Using the mysterious power of teleportation, Ronan instantly brought the unconscious Liora back to the safety of his private room inside the grand Brown Mansion in London. Before laying her down, Ronan carefully nudged his beloved pet bunny, Angel, off the bed to clear some space. He climbed onto the mattress, sliding right to Liora's side to wrap her in a protective embrace, tenderly pressing a warm kiss against the girl's head.
"Everything will be fine, baby." Ronan murmured softly. He peppered Liora's face with light, comforting kisses, touching her eyelids, her nose, her pale cheeks, and finally her lips. He held Liora tightly against him, closing his eyes as he waited for her to wake up. But as the quiet minutes ticked by, exhaustion overtook Ronan, and he drifted off to sleep without even realizing it.
Ronan woke up later that afternoon when he felt a sudden warmth and wetness soaking through the fabric of his shirt. His eyes snapped wide open, and he looked down to find Liora awake. The girl's face was pressed hard against his chest, her shoulders trembling as she silently shed a torrent of tears.
"Hey, love?" Ronan called out gently.
There was no response from Liora. Ronan let out a soft sigh and began to stroke Liora's back, running his fingers soothingly through her blonde hair. He repeatedly kissed the top of her head, trying his best to comfort her until the frantic trembling finally slowed down. Yet, Liora's tears simply wouldn't stop. For a couple of hours, she did nothing but hold onto Ronan, silently weeping against his chest.
"Honey~" Ronan whispered as the afternoon waned. "It's getting late. I haven't eaten a single thing since lunch, and you haven't either. Let's go downstairs and get something to eat."
Hearing those words, Liora didn't lift her head; she just rolled it from side to side against Ronan's chest, refusing to budge.
"You should eat, Rony." Liora's muffled, fragile voice drifted up.
"Huh? How can I possibly eat when my bunny angel is starving, hmm?" Ronan reasoned fondly. "If we're going to eat, we are going to eat together."
Hearing the stubborn affection in Ronan's voice, Liora finally lifted her head. She looked up at Ronan with wide, heavily swollen eyes. Then, shaking her head, she quietly got up from the bed, leaving Ronan momentarily confused by the sudden movement.
"Come on, Rony. Let's go eat." Liora said softly.
A relieved smile broke across Ronan's face. He quickly followed Liora out of the room, and the two of them walked downstairs together.
Maya had already returned to the mansion and had prepared a spread of food for them. A heavy, suffocating silence hung over the dining table. Ronan watched with a tight chest as Liora ate completely in a daze, barely touching her food and picking at it silently.
Before long, Liora stood up without uttering a single word. Looking profoundly sad and weighed down, she turned and walked right back upstairs to the bedroom.
"She's still in a state of absolute shock from everything she heard today." Maya said quietly, breaking the silence.
"Yeah," Ronan agreed, his expression turning serious. "Until Liora gets back to normal, absolutely no one should bring up a single thing about the Mo Kingdom or her biological parents. Okay?"
Maya nodded firmly in understanding.
A full week passed by. Driven by a desire to look after Liora's family, Ronan had already initiated the construction of a beautiful, secure new house near Liora's childhood home in Manchester, strictly because her adoptive father, Simon, stubbornly refused to leave his hometown to move to London.
Ronan had initially hoped that Liora would bounce back after a day or two, but reality proved much more painful. While Liora didn't break down into fits of heavy crying after that first day, her signature, radiant bunny smile completely vanished. Throughout the entire week, she skipped her university classes entirely, choosing to stay locked inside Ronan's room at the Brown Mansion, lost in her own thoughts.
Ronan couldn't stand seeing her in such a state. Because of his demanding responsibilities as the busy CEO of his company, he couldn't stay by Liora's side during the day. Every single night, he would climb into bed, hug Liora tightly, and try to talk to her, but Liora would completely ignore him, retreating into silence.
"I can't take this anymore, Maya." Ronan groaned on the fifth day, aggressively rubbing his forehead in frustration. "What are we supposed to do about this? It's been five days. Why is she still in such deep shock over what was said?"
"Ron, it's not as easy for her to just forget and move on as you think." Maya explained gently. "Unlike others, Liora is incredibly sensitive. She had to listen to a story that even a normal, hardened person couldn't handle all at once. And remember, Ron, it involves her own mom and dad."
