm happy that I finally met her other friend," Isaac smiled warmly.
Rubie smiled awkwardly in return.
"By the way, I brought a gift for Eros," Tin changed the topic and showed the paper bag to them.
"Me too! This is for Eros!" Rubie exclaimed happily, also presenting her gift in a box.
"Thank you so much. Eros will be happy because of your gifts," Kaye said gratefully as she accepted the presents.
They were about to resume their conversation when they heard the door open.
"Boo! I'm back!" Haru exclaimed.
Tin and Rubie almost dropped their jaws when they saw him.
"Isn't he the famous model? Haru?" Tin asked.
They had seen him once before at Kaye's funeral, but at the time, they assumed he was only a friend of Mikhail and didn't realize he had any connection to Kaye, as she had never mentioned knowing him.
"Yes, that's me!" Haru said proudly, then settled near Kaye. "And I'm his boyfriend," he added with pride.
The two ladies gasped, sensing the tension in the room as Mikhail and Isaac gave Haru a disapproving glance.
"H-Haru..." Kaye stuttered, unsure of how to react.
"B-Boyfriend? But isn't Mr. Mikhail Kaye's boyfriend?" Rubie interjected, visibly shocked.
"Hmm? Yeah, we three are her boyfriends," Haru confirmed, oblivious to the discomfort in the room.
Mikhail facepalmed while Isaac struggled to contain his laughter. Tin and Rubie were stunned by the revelation. Their best friend had three boyfriends?
"U-Uhm... Guys, l-let me explain..." Kaye began, but before she could continue, someone else entered.
"Honey, I'm home!" It was Raon, carrying a basket of fruits.
Her friends' eyes widened in disbelief.
"R-Raon Montenegro?" Tin gasped, covering her mouth. "The CEO of Montenegro Group."
Raon smiled warmly at them. "You must be Kaye's friends? Nice to meet you," he greeted them.
Behind him, Tristan appeared, carrying a cake. "Sorry it took us long. The bakery opened late," he explained.
Kaye was speechless. She had told them to stay out today because her friends were coming over. Why were her husbands here?
"Hi," Tristan waved at her friends.
"K-Kaye... Don't tell me... They were also your..." Tin trailed off, her eyes pleading for an explanation.
Kaye scratched her head nervously. "H-Hehe... Yes. They were also my... my boyfriends," she confessed, fidgeting with her fingers.
Her friends' jaws dropped in shock.
"W-Wow..." Rubie muttered in disbelief.
"Please don't judge Kaye. We love her, and it's fine for us to have this kind of relationship," Tristan spoke up, offering a reassuring smile that seemed to ease the tension in the room.
"It's fine, hehe. We're just shocked by the revelation," Tin said.
Just when they thought the surprises were over, the door opened again. Kyle and Kurtis arrived, carrying groceries.
"D-Doc Kurtis?" Tin glanced at Kaye again.
Kaye averted her gaze, embarrassed. "Waahhh, I'm sorry, girls!" she exclaimed.
Tin laughed. "Now I understand why Kurtis was so close to you. He's also your boyfriend?"
Kaye nodded, her face turning red.
Rubie chuckled. "I can't believe this."
Then her other boyfriends also arrived, settling in the living room and facing her friends.
"You guys planned this, am I right?" Kaye muttered.
The men scratched their heads. "We just wanted to meet your friends," Shin explained.
"Wow. I can't believe that you have twelve boyfriends. Is it only them, or are there more?" Rubie asked.
"No, it's only them," Kaye confirmed.
"But how did you guys meet? And how did you end up like this?" Tin asked, genuinely curious.
They told them how they met, but some of the details were made up since they couldn't reveal their lives in Serolf Empire.
"I hope you will accept us and don't judge Kaye for having multiple boyfriends," Kurtis said earnestly.
"We love Kaye so much and we are willing to do everything for her," Tristan added.
"We can't afford to see her suffer because of us, so if you won't mind, can you please keep what you discovered today a secret?" Raon requested.
"We want our family to live peacefully and without any scandals," Haru emphasized.
"Please keep this a secret," Mikhail pleaded.
Rubie and Tin glanced at each other, then smiled at them.
"Of course we will. Kaye is our only best friend, and we love her too," Tin assured them.
"Don't worry, your secret is safe with us," Rubie added.
They all smiled.
"Thank you, girls," Kaye said gratefully and hugged her friends tightly.
Their conversation continued until Nanny Sally called them for lunch. Kaye's friends also met Cedie, and they quickly became fond of him. Eros and Cedie's cuteness melted their hearts.