“Darn it! Where did this troublemaker go?”
Edward grumbled irritably. He had been holding his phone while driving, muttering curses incessantly.
Edward was extremely annoyed. He had been trying to call Kairos’s phone number since earlier, but none of the calls yielded any results. He had no idea what business Kairos was involved in or where his friend was. It had been a week and he hadn’t been able to reach him once.
“Just you wait. If he answers later, I’ll scold this playboy crocodile!”
Arriving at the hospital, Edward hurried to Samuel’s room. It was his friend that he wanted to meet this afternoon. There was something he wanted to ask and convey right away.
“If you’re just here to discuss the same thing as yesterday, I don’t have time, Edward Darkwood.”
Edward’s foot had just stepped into Samuel’s practice room. Before he could even speak, his childhood friend gave him a warning.
“Oh my God, Samuel Knight. You’re so mean. I haven’t even said anything yet.”
Edward quickly pulled a chair. Settling himself in, he tried to find a comfortable position to have a calm discussion.
“What else do you want to discuss today? Honestly, I’m bored seeing you four days in a row.”
Edward sighed. Truly, his visit was for urgent matters.
“I actually have something to ask you.”
“What about?”
“About Kairos,” Edward responded promptly.
“What’s wrong with Kairos?”
“Do you know where Kairos is right now?”
Samuel nodded casually. Even his expression was convincing.
“I do. In Italy, isn’t he?”
Edward sighed again. He knew that much too. However, during their farewell the other day, Kairos didn’t specify which part of Italy he was visiting.
“I also know that he’s in Italy.”
“So? What’s the problem?”
Edward sighed. Samuel seemed to not understand where their conversation was going. Why did it seem like a pointless discussion?
“I mean, which city in Italy is Kairos visiting? Is it Rome, Milan, Venice, Naples, Verona, Siena, or where?”
Samuel finally understood Edward’s question. But as for where exactly Kairos was, he didn’t know either. His cousin didn’t really elaborate. That’s why he could only shrug.
“I’m not sure about this. As far as I remember, Kairos had some important work that he couldn’t leave.”
“What about his company? Why didn’t he say anything?”
Samuel shook his head.
“I don’t think it’s related to the company.”
Edward frowned and sighed. Then what kind of important work was Kairos doing that it was risking his life?
“Is there any important work other than dealing with the company?”
Samuel shrugged again. For God’s sake, this time he didn’t really know what Kairos was doing. Besides, why was Edward so talkative? He was asking too many questions about things he didn’t know.
“I don’t know, Ed. I’m not sure about this. But Kairos did mention that he got a job that was risking his life.”
Edward looked surprised. From his expression, he was curious too.
“What kind of job is he talking about?”
“If I didn’t hear it wrong, he said he became a bodyguard for a mafia.”
“What?!” Edward was definitely shocked. This was big news for him. “Kairos? A wealthy businessman became a bodyguard for a mafia? That’s unbelievable.”
“I’m not sure if it’s just a joke or if it’s really something he’s doing. But even if Kairos does that, there must be a big reason behind it. Besides, it’s not new for us to be surprised if Kairos gets involved with the mafia. You know his father is even a gang leader, right?”
Edward nodded. Samuel’s words were indeed true. He shouldn’t be too surprised to hear this news.
“But it’s strange for him to become a bodyguard for all things. Especially when his life seems peaceful. Why would he risk his life and bother himself?”
“You know Kairos likes anything that gets his adrenaline pumping, right?” Samuel reminded Edward once again. “So, don’t be too surprised.”
“What a waste of time.”
“Besides…” Samuel continued. “Why are you looking for Kairos? Usually, you don’t even want to meet him?”
Edward sighed. Right now, he really needed his friend.
“You said Kairos knows something big related to my current problem. That’s why I want to confirm it as soon as possible. But until now, I’ve been having trouble contacting him. I don’t even know if he’s really in Italy or in the woods with no signal at all.”
