LOGINReyna's POVIn the afternoon, I was alone at the villa.Aldric had gone to work since morning and hadn't returned. Damian had also gone somewhere since noon. He only said there was important business and he would return soon after finishing.I sat in the living room with a laptop on my lap, trying to finish the interior design for the competition. But my concentration kept breaking. My mind drifted to Kirana. To her birthday that we should have celebrated together.Mrs. Lin, the housekeeper Aldric assigned to look after me, was preparing tea in the kitchen. The sound of cups touching plates could be faintly heard from a distance.Suddenly the doorbell rang loudly.I lifted my head. Who was coming at this hour?I stood up and walked toward the door. Opened it without thinking twice.And froze.Arvan stood at the door with a cold face full of anger. His jaw was hardened. His eyes looked at me with that familiar sharp gaze.My heart stopped for a second.Why was he here? How did he know
Arvan's POV All night I called and messaged Reyna. Dozens of calls. Hundreds of messages. Not a single one was answered. I sat in my office chair with a dark expression. My phone lay on the desk, its screen displaying rows of unanswered messages. "Reyna, answer my call." "Where did you go?" "Where is Kirana?" "Answer me!" All messages showed a single check mark. Reyna probably hadn't turned on her phone. And that made me uneasy. The office door was knocked softly. My assistant, Daniel, entered with a cautious expression. "Well? Have you found Reyna and Kirana yet?" I asked impatiently. "Not yet, Sir," Daniel answered. "I've checked all the places Mrs. Reyna might go, but she and Miss Kirana aren't there. I've also checked hospitals in the city as you requested. But there's no admission record under their names." I clenched my fists tightly. The feeling of anxiety grew larger. Kirana was sick when I left her, and Reyna had no family or relatives. Where did she take Kirana?
Private Group Chat - "Ashford Brothers"Aldric uploaded a photo to the group chat. A photo of a breakfast plate with an omelet, toast, fresh salad, and orange juice neatly arranged on the table.Aldric (First Brother): [photo] Breakfast made by Reyna this morning.Replies came immediately.Damian (Cousin): Looks so good. I want her to cook for me too!Cassius (Second Brother): How is Reyna's condition now?Kieran (Twin Brother): Is she willing to come out of her room?Aldric stared at his phone screen while leaning back in his study chair. He sighed deeply before typing a reply.Aldric: Her condition is still very bad. Emotionally she's very unstable. Yesterday at the funeral, she almost fainted. Last night I heard her crying until dawn. She only managed to sleep around five in the morning.Aldric: Now is not the right time to meet too many people at once. She needs more time to recover.Silence for a moment in the group.Cassius: Understood. I'll wait until she's ready.Kieran: Same.
Reyna's POVThe clock showed almost four in the morning, but I couldn't sleep. My eyes were still open staring at the dark bedroom ceiling.Two days had passed since Kirana left. Two days that felt like two years. Every second was heavy and torturous.Today was Kirana's fifth birthday. A day that should have been filled with laughter, cake, candles, and hopes. But now there was only emptiness.My tears flowed again. Who knows how many times tonight. I was tired of crying, but the tears kept flowing without control.I looked at my phone displaying Kirana's broadly smiling face on the screen."Happy birthday, sweetheart," I whispered softly while touching the screen. "Forgive Mommy for not being able to celebrate it with you."My chest tightened. My sobs broke out again.Yesterday afternoon, Aldric arranged a simple funeral ceremony for Kirana. Only the two of us attended. No one else. No family from Arvan's side. No friends or acquaintances.Just me and Aldric. We stood in front of a s
Arvan's POVTwo days had passed since the company anniversary party. Since then I hadn't gone home or asked about Reyna and Kirana. I was still upset with them.I sat in the hospital VIP room watching Rio sleep peacefully in bed. His fever had gone down since the first day Lara and I brought him to the hospital. But Lara insisted that Rio stay hospitalized until he was completely recovered.Lara sat beside me. Her face was tired but beautiful. Her hair was slightly messy. She looked fragile and in need of protection."Thank you for staying with us these two days, Arvan," she said softly while touching my arm. "I don't know what I would do without you."I nodded without saying much. My mind drifted for a moment.Seeing Rio, somehow I remembered Kirana.I remembered her pale face when I dropped her and Reyna off on the road. Her small body limp in Reyna's embrace. Reyna's words screaming desperately—"Kirana is almost dead!"My chest tightened for a second.But I immediately shook my hea
I stood in front of the building I had called home for the past four years. A home filled with bitter memories and occasional warm moments that now felt like illusions. My hands trembled as I opened the door with the spare key I always carried. The house was dark and silent. No sound of Kirana's laughter or her small voice calling me "Mommy." No rabbit doll and toys scattered on the floor. Only suffocating emptiness. I turned on the lights and walked toward Kirana's room. Her bedroom door was still open as I had left it last night. Her bed was still messy. Her rabbit doll lay on the pillow, as if waiting for its owner to return. But Kirana would never return. My chest tightened. I could barely breathe. I forced myself to turn and walk to the living room, looking for the divorce papers Arvan had given me a few days ago. The brown folder still lay on the table, in the same place since I brought it home from his office. I opened it and skimmed through it. Full cu