She paused, looking at him seriously. "There's only one way to bring her back to normal. She has to completely let out all the heavy tears she's been holding inside her heart. She has to openly share the things that are constantly tormenting her mind with you. Once she does that, it will be okay."
"But what if she doesn't want to share it with me?" Ronan asked, his voice filled with worry.
"You have to try, Ron. Only you can do this for her." Maya encouraged.
Without wasting another second, Ronan immediately called his executive secretary, Mia, and completely canceled every single high-profile meeting he had scheduled on his itinerary for the following day.
. . . . . . . . . . . . . .
The next morning, Ronan woke up and smiled warmly at the sight of Liora sleeping peacefully against his chest. Leaning down, he pressed a barrage of soft, playful kisses all over Liora's face, successfully stirring the girl from her slumber.
"Good morning, love! Get ready quickly, because you and I are going on a proper date today." Ronan announced brightly.
Liora's eyes widened slightly in surprise, but within the next second, she dropped her gaze sadly. "I... I think I'll just stay in bed like this, Rony."
"Huh? How on earth am I supposed to go on a romantic date all by myself without a partner? Ugh~ I completely canceled my entire corporate schedule today just for you~!" Ronan whined loudly, pouting dramatically like an oversized child.
Seeing the fierce billionaire CEO reduce himself to a whining toddler just to make him smile, a genuine spark of light finally hit Liora's face. A small smile broke through her somber expression, and she nodded her head.
"Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!!!!!!!"
Ronan's blood-curdling screams echoed from underneath the tree line of the amusement park.
Desperate to thoroughly cheer Liora up, Ronan had taken her out to a bustling carnival. Despite possessing an intense, debilitating fear of heights, the CEO had completely hidden his terror to keep from ruining the mood, willingly strapping himself into a high-speed scissor swing right beside Liora.
But the moment the ride gained momentum, his bravery shattered. As the speed of the massive swing increased, soaring high into the air, Ronan screamed bloody murder, holding onto Liora's hand with a literal death grip.
"Aaaaaaaaah!!! Stop this!!! Someone stop this right now!!! It's getting too fast!! It's getting too fast!!" Ronan wailed in absolute agony.
"Oh my god, Rony, stop it!!" Liora yelled back, laughing hysterically even though her hand felt like it was being physically crushed into dust.
Despite his desperate pleas for the ride to end, Liora couldn't stop laughing at her boyfriend's spectacular meltdown. In the end, Ronan had successfully accomplished his mission of completely fixing Liora's mood, though Ronan himself was currently in no physical condition to celebrate it.
Finally dragging his feet out of the attraction, Ronan leaned heavily against Liora, who was still trying to catch her breath and stop giggling.
"Oh my god, Rony, if you're so utterly terrified of heights, why on earth did you bring me onto that ride out of nowhere?" Liora teased.
Ronan didn't even answer. He immediately stumbled over to a nearby beverage bar, grabbed an ice-cold drink, and chugged the entire thing down in one go to steady his shaking nerves.
"It's a good thing none of your employees or the public recognized you just now." Liora giggled, holding her stomach as her laughter bubbled up again. "Otherwise, your reputation as a cold, terrifying CEO would be left in the dust."
Ronan shot her a cute, deeply offended look and made a dramatic face. "Yeah, yeah... keep making fun of me. Go right ahead."
Liora's melodic laughter only grew louder at the expression. Eventually, her giggles subsided, and she took a fresh banana milkshake, sipping it happily as she hung onto Ronan's arm, pulling him along to look around the rest of the carnival.
Ronan dragged her over to a souvenir cart and bought her a pair of adorable plush animal ears, placing them gently onto her blonde hair. Not wanting to be left out, Ronan purchased a pair of matching tiger ears, using the headband to hold his own dark hair back.
The two of them enjoyed a delicious lunch at a restaurant inside the carnival grounds, spending the rest of the afternoon wandering through the various attractions in pure bliss. When they stopped by a carnival game, Ronan stepped up, took a toy bow, and flawlessly shot a balloon with an arrow, winning a massive, oversized teddy bear as a prize.