“Maybe Kairos intentionally turned off his phone.”
“Darn it!” Edward cursed. At a time like this, Kairos was hard to find. “So, how do I confirm what you said yesterday? Or… do you know what news Kairos has been keeping all this time?”
Samuel sighed. This wasn’t really his role to tell. Moreover, he didn’t have any evidence if Edward asked further. But he was also itching to tell his friend.
“Actually, Kairos has evidence that-”
Samuel’s sentence hung when Edward suddenly received a phone call from someone unknown.
“Sam, I have to go. There’s something I need to take care of. We’ll continue this discussion later.”
—
While talking with Samuel, Edward did indeed receive a phone call from Axel, his assistant, who conveyed important news about work. After resolving what his assistant complained about, Edward deliberately stopped by a place to buy a gift that he considered very special to give to Bella.
Edward knew that Bella wasn’t easy to win over. He was also aware that she was probably still angry with him to this day. However, for some reason, Edward was convinced that this gift would melt Bella’s heart and they could reconcile like before.
Impatiently, Edward accelerated his car to reach home as quickly as possible. Unfortunately, due to the busy road, Edward got stuck in traffic. Furthermore, on the way, Julia called. His wife informed him that she had moved to Rome for a while.
“Where are you from and where are you going?” Julia asked, probing. Unlike previous times when she traveled abroad and only made phone calls or sent messages, Julia now always made video calls during her trips.
“I’m on my way back after meeting with Samuel. Have you finished work?”
Julia shook her head.
“Not yet. Just taking a short break. I’ll continue working later tonight.”
“In that case, rest for a while. I’m almost home. We can continue later if you’re not tired.”
Julia ended the call. Shortly after, Edward’s car arrived in the driveway of his house.
The first thing Edward did was to look for Bella. He even knocked on her door repeatedly, but as expected, there was no response.
Edward was almost desperate. Deciding to take a shower first, when night fell, he waited for Bella to come out of her room. He intentionally hid behind the door, peeking to see if Bella would come out and go to the dining room.
For about an hour, Edward paced back and forth while waiting. Around 8 p. m., Bella finally came out and seemed to be heading to the dining room.
For the time being, Edward let Bella enjoy her dinner. While she was absent, Edward decided to sneak into Bella’s room and hide behind the door, waiting for her to return.
After about 30 minutes of patiently waiting, Edward prepared himself when Bella opened the door. And when the woman he had been waiting for entered the room perfectly, Edward immediately pounced and embraced Bella, pulling her and pressing her against the bedroom wall.
Edward held Bella tightly. Though she was clearly resisting, she was no match for his strength.
“Edward!”
Bella was ready to protest. But instead, Edward silenced her by giving her a forceful kiss, aiming to suppress any words Bella might utter.
Edward kissed her gently. But instead of getting a response, Bella pushed Edward’s body hard until their kiss was forcibly broken.
“Stop it! You’ve gone too far.”
“Bella,” Edward called softly.
“I told you not to bother me.”
Edward tried to reach for both of Bella’s arms. When he succeeded, he forced her to look at him. “Please listen to me first. Please give me a chance this time.”
Bella shook her head.
“No. There’s nothing left for us to talk about.”
“I beg you, please listen to me first,” Edward pleaded earnestly. “Please give me a chance to speak and explain.”
“No,” Bella shook her head again. “I’m tired, Edward. I’m tired of being hurt by you.”
“That’s why let’s end this pain. Please listen first. I want to give you an answer and certainty.”
Bella, who had been resisting, gradually weakened. She continued to stare into Edward’s eyes, who stood so close in front of her.
“So, have you made a decision?”
Edward nodded.
“Yes. I have thought carefully and made my choice.”
Then, Edward took something out of his pocket. A velvet box containing a ring, which he opened and gave to Bella.
“Bella, I choose you. I choose for you to be by my side.”