Agreement Behind Her Marriage

Kael met Faye in another country and listened to all her complaints.

He allowed himself to silently grieve for the man she was planning to marry while Faye sobbed. Now, he understood why Faye no longer wanted to go back to America. In a little while, he ordered food to be delivered to the room because he doubted whether Faye could eat at the hotel’s restaurant.

She barely touched her own order either. Kael joined her in watching a movie on the television before informing her that he was going back to his room. It was already midnight, and they both needed to rest.

“Can you stay?” Faye asked.

“Faye…” Concern etched on Kael’s face. His mind was now firmly set that it would be wrong if something were to happen between him and Finn’s sister.

“Faye, I am dating someone,” he stated firmly.

The shock was written all over Faye’s face.

She pressed her lips together and didn’t know what to say. “Danica? The woman you were with at the birthday party? Is it her?”

“Yeah…”

Perhaps she had miscalculated, thinking that Kael would wait for her, but was hurt by what she heard. She had told her fiancé that she still loved Kael and was still hoping that things would work out between them.

She knew there was no chance for a romantic relationship between them, but the story between her and Kael ran too deep.

“D-do you love her?” she asked, summoning her courage.

Kael averted his gaze. “Whether I love her or not is not the issue here.”

Faye’s self-confidence soared as she listened to him. It had only been a few months since he had confessed his love for her, despite their five-year separation. She was convinced she still occupied a special place in Kael’s heart. After all, he wouldn’t have agreed to her invitation to Hong Kong and left Danica in another country if his love for the latter was real, right?

No! Before she had him come to Hong Kong, she had resolved to confront any challenges that came her way. She was willing to fight for Kael, even if it meant facing opposition from their families, keeping their relationship a secret, or enduring any other obstacles-as long as she could be with Kael!

Hadn’t he demonstrated this when she returned from America? Kael had told her he still loved her.

‘How come he’s dating someone?’

She felt her heart shatter into pieces at what she heard, but she had no right to complain. It was she who had wished for Kael to distance himself.

‘No! I have to get him back! He still loves me for sure!’

After all, how long had he known Danica? She believed Kael wouldn’t sever their strong bond just like that. She fell silent, contemplating several things.

Kael cleared his throat. “I’m sorry, but that’s my status right now, Faye.”

She nodded while tears trickled down. She felt a deep sadness, but she understood there was nothing more she could do. She didn’t want Kael to be driven away from her. Well, if it made her appear selfish or whatever, so be it!

“Just stay; you can sleep on the sofa,” she offered.

After he thought it over, he gave in to her.

When morning arrived, Kael casually ordered breakfast while Faye was in the shower.

By the time their food was delivered, she had just stepped out of the bathroom.

Kael opened the door, and to their surprise, it wasn’t the hotel staff delivering the food that caught them off guard, but a person passing through the hallway who was staying in one of the rooms on the same floor.

“Kael? Wow! Long time no see!” However, the woman was equally surprised to see Faye. “It’s a small world, and here we are, meeting in Hong Kong.” She’s Karen, Kael’s college classmate.

Kael glanced at her, his brow furrowing. “Yeah. We’re heading back today.”

“Oh, I see! Same here! Sorry, I have to go! I need to catch my flight back,” Karen said her goodbye.

They didn’t sense any potential trouble because their consciences were clear, but they both made a mistake.

When they returned home, they received numerous messages from Finn, as did Kael. Both of them were summoned to Finn’s office.

***

Kael and Faye went straight to the Burnham Group’s office in response to the messages sent by Finn. He stayed silent by Faye’s side, from the airplane to the car that picked them up at the airport.

When the car stopped at the building housing Finn’s office, he helped Faye step out of it.

His heart raced as they rode in the elevator. He couldn’t quite comprehend why he felt so nervous.

“W-what do you think Finn is going to say?” Faye inquired.

“I don’t know, Faye. I believe your brother may already be aware that we met in Hong Kong.”

Their conversation was cut short when they were greeted by the security guard, who opened the glass door for them. They were then led inside by Finn’s secretary to his private office.

“Brother-”

“Sit. Down!” He saw the annoyance on Lauren’s husband’s face, whom he hadn’t seen in a long time.

The man leaned back in his chair and angrily turned his laptop to show them Karen’s public post on social media.

‘That fucking Karen!’

Kael gritted his teeth as he read through the post.

‘Hey, everyone! I’ve got some juicy gossip. This morning, I was shocked to find Faye and Kael Escarrer together in a suite at the Artus Hotel here in HONG KONG! OMG! It’s clear they had quite the night. Faye was wearing only a robe with a towel on her head as if she had just taken a shower. Kael, on the other hand, was in a robe with his chest exposed, and he was wearing just boxer shorts or something. Are they having a secret affair while their siblings are still married? Or could this be a sign of trouble between Lauren and Finn, just like before? What are your thoughts?’

“It was forwarded to me by a business associate. Thankfully, Karen took it down after I scared her, mentioning that she might meet my lawyer because she included both of you, along with Lauren and me. Even though it’s just a screenshot, her circle of friends had already seen this post. Our reputations are tarnished! Nothing escapes the internet! If I have a screenshot, someone else undoubtedly does too!”

Kael wanted to strangle that woman! Why didn’t he sense that she had a plan to spread rumors about him and Faye? They had done nothing, so he hadn’t considered the possibility of such an issue arising.

“First of all, nothing happened last night, Brother Finn! Nothing!” Faye said, her tone raised in anger. “And yes, I will personally meet her!”

“Yeah, right! And who would believe that? The two of you have a history. She saw you in Hong Kong! I even, when I read this, thought that you were secretly meeting in another country!”

“But you have to trust me, Brother Finn!” Faye said.

“The problem is, you’re not giving me a reason to trust you!” He angrily reprimanded them. “You got pregnant at the age of eighteen, for fuck’s sake, Faye! I kept it a secret from everyone because I didn’t want to tarnish your reputation! I didn’t want to hurt Dad, Mom, or even my wife!”

“You are being unreasonable!” Faye cried out to him.

“Oh, really? Tell me right this second that you two didn’t sleep together recently, from the moment you came back from America.”

They couldn’t look at each other.

‘Sht! Sht! Sht! Damn it!’

“Exactly!” Finn slammed his fist, getting the answer he desired.

The woman began to cry, and Kael felt frustrated because he couldn’t answer Lauren’s husband. Finn had every right to scold both him and Faye.

“Why did you meet in Hong Kong?” Finn inquired, speaking in a lower tone. He had a valid reason to question them, given that, if he hadn’t intervened with Karen, they might have already become a topic of discussion among some friends.

“I love Kael, Brother Finn… But we gave in to you and Sister Lauren.”

“Huh?! Are you kidding me, Faye? I just want to remind you that Lauren and I have been married for six years now! Whatever your reason is, it’s no longer valid! Did I forget to mention that you were supposed to marry your fiancé in America?”

‘He had a valid point there!’

In the midst of their intense discussion, they receive messages from Lily and Drew, informing them of a distressing incident that had occurred in their home, while Danica and Orion were also present.

A tragic death had taken place at Lily’s residence.