The moment Ronan hoisted the giant bear and presented it to her, Liora literally jumped up and down in pure joy, hugging the plush toy tightly. Watching the sheer radiance return to the girl's face, Ronan let out a long, profound sigh of relief, knowing the heavy sadness had finally been lifted.
As twilight painted the sky and night began to fall, Ronan and Liora decided it was time to head back to the mansion. But just as they turned to leave, Liora's attention was caught by a massive, eerie attraction: the carnival's infamous Ghost Cave. A wicked, highly mischievous smirk instantly spread across her lips.
"Ron~"
"Hmm?~" Ronan replied casually, taking a slow sip of his strawberry milkshake.
"Let's go over that way. I want to go inside that one."
Ronan turned his head to look in the direction Liora was pointing. The exact moment his eyes landed on the haunted house entrance, he violently spat his milkshake right back out, erupting into a frantic fit of loud coughing.
"Y-Yeah? You want to go in there?" Ronan stammered, clearing his throat.
"Yeah! Why, are you actually scared, Rony?" Liora asked, laughing playfully.
Ronan aggressively swallowed his saliva awkwardly, puffing out his chest to reclaim his dignity. "N-No, of course not. There's nothing inside there but cheap, fake actors dressed as ghosts. It's child's play."
"Okay then~ Let's go!" Liora cheered. She firmly grabbed Ronan's hand, dragging the reluctant CEO directly toward the haunted cave.
After purchasing passes for the both of them, Ronan straightened his chest, took a deep breath, and boldly stepped inside the pitch-black entrance with Liora right by his side.
Initially, a heavy, eerie silence filled the damp corridors of the cave. Ronan walked a few paces ahead, attempting to look like a completely fearless hero. But the exact split second a horrific ghost sound echoed from the hidden speakers, his bravery vanished. He squealed loudly, spinning on his heel and lunging backward to clamp his hands tightly around Liora's arm.
"What's wrong, Ron? Are you scared?" Liora asked, biting her lip to keep from bursting into laughter.
"N-No! Absolutely not! I just thought... I thought you might get scared, so I grabbed onto you to keep you safe." Ronan lied through his teeth, offering a rigid, completely fake smile.
But they didn't manage to walk another five paces before a live actress with a violently distorted face and tangled, disheveled hair violently jumped out from a hidden corner, screaming bloody murder directly into their faces.
Liora merely flinched in minor surprise, but our brave billionaire CEO let out a high-pitched shriek of pure terror. He completely abandoned his heroic stance, diving directly behind Liora's back and locking both of his hands tightly around Liora's body, closing his eyes as hard as he humanly could.
"Get out of here!!! Don't come any closer to me!!" Ronan screamed at the top of his lungs, his entire frame shaking.
Liora burst into a loud, uncontrollable fit of laughter at the spectacular sight. But before she could even utter a word of comfort, a massive, blinding flash of intense red light suddenly exploded around them, completely illuminating the dark cave.
The next fraction of a second, the damp walls vanished, and the two of them were sitting perfectly intact inside the front seats of Ronan's car parked in the lot.
Liora's jaw dropped in absolute shock. She whipped her head around, staring at her boyfriend in disbelief. "Dude!! Are you completely crazy?! What if someone inside that cave saw us do that?!"
Ronan dropped his gaze toward the steering wheel, looking down like a little kid who had just been aggressively scolded for making a mistake. "What was I supposed to do? That ghost demon was intentionally bothering us... that's why I instinctively used my teleportation power to get us out."
Liora let out a long, exasperated sigh before burying her face in her hands, laughing hysterically. "If you are this utterly petrified of cheap carnival actors dressed as fake ghosts, how on earth were you completely unfazed when you saw Daken face-to-face that day? How are you planning to fight a literal dark entity like Daken if you're like this?"
Ronan sniffled slightly, crossing his arms defensively. "Oh, please. Daken is easily ten times more beautiful and pleasant to look at than that horrific cave demon."
The absurd statement caused Liora to laugh out loud, the clear sound echoing beautifully inside the vehicle. "I am entirely certain that if Daken saw you right now, he would just tell us both to willingly give up the Mo Kingdom out of sheer second-hand embarrassment."
