Chapter 100 – "The Departure"
The mansion wasn't chaotic the next morning.
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And that alone felt wrong.
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Very wrong.
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Because usually—
when twenty people prepared for a trip—
the house became a battlefield.
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Someone would lose a passport.
Someone would forget a charger.
Percy would forget everything.
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But today?
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The chaos existed.
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Yet something heavier sat beneath it.
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Something nobody wanted to say aloud.
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The Unspoken Thing
JJ was getting engaged.
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To someone.
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Somewhere.
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In three days.
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And nobody knew who.
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Not Honey.
Not Ella.
Not Mica.
Not Rakhi.
Not Freya.
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Not Percy.
Not Aries.
Not Yuri.
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Not even Keifer.
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That was the worst part.
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Because Keifer Watson—
the man who had spent years loving her—
didn't know who the groom was.
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Packing
Suitcases lined the entrance hall.
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People moved around carrying bags.
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Alex was checking tickets.
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Rhys was checking documents.
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Lyra was checking everyone's medicines.
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Care was checking everything.
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Because apparently being a doctor meant becoming everyone's mother.
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"Percy."
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"What?"
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"Your passport."
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Percy froze.
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Five seconds later—
he sprinted upstairs.
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Everyone sighed.
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JJ
JJ sat quietly near the staircase.
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Watching everyone.
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For once—
she wasn't talking much.
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No jokes.
No chaos.
No dramatic speeches.
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Just silence.
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The kind of silence that worried people.
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Honey sat beside her.
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Then Ella.
Then Mica.
Then Rakhi.
Then Freya.
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Nobody pushed.
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Nobody pressured.
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They simply sat with her.
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Sometimes that's all friends can do.
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Keifer
Across the room—
Keifer stood near a window.
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Alone.
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Watching nothing.
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Thinking everything.
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He hadn't slept much.
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Everyone knew.
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Because every time someone looked at him—
he seemed a little more exhausted.
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A little more distant.
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And nobody knew how to help.
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What could they even say?
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"Don't worry, your wife might be getting engaged to another man"?
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No.
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There weren't words for this.
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Cole
Cole was leaving too.
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But not for London.
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Somewhere else.
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As usual.
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Nobody knew where.
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Nobody knew why.
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Nobody asked anymore.
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Because asking Cole questions rarely produced answers.
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Still—
his absence felt strange.
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Especially now.
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The Balcony
About an hour before departure—
Cole found Keifer standing alone on the upper balcony.
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The same balcony where they had stood after Care's attack.
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The same balcony overlooking the gardens.
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For a while—
neither spoke.
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Then Cole leaned against the railing.
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Quietly.
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And waited.
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Eventually—
Keifer laughed once.
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A humorless laugh.
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"I don't know what to do."
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The honesty surprised even him.
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Cole didn't answer immediately.
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The city stretched out below them.
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Silent.
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Then finally—
Cole spoke.
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"You love her."
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Not a question.
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A statement.
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Keifer looked away.
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"More than anything."
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The answer came instantly.
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Without hesitation.
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Without thought.
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Because it was true.
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Cole nodded slowly.
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Then asked:
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"Does she love you?"
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Keifer froze.
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The memories came immediately.
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The kisses.
The promises.
The hospital.
The waiting.
The year apart.
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The way she'd looked at him after remembering everything.
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The way she'd chosen him every single time.
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"...yes."
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Cole smiled slightly.
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The smallest smile.
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"Then stop acting like you've already lost."
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Silence.
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Keifer looked toward him.
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Cole continued.
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"People who truly love each other don't disappear because of one obstacle."
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The words landed harder than expected.
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Because they weren't comforting words.
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They were certain words.
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Keifer stared.
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Cole looked back toward the city.
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"And if something is wrong..."
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His expression hardened slightly.
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"Find out the truth first."
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Care
Later—
at the entrance.
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The cars waited outside.
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Everyone gathered.
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Suitcases loaded.
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Documents ready.
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Flights booked.
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London calling.
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Cole walked over to Care.
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The others pretended not to watch.
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Failed completely.
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Because everyone was watching.
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Obviously.
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Care folded her arms.
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"You're leaving."
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"Yes."
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"Again."
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"Yes."
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"Annoying."
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"Frequently."
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That earned the tiniest smile from her.
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Then his expression became serious.
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And immediately—
so did hers.
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"Take care of them."
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Care nodded.
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"I always do."
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"And call me if anything goes wrong."
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She raised an eyebrow.
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"Anything?"
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"Anything."
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The certainty in his voice made her pause.
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Then slowly—
she nodded.
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"Okay."
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For a moment—
neither moved.
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Neither seemed eager to leave.
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Then reality returned.
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As it always did.
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Final Scene
The convoy finally began moving.
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Cars pulling away from the mansion.
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Toward the airport.
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Toward London.
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Toward answers.
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Inside one of the cars—
JJ stared out the window.
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Quiet.
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Beside her—
Keifer sat silently.
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Their hands eventually found each other.
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Neither said anything.
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Because words felt too small.
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Too useless.
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Ahead of them—
the road stretched onward.
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And somewhere beyond that road—
waited a city.
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A family.
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An engagement.
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And a truth nobody was prepared to hear.
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Meanwhile—
standing alone outside the mansion—
Cole watched the last car disappear.
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His expression unreadable.
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Then he quietly turned away.
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And headed toward a different destination.
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One nobody else knew.
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Because while everyone else was going to London—
Cole seemed to be preparing for something else entirely.
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Something that made even him unusually serious.
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And far away—
across continents—
the countdown had already begun.
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Three days until the engagement. ✈️💍🌧️
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The Flight
The flight to London should have been chaotic.
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Twenty people.
Long flight.
No supervision.
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A recipe for disaster.
