CHAPTER 68

Kael barely slept.

Most of the night was spent inside his office staring at reports he never actually read. Every time he closed his eyes, he saw Vera standing at the entrance in Elena’s arms while Marco looked like a man surviving resurrection

For years, Kael had accepted two things as facts

Aria was dead

And nothing stolen by the organization ever came back whole.

Now suddenly both facts were wrong

A quiet knock came against the office door before Lucian walked in without waiting for permission

Kael didn’t look up immediately

Silence settled briefly before Lucian glanced toward the window

How’s she handling it?

Kael leaned back slowly. “Better than I expected.”

That bad?

Kael laughed once without humor.

She found out her entire life was built on lies, discovered her dead family is alive, reunited with them and somehow still hasn’t murdered Aaron

Lucian nodded thoughtfully. “Impressive honestly"

Kael rubbed a hand over his face before speaking quieter

“She smiled "

That got Lucian’s attention immediately.

“She laughed too.”

Lucian stared at him for a second, You sound emotionally compromised “That’s deeply disturbing.”

Kael ignored him because honestly, nothing about this felt normal anymore

Not after seeing Vera with her family

Not after watching Marco hold her like he got oxygen back after drowning for years

Not after realizing Vera looked like she belonged there

Like she had always belonged there

Lucian studied him quietly

You are scared she’ll leave?

Kael’s jaw tightened instantly.

“Yes.”

She won’t

You don’t know that

“No,” Lucian admitted calmly,

But I know how she looks at you

That shut Kael up

Feelings were already messy enough without other people noticing them too

Lucian pushed away from the doorway

Mum’s making breakfast

That sounds unfortunate

Aaron’s already there

That sounds worse and don't u have anything to say about whatever is going on between the both of you?

Lucian smirked before leaving.

Kael stayed behind another minute before finally standing

The kitchen was already chaos by the time he walked in

Aaron sat on the counter eating directly from the pan while Livia argued with him about human decency, Lina looked one inconvenience away from homicide

And Vera—

She was laughing

Kael stopped moving for half a second

Because hearing that sound after everything did something violent to his chest

She looked up then

Their eyes met instantly across the kitchen

The room faded slightly after that despite Aaron still talking nonsense in the background

Vera’s expression softened just a little after noticing him

That feeling in his chest every time she looked at him felt dangerously close to home.

Aaron noticed him first

“Oh good. The emotionally constipated fiancé arrived"

Livia pointed toward Kael seriously

You missed Xavier fighting for strawberries earlier

Kael frowned slightly, i don’t even want context

Smart choice, Adrian said calmly from the table

Kael’s eyes shifted toward him briefly before nodding once

Adrian nodded back

Because despite everything, they understood each other in a strange way

Two people standing close to Vera from completely different parts of her life

Marco walked in a moment later and immediately looked toward Vera again automatically

Like every few minutes he still needed visual proof she existed

Kael understood that feeling more than he wanted to admit

Elena said something softly to Vera then laughed under her breath after Vera answered

Kael watched the interaction without meaning to

The softness

The familiarity slowly rebuilding itself

The way Vera relaxed more around them every hour

Marco noticed him watching

Their eyes met briefly across the room before Marco smiled slightly

Kael immediately looked away

Absolutely not

Later that afternoon, Kael stood inside his office reviewing security reports when Marco walked in quietly

You’re working already? Marco asked

“Yes.”

Marco closed the office door behind himself before sitting down

For a second neither spoke

Then finally—

She trusts you

Kael looked up immediately

Marco’s expression stayed calm, Observant Like a man carefully studying the person standing closest to his daughter

Kael leaned back slightly

“She probably shouldn’t, I couldn’t protect her before.”

Marco’s expression shifted immediately

You were children

I still left her there

“No,” Marco corrected calmly

You survived

That word hit harder than expected

Marco exhaled slowly afterward. “When I thought my daughter died, I promised myself no man would matter enough for me to owe him for her safety.”

Kael stayed silent.

But I owe you anyway

Something uncomfortable shifted inside Kael’s chest

Because gratitude felt strange

He didn’t know what to do with it

Marco noticed.