Liora tried to control her giggles, but her bright smile gradually began to fade. The brief mention of the Mo Kingdom acted like a cold bucket of water, instantly dragging her mind right back to the heavy, painful reality she had temporarily forgotten during their date.
Ronan immediately noticed the sharp shift in Liora's expression. The laughter died in his throat, and he let out a soft, sympathetic sigh. Reaching across the console, he gently took Liora's hand, squeezing it with an immense amount of love.
"Lio..." Ronan murmured softly, his eyes full of devotion. "What happened in the past is entirely over now. Please don't let those dark thoughts consume your mind, love. I promise you, we are going to find a way to destroy Daken, the monster who caused all of this tragedy, no matter what it takes, okay? We will do it together."
Liora offered a small, melancholic smile, nodding her head quietly as she squeezed Ronan's hand in return.
. . . . . . . . . . . .
"Ron..."
"Hmm~" Ronan hummed softly, his voice thick with sleep as he hovered between wakefulness and slumber.
The two of them were tucked safely inside the master bedroom back at the Brown Mansion, snuggling deeply within each other's warmth as they prepared to sleep for the night. Liora was resting her head flat against Ronan's chest, but a sudden, violent trembling in her voice caused Ronan's eyes to instantly snap wide open.
"Aren't they... aren't they terrible sinners, Rony?" Liora whispered, her breath hitching.
Ronan's brow furrowed in deep concern. He shifted his weight, looking down to catch a glimpse of Liora's face in the dim lighting. "Who are you talking about, baby?"
"My real parents." Liora choked out.
Hearing the words, Ronan let out a long, heavy sigh. Within the next second, he felt the heartbreaking warmth of fresh tears beginning to soak through his shirt once more.
"Let it all out, baby." Ronan commanded softly, his voice full of unconditional comfort as he began to tenderly rub Liora's back. "Release all of the suffocating sadness you've been holding inside your heart. Tell me everything you're thinking."
Liora paused for a long, agonizing moment, swallowing hard against the lump in her throat before she finally forced the words out through her tears.
"When my biological mom and dad were expecting me... they must have had such beautiful, soaring hopes for the future." Liora sobbed, a fragile, watery laugh escaping her lips as she envisioned the past. "They were probably eagerly waiting to hear me speak my very first word... they were probably placing playful bets against each other on who I would say first, laughing together."
"They must have been so incredibly excited to witness my very first steps." Liora continued, the tears flowing freely now down her cheeks. "They were probably hoping to watch me grow up safely, get a proper education, and eventually become a successful CEO just like them. But... but absolutely all of those dreams were brutally ruined in a single night, Rony."
Liora burst into heavy, racking sobs, her entire frame shaking violently against Ronan's body. "Think about the very first time they heard my tiny heartbeat, Ron. Think about the pure joy that must have lit up their faces! They wanted nothing more than to safely hold me in their arms... but in this wicked, cruel world, my poor mother was never even granted a single chance to look at my face, Ron. My biological father never got to bear hearing me cry for the first time!"
Ronan remained completely silent, his own eyes welling with heavy tears as he continuously stroked Liora's shaking back, absorbing her immense grief.
"I-I am a great sinner, Rony!" Liora wailed out, her voice cracking with a raw, agonizing self-hatred. "I was brought into this world by killing my own parents! And the wonderful dad who selflessly raised me had to endure years of back-breaking labor and extreme suffering, all because of my personal misfortune! I-I am so terrified, Ron... I am so deeply afraid that my bad luck will end up affecting you too, Rony! I am terrified that I-I am going to lose you just like everyone else! I think about all this all the time... it's driving me absolutely crazy! I can't lose you, Ron... I want you so much, Rony!"
Hearing the profound, agonizing depth of Liora's trauma, Ronan's own tears finally spilled over his lashes. He shifted his weight, wrapping his powerful arms around Liora with an intense, iron-clad grip, pulling her so close there was absolutely no space left between them.
