[Refresh and re-read previous chapter for the bonus words]

It was a cold night and the wind was howling in the Golden Villa as Xhemin stared outside. She did not step outside the mansion since the day she came back from the South because truth was, a lot of things happened in there that made her too emotionally sick. She needs to rest and think things through.

​​

"Miss Leigh," Someone called on her and Xhemin knew it was her personal maid. She was all familiar of her voice and probably all the maids in the house because when she returned to the Golden Villa, she personally handpicked the maids who were going to serve them. The rest, she had them dismissed or reassigned.

Xhemin turned to face her and just by the look in her eyes, she can already tell what she wanted. She brought an important guest, someone everyone in the house was silent about and someone that comes only once in a while. It was a man, a messenger from a very important person Xhemin knew.

As soon as the guest emerged at the door, Xhemin's heart sank. The man only comes whenever things weren't doing well and so she was deeply worried as to what news he brought.

"What is it?" Xhemin literally run to ask him.

The messenger gave her a bow and whispered everything to her and even before he could finish his words, Xhemin already fall in her feet, very much troubled on what she had just heard.

"This couldn't be. God please have mercy on me! Not again please!" Xhemin prayed with tears. She had regretted all the time she wasted and definitely cursed herself for being too prideful, especially when it comes to Darryl who was obviously the answer to her problem.

"Miss Leigh what should I tell the—"

"Tell him I'll find ways, If I have to beg the president of L Empire then I would," Xhemin promised and wiped her tears as if she had been tired of all her crying, "Tell them not to worry and tell them I'm fine,"

That night, the guest left the Golden Villa as fast as he came and Xhemin was left all night awake planning her next move and making sure she had her priorities straight.

***

Just as Darryl expected, Xhemin came to meet him few days after Emilia made a visit at his office. That's when he knew that her research must be something very important to her because she had set aside her pride just to get his consent.

"So my wife made a visit at my office, should I be thrilled?" Darryl welcomed her with a stony expression but pulled a chair for her to sit. He was still mad at how their getaway in the South ended however he couldn't just be angry with her for long, instead he was finding reasons to understand what's really running in her mind. After all, she had gone through a lot after all these years.

"I had something to offer you," Xhemin replied, trying to avoid his eyes. She sat on the chair he offered and took a deep breath.

"Yeah I've heard," Darryl said, "Your researcher came and told me about it but she also mentioned you didn't want me to be a part of it,"

"I have no more choice," She admitted badly. Truth was that if she wasn't ready to face him after all the things that took place in the loch and yet, she was already desperate by then, "So I came to offer you a business deal. I'll wiped off all your debts clean so long as you agree to becoming my subject and —"

"Not so fast milady," Darryl cut in, "I guess I had made myself clear few days ago that nothings can be business between us since we are in a holy matrimony,"

"Darryl please," Xhemin reasoned once again with him, hoping he will just stop insisting on his marital rights, "I know you probably don't care about this research but I assure you you'll thank me for this. Imagine all the people who will be saved because of this research,"

"You are very adamant on saving the world yet very uncooperative of saving your own marriage," Darryl pushed more of it, to Xhemin's own frustration. Darryl was so good on twisting her words that most of the times, she lost her rebuttal.

"The world does not revolved just for you and me," Xhemin was almost pleading and just by looking at her eyes, Darryl knew she was desperate and hurt. He was suspecting she was up to something she wanted to hide from him.

Darryl look at Xhemin for while, wondering what's running on her mind and what was this research all about that she was ready to put away her pride for it. There has to be something, something he will die for to know. If there was one thing obvious about Xhemin's actions when she came back, it's the fact that she's keeping secrets behind the strong mask she wore.

"Tell me milady, why me?" Darryl asked after gathering all his thoughts.

Xhemin paused for a moment as if she was caught off guard by the question and yet she answered, "It's because you drank a wild gin,"

"How did—"

"They told me … back in the island and right from then I was already suspecting something was good about that tonic they had you drink. I needed someone who had drunk it and unfortunately only you, the Chieftain and Enoch had taste of it. Of course it's impossible for me to drag Enoch and his father out of the island, so all I'm left to work on is you,"

Darryl didn't expect Xhemin's answer but it was all to convincing that he had seen no single reason not to believe it. The wild gin is a tonic for the Chieftains in the island, so she was right when she said that only Enoch, him and the Chieftain had a taste of it. However, despite Xhemin's reasons, something inside Darryl was still unconvinced as if what his wife was telling him were all a lie.

***

It took a good amount of time before Darryl replied for he thought about it very carefully.

"Fine, I'll do it," Darryl consented, "But know milady that it comes with a price,"

"I'll pay every single centavo of the amount you demand," Xhemin promised.

"You know damned well that I'm not interested in your money," Darryl jaw hardened when he said this, "I'll save it for something else, something I also desperately wanted, you owe me one,"

Xhemin felt something cold running down her spine with Darryl's words and yet, although she didn't like the sound of it, she knew she had no other choice but to say yes.