Then finally—

“She loves you.”

Kael genuinely froze for half a second.

No u can't say that....you meet her less than 48hrs ago, You don’t know that

Marco almost looked amused. “I’m her father. I know.”

Kael looked away briefly because suddenly the conversation felt dangerous

Too personal

Marco stood afterward before moving toward the door

Then paused

“If she decides to leaves with us eventually, I know you’ll let her"

Kael’s expression hardened slightly

Marco noticed immediately.

“And that’s exactly why she’ll come back.”

After he left, Kael stayed inside the office alone for a long time

Thinking

Which honestly irritated him

Because thoughts involving Vera had stopped being rational weeks ago

Now they were completely ruined.

That evening the house finally became quieter

Like everyone had exhausted themselves emotionally

Kael found Vera standing near the upstairs balcony doors staring outside

He stopped beside her silently

For a while neither spoke

Then finally—

“You’re avoiding me.”

Vera looked toward him immediately. “I’m not.”

“You walked away from the office earlier.”

Realization crossed her face

Of course she thought he wouldn’t notice.

“I notice everything involving you,” he admitted calmly

I saw the pictures, the one your mum kept

she said after a moment.

His expression shifted slightly. “Oh?”

You looked Like you wanted to kill someone even as a child

Kael looked offended instantly

That’s dramatic

A small smirk appeared briefly on his face before disappearing again

Then his eyes stayed on hers longer this time

“You were always beside me in every picture.”

Something about hearing him say that made Vera quiet

I apparently followed you everywhere

You did

You remember?

Pieces

His voice lowered slightly.

But I remember you

That ruined her ability to think normally

Kael saw it happen in real time

The slight loss of focus in her eyes

The way her fingers tightened slightly against the balcony railing

His hand lifted slowly before brushing lightly against her wrist

Gentle, giving her room to move away

She didn’t

“Your father spoke to me earlier,” he admitted quietly

Vera looked up immediately. And?

Kael’s expression became unreadable again

He asked if you’d leave with them

Something shifted across her face

“And what did you say?”

That it’s your choice

That answer hurt her more than he expected

Kael noticed immediately

His hand tightened slightly around hers

“But if you leave, he said quietly, I’ll still come find you

She laughed softly under her breath.

Then suddenly his forehead rested briefly against hers

“You terrify me,” she whispered before thinking

Kael pulled back just enough to look at her properly

you survived monsters, I refuse to lose to rich people and emotional reunions

You’ve been mouthy all morning, Kael said lowly. “That’s new.”

Vera crossed her arms,

You’ve been insufferable all morning. That’s not new

His mouth twitched slightly. “Careful.”

“Or what? You’ll drag me over your desk again?”

Watch your mouth, Vera,” he murmured near her ear. “Unless you want me to shut it for you.”

Her pulse jumped violently beneath his fingers.

She hated how fast her body betrayed her.

Hated that one sentence from him already had her remembering exactly how he felt against her.

“Do it then,” she whispered

Kael’s eyes darkened immediately

Then he kissed her.

Like he’d been holding himself back all morning and finally snapped

His mouth crashed against hers hard enough to steal the air from her lungs while one hand tangled into her hair and the other pulled her flush against him

Vera made a soft sound she didn’t mean to make

Her hands grabbed his shirt automatically like she needed something steady to hold onto

Because Kael kissed like possession

“Still aching?” he muttered against her lips barely pulling away, his thumb brushed softly across her swollen mouth

"Yeah, I can tell"

Vera tried glaring at him

Then he kissed her again slower this time,

Like he had all the time in the world to ruin her properly

Her knees weakened instantly

His hand slid from her waist, lifting her onto the edge of the rail carelessly

“Kael—”

“Shh.”

His forehead rested briefly against hers while both of them breathed harder now.

“You wanted me to shut you up,” he murmured softly. “Let me.”

Then his mouth found hers again

Like he was memorizing her

Like he was reminding her exactly where she belonged

Then quietly—

“Stay.”

Just one word

But it carried enough emotion to stop her breathing for half a second

Because Kael never begged for anything

Yet somehow—

that sounded dangerously close to begging