Darryl didn't know how he was able to reach the 22nd floor of the hospital where CEO Chan's room was located. He was thoroughly caught up with his mother's description of him, and thought of how far did his loneliness change him. Was he really far from a decent human being now?

Could be. For all he cared for the last six years was nothing but his loneliness and longing for the family he had lost. He had even forgot to consider even her own mother's feelings about it and how worried could had she been knowing he choose to live alone in the South and turned his back on everything.

​​

"Sir are you lost?" A nurse approached him when she noticed he was standing still on the doorway of CEO Chan's room.

Pulling off his thoughts back to reality, Darryl gave the nurse gentle nod. "No, I think I'm in the right room,"

"Dee?" Collet who just came out from the room emerged and was surprised to see him. Her face looked so tired yet she pulled off a smile to welcome him. Her eyes were puffy red too, a sign that she had been crying for a while.

"This is for your father," Darryl gave her the flower his mother gave him. "I hope he is well,"

"His body is recovering well but as you had seen at the memorial, his illness is not really about his body," Collet's smile retired and sadness flowed into her eyes. Things had been rough for her for the last few days especially that Collet treasured her father sincerely.

"I'm sorry about my absence in L Empire," She added, referring about her not being able to attend to her duties as Darryl's partner on the product they are about to launch.

"Don't bother with it. My sisters can take care of everything in your behalf," Darryl told her. "The flowers are from mother, she came here with me but it she needed to leave immediately to take care of something, she sent her regards,"

"Tell her I said thank you and please apologized on my behalf for I haven't been able to accompany her for a while. She always called on me whenever she goes shopping but probably because she heard of my troubles, she never bothered to disturb me. I'll go to her soon,"

"Okay. I shall take my leave then," Darryl gave Collet a last bow of curtsy before he turned his back to leave.

Seeing how miserable Collet was, Darryl knew she needed some comfort coming from him and that probably was the thing his mother wanted him to do. However, although he admits that there was some force within him that wanted to care for her, another same force—much stronger actually—prevented him from doing so. Darryl didn't understand this because as far as he could remember, Collet did nothing terrible against him nor his family that would drive him to feel this bad about her but something just don't feel right.

"Dee?" Collet called after he had walked few meters away as if there was something, she wanted to say but was hesitating about it.

Darryl turned to heed her call and when their eyes met, Collet gave him a timid smile and look down as if she was terribly ashamed of something.

"About the marriage. I know you came to ask me about it but I assure you it wasn't me who insisted on it. It was the adult's decision and I myself could do nothing about it and I'm really ashamed of it because I know…." Collet raised her head as if trying all her guts to face it, "I know you wouldn't approve and I understand why. Don't worry when all my troubles are over, I shall go and talked to the adults to stop pestering you with it,"

Darryl responded only by looking at Collet thoroughly as if trying to decipher something. Collet was used to that kind of look because for the last six years, Darryl gave him the same kind of look every time he didn't want to respond to her.

"I'm really sorry, I know your father and you must have been arguing about it. If only I can—"

"Don't worry about it Collet. Just take care of you father and eat well," Darryl told her especially that he noticed that she had been skinnier than the last time he saw her. With that Darryl turned to leave again but his words only left Collet torridly wondering what he meant and her heart fluttered endlessly since his last statement contained some words of care for her.

"You mean you are considering it? Is this a yes?" Collet bravely asked as she couldn't make him leave without a confirmation.

"I'm going to help you Collet if that is what you are asking," Darryl said without turning his head to answer her, but his words reached her ears clearly and the feeling that came with it made all the cold hopes Collet had in his heart, warming again.

With the view of Darryl's back slowly leaving, Collet couldn't help but be in awe about what she had heard. Darryl was going to help her, he said it himself.

So, he meant he was going to marry her, right?

Yes indeed. He meant that. What else could he mean when her mother specifically told the Lagdameo's only through marriage could he helped her. She put her hand on her chest to fell the sudden burst of good feeling in her heart.

Darryl.

Her Darryl.

Her childhood best friend,

And the man she longed for many years, is finally, finally going to marry her!

"He's going to marry me. I'm going to be Darryl Lagdameo's wife!" Collet happily told herself as if she couldn't believe such a thing. She had some doubts about her mother's plans but it turned out so well and everything was happening as she and her mother planned out, "Oh, who would have thought!"