The pain came to Xhemin burning around her innards more than the heat of boiling water. There is an unpleasant dark feeling that came with it, eating everything inside her. If there was something that time cannot heal, the unfortunate death of her son was one of it.

With Xhemin having an unexpected breakdown in front of him, Darryl understood how deep the wound their son's death gave her. It was immeasurable and probably greater than his own. He looked at his wife gravely and wanted to reach out to comfort her yet there was this big invisible wall she created, separating him from her. The only thing Darryl could do was watch how her own pain swallows her up and destroys her completely.

​​

"Babba, he is also my son. I know how painful this thing is but—"

"No you don't know… You didn't know about him but I did…from the moment his life beat inside of me. I bore him for seven months alone in that island where you left me. He was everything that I have and you robbed it away from me even before I could give him my love," Xhemin sobbed tremendously, losing it all, "You and your cruel family took my baby from me. You are the most cruel person I've ever known in this entire world!"

"Nobody wanted him to die. Babba please be reasonable, my family will never ever hurt my son. This is not our doing… please… we also lost him… he was then our hope," Darryl tried to reason. He was already expecting these words from her as the circumstances of how Xhemin got into the accident before made it easy for one to blame L Empire for it. However, Darryl was hesitant to blame it all to his own family especially when the evidences proved otherwise.

"You people killed him I know," Xhemin uttered thoroughly decided about the accusation, "Or at least one of you,"

"But you know deep inside you that it isn't me," Darryl uttered severely hurt that Xhemin was obviously blaming him just because he bore the same surname of the family she hated. "Please don't take this on me babba. I'd rather you hate me for something else but not the death of our son please. I also lost him… I lost him even before I knew about him. At least you were able to celebrate him but I didn't. I had to mourn for him right away…not only him…but also his mother whom I thought was dead and it broke me in many ways you could never imagine,"

Darryl's words quieted Xhemin and cut something inside her aching heart. She knew within her that she was going far with her accusations but things were just too painful she needed to let it go. Darryl was also hurt but she thought his pain was nothing compared to the things she suffered and most of all, it was their foolish love that brought all of those tragedy. If only their paths haven't crossed, perhaps things wouldn't be as complicated as it was right then.

Xhemin couldn't just stop crying, she fell on her knees cursing her own self for her foolishness. Before she decided to comeback, she promised to herself that she won't ever back down and let her guard fall even when Darryl begged her so and yet right then, she was crying in front of him, vulnerable and all too miserable. She just couldn't help and perhaps Clay was right, Darryl was the one she should watch out for as he was the only one capable of bringing out the worst things in her and what was happening right then proved it all.

"Please just give me my baby back," Xhemin was like begging Darryl was if he had the heaven's power to raise someone from the dead. "I just want him… I just want him please—"

Darryl closed the small distance between them and wrapped the crying Xhemin in his arms. He too was crying but he didn't bother to tend on his own hurt. It was Xhemin's pained heart that he was worried of and probably the thing that he cannot withstand.

"Let me comfort you," He whispered softly in her ears swallowing his own cry while he pressed his wife's body to him even more. "I'm here, let me comfort you,"

Darryl's warmth enclosing her was something Xhemin didn't expect off and although being close to him was the last thing she wanted to happen tonight, it was however the most soothing feeling that somehow takes her pain away. She clung into him in desperation, as if her life depended on his warmth as she was drowned in a deep pool of misery where she had been for the last six years. There was a part of her that wanted to remember everything that Clay told her, including the fact that she must not in whatever circumstance ran back to the Lagdameo heir again but tonight was so depressing and she knew only Darryl can make her get back on her feet again. Right then, he was her only remedy.

From embracing her, Darryl picked Xhemin up from the floor and carried her to the dining chair just inches away. He had wrapped her body like a baby in his arms and whispered forgiveness while he sat on the chair. He caressed her hair, kissed her head and closed his own eyes, wishing fervently that God would allow him to carry the pain she felt for her. Seeing Xhemin hurt was painful than him losing her and knowing that he was a part of the misery kills him.

"I'm so sorry babba. I should have never left you in that island," Darryl regretted but he knew his apologies wouldn't make up for it. "I would accept all your hate, but let me comfort you…"

Darryl turned to kiss Xhemin's head one more time and carefully lifted her tearful face for him see. Xhemin looked at him in way words couldn't describe and she drowned him again to the mystery of her ink deep eyes and the next thing he knew was that his lips was already on hers in a deep ravenous kiss.