"Shh... listen to my voice, honey~" Ronan ordered firmly, his voice thick with emotion as he rocked her back and forth. "Absolutely none of this tragedy happened because of your misfortune. You are not a curse. All of these horrific events took place solely because of a vile villain in a world that you had absolutely nothing to do with. As someone from that very world, no matter how many hundreds of times I apologize to you on behalf of my homeland, it will never be enough to erase your pain, honey. All of this happened because of that conflict. I am so, so sorry."
Ronan leaned down, pressing his lips firmly against the side of Liora's neck. "But you must force yourself to forget all of that now, my love. We do not possess the power to alter the tragedies of the past. But I promise you, we will stand together and permanently defeat Daken anyway. Trust me."
Liora let out a final, shaky breath, barely nodding her head against Ronan's skin as her heavy sobs gradually began to subside.
The two of them remained locked in that position for a long time, Liora resting her damp face securely against the crook of Ronan's neck. After several minutes, her sobs stopped completely, and her body went entirely still. Ronan let out a soft sigh of relief, assuming the girl had finally exhausted herself enough to fall asleep.
. . . . . . . . . . . .
But without a single shred of warning, Ronan felt a series of soft, lingering, and incredibly wet kisses begin to trace a path along the sensitive skin of his neck.
Ronan froze, his breath catching sharply in his throat. Even though he had resolved to let Liora do whatever she pleased to comfort herself, the girl simply refused to stop. Liora's lips moved with a sudden, intense desperation, pressing fervor into the skin. Ronan knew that if this continued, his body would betray him, he was getting hard fast, his member tightening over his clothes.
"L-Love? What on earth are you doing?" Ronan asked, his voice dropping into a breathless rasp.
Liora offered absolutely no verbal response.
"Baby-"
Before Ronan could even finish uttering the nickname, Liora violently leaned her body forward, capturing Ronan's lips with her own in a fierce, deeply demanding kiss. Ronan's mind went completely blank, his thoughts scattering to the wind as his primitive instincts took over, and he began to kiss Liora back with an equal amount of hidden fervor.
Sensing the kiss was rapidly escalating into a dangerous, scorching level of heat, Ronan's rational mind tried to intervene, and he began to gently pull his lips away to slow things down. But Liora completely refused to let him go. She reached up, locking him in place and driving the kiss significantly deeper, rendering it entirely hot and consuming.
Finally, desperately gasping for air, Liora reluctantly released Ronan's lips. She hovered inches away, her big eyes shining beautifully with a mixture of unshed tears and pure desire as she stared directly into Ronan's blown-out pupils.
"Take me, Rony." Liora whispered, her voice a breathless plea.
Ronan simply stared up at her in utter confusion, paralyzed by the sudden shift.
"Make love to me, Rony... please." Liora begged softly, her chest heaving.
This time, the explicit meaning behind Liora's words registered perfectly in Ronan's mind. His eyes stretched wide in pure surprise. "But, my love-"
"Yeah, I know I'm scared." Liora interrupted fiercely, a rare determination flashing in her eyes. "But I trust you with everything I have, Rony. Please do this for me."
"But honey... isn't it far too early for us to do something like that, hmm? Are you really, entirely sure about this decision?" Ronan reasoned desperately, his hands shaking slightly as he tried to remain the responsible partner.
Instead of offering a verbal response, Liora boldly slid her hand down, reaching directly for the front of Ronan's pants. Ronan let out a low, guttural groan as Liora's fingers firmly squeezed his hardened member directly over the fabric of his clothes.
"L-Love... stop it right now." Ronan warned, his voice shaking as his self-control rapidly dissolved.
But Liora completely ignored the command, continuing her bold touch. Finally, pushed past his absolute breaking point, Ronan couldn't endure the sweet torture for another second. With a sudden surge of strength, he forcefully gripped Liora, rolling them over across the sheets and pinning Liora's fragile frame flat against the mattress beneath him.
Hovering over her, Ronan stared down into Liora's beautiful, flushed face. "You better not regret your recklessness tonight, hmm?"
Liora offered him a beautiful, radiant bunny smile and nodded her head in absolute surrender.
Ronan had been fighting a losing battle to control his burning desire around Liora for a very long time. Without wasting another single fraction of a second to think, he slammed his lips back down onto Liora's, initiating a heated, deeply passionate encounter that completely erased the darkness of the world outside.