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Yet somehow—
the energy felt different.
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Quieter.
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Not sad.
Not exactly.
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Just...
waiting.
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Because everyone knew what awaited them.
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The engagement.
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Three days.
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And still no name.
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Still no face.
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Still no answers.
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In Business Class
Percy was sitting beside Honey.
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Usually he would've talked for the entire flight.
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Today?
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He kept glancing toward JJ.
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Who was sitting beside Keifer.
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Neither were speaking much.
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Just holding hands.
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Like they were afraid that letting go would make something disappear.
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Across the aisle—
Aries noticed too.
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So did Yuri.
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Neither said anything.
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Because there wasn't anything to say.
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JJ
She stared outside the window.
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Watching clouds drift by.
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Thinking.
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Too much.
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London.
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The city she had left behind.
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The city where everything began.
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The city where she'd gotten sick.
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The city where she'd disappeared from everyone's lives.
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And now—
the city calling her back.
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She didn't know whether she was excited.
Or scared.
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Maybe both.
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Keifer squeezed her hand.
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A small reminder.
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I'm here.
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JJ smiled weakly.
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And leaned against his shoulder.
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For a little while—
she slept.
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Arrival
Hours later—
London greeted them with cold air and gray skies.
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Immediately—
everyone from India complained.
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Especially Freya.
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"It's freezing."
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"It is not."
Aries replied.
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"It absolutely is."
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"You said Ahmedabad was hot."
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"Because it was."
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"You said Bangalore was cold."
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"Because it was."
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"You now say London is cold."
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"Because it is."
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Nobody argued further.
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Because Freya looked ready to start a war.
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The Hotel
The hotel Angelo had arranged was absurd.
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Absolutely absurd.
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The kind of place where the lobby looked richer than some companies.
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Crystal chandeliers.
Marble floors.
Golden lighting.
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Even Alex paused.
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And Alex was rich.
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Very rich.
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Percy looked around.
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"...how much does one room cost?"
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Nobody wanted the answer.
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Check-In
Everyone was still taking in the surroundings when—
a familiar voice echoed through the lobby.
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"Jay."
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Everything stopped.
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Completely.
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JJ froze.
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Because she knew that voice.
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Even before turning around.
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Years.
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It had been years.
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Yet she knew it instantly.
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Slowly—
she turned.
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And saw him.
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Jaspher Mariano
Her father.
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Standing across the lobby.
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Older than she remembered.
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More tired.
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More gray hair.
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But still—
her father.
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For a moment—
neither moved.
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Neither spoke.
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Then JJ whispered:
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"...Papa."
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The word broke something.
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Because the next second—
she was running.
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And so was he.
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They met halfway.
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And Jaspher pulled her into a hug.
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A tight one.
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The kind parents give when they're afraid of letting go.
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The kind given after years apart.
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JJ buried her face against his shoulder.
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And suddenly—
she was crying.
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Not dramatic tears.
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Quiet tears.
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The kind that came from missing someone for too long.
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Jaspher's own eyes were shining.
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"My girl."
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His voice broke.
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"My brave girl."
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The lobby became suspiciously emotional.
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Even Percy looked away.
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Percy and Aries
Then Jaspher looked up.
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And saw two other figures.
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Percy.
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Aries.
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His sons.
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The boys who weren't boys anymore.
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Silence.
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Then Jaspher smiled.
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And opened his arms.
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Immediately—
Percy walked forward.
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Then Aries.
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And suddenly—
the three of them were hugging too.
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Years of distance.
Years of pain.
Years of mistakes.
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Gone.
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At least for a moment.
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Percy's voice cracked first.
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"Dad."
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Jaspher laughed through tears.
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"There you are."
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Even Aries couldn't hide his emotions.
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And nobody teased him.
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Not this time.
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Another Figure
Then someone else stepped forward.
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A woman.
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Elegant.
Warm smile.
Gentle eyes.
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And the second JJ saw her—
she smiled immediately.
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"Mom."
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Not stepmom.
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Not technically.
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Just—
Mom.
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Reyce Mariano.
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The woman who entered JJ's life years ago.
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The woman who had treated her like a daughter when she didn't have to.
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The woman who stayed.
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The woman who loved her.
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Reyce opened her arms.
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And JJ hugged her immediately.
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No hesitation.
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No distance.
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No awkwardness.
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Because love isn't always about blood.
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Sometimes it's about choice.
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And Reyce had chosen her.
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Every single day.
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Keifer Notices
Standing a little behind—
Keifer watched quietly.
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And finally understood something.
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Why JJ loved this family so fiercely.
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Why she fought for them.
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Why she missed them.
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Because despite all their flaws—
there was real love here.
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Messy.
Complicated.
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But real.
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The Missing Answer
Later—
everyone settled into the hotel.
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Rooms assigned.
Luggage delivered.
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Conversations slowly returning.
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Yet one thing remained.
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The question.
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The giant question.
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The engagement.
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Nobody had forgotten.
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Not even for a second.
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JJ eventually gathered enough courage.
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"Papa."
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Jaspher looked up.
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"Yes?"
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JJ hesitated.
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Then asked:
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"...who is he?"
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The room immediately fell silent.
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Percy stopped moving.
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Aries froze.
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Keifer's gaze lifted.
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Everyone waited.
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Because finally—
finally—
they might get an answer.
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But Jaspher only exchanged a glance with Reyce.
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Then smiled mysteriously.
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A smile nobody liked.
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Not one bit.
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And said:
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"You'll meet him soon."
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Silence.
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Then collective frustration.
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Because somehow—
the mystery had only become worse.
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And somewhere in London—
a man nobody had seen yet—
was apparently waiting.
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Only three days remained.
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And the truth was getting closer. ✈️🇬🇧💍✨🌧️