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

When Darryl went back to his previous seat, everyone, including those big L Empire personalities were of course looking at him, especially that they all know who was the person he escorted. Seeing the need for a formal introduction, Darryl gave them some curtsy.

​​

"This is Miss Ava Leigh, owner of LGC," Darryl presented Xhemin, "My wife,"

Darryl's last words gathered several prying eyes and curved eyebrows yet no one dared to open their mouths to ask a question. Ever since the rumors had spread, everyone in the business community wanted to confirm if these were true yet Darryl had never served an official answer, not until today when Xhemin showed up in L Empire.

Of course the guest had many questions about them like—whether it was true that their marriage was not okay, whether their property ties were conjugal or separate or just even the details of how and when they met. Many reporters and journalist tried to extract information yet no one had been successful in finding out the real story behind Ava Leigh and Darryl's marriage.

"I never knew Ziggorioh Montreal had a daughter," Darryl expressed, almost like whispering to Xhemin when they had settled in their seat. "And if you are going to ask me the Little Miss Willow's circumstances make me believe she's trying to rebel against her father, very much like Ziggorioh Montreal's character,"

"I'm not here to discuss these things with you," Xhemin refused to start a conversation with Darryl. She was afraid to give Darryl more details about Willow and also, she was not at all comfortable of him whispering in her ears because as much as it gives her tiny tickles, it also was making her heart thud tremendously.

"So no small talks?" Darryl continued, "What a shame,"

Xhemin didn't anymore answer and just when he thought Darryl was okay with no talking while they seated next to each other, she almost jumped from her seat when the Lagdameo heir held her hand and intertwined his own fingers on hers, and caressed the side of her palm.

Xhemin tried to pull her hand away yet Darryl was too strong for her and more effort would require an unnecessary commotion she didn't want to start in front of Darryl's guests. So instead, she looked at Darryl with a hard look of displease hoping Darryl would just stop his little husbandly touches but the latter only smiled at her.

"Darryl please, I thought I made myself clear at the Loch," It was Xhemin who whispered this time. She really did think she had annoyed Darryl enough to make him stop chasing her but it seemed that she was wrong.

"We didn't agree about anything in the Loch, so I don't know what you are talking about," Darryl replied, raising their entwined fingers to his lips to kiss Xhemin's hand.

Xhemin knew they were no in the right venue for an argument so instead of protesting Darryl's husbandly affection, which he was doing so publicly, she just let him and sat comfortably on her seat while watching Willow do her demo.

Looking at the child she had never once seen, not until today, standing on her first big stage made Xhemin deeply proud. All she got was pictures of her being sent by the messenger who regularly made visits and those pictures never stayed long, Xhemin had to burn them immediately after she sees them. All these times, she was left wondering how she looked like in person and how she was able to grow up smart and strong despite all that she and her father went through.

Xhemin remembered full well the time she first received a message from Ziggy after he left the country. It was after almost two years since the death of Dr. Miles and she was at the forest Mansion by then, kept hidden by Dr. Cyan under the Lagdameo's noses. Even before leaving the country, communicating with Ziggy was hard and the first time they had used to emails and phones to contact each other, they were almost caught and Ziggy and Ang were almost killed. That was when they realized someone had been tracking their personal emails and phones and that they couldn't keep communicating with that and that was why they had to communicate through letters, asking someone they trust to carry it for them.

Before taking refuge in the forest Mansion, she and Ziggy carefully made a plan to escape the country together, but at the last minute, she had to make the ultimate sacrifice of staying so that Ziggy and Ang can successfully escape. She realized she was the ultimate target of those who had been hunting them and tallying along with Ang and Ziggy will only endanger them.

She was then relieved when Ang and Ziggy successfully left, but she did not expect the blowback of such sacrifice, not until she felt so emotionally down and lonely. She became too depressed, almost hopeless that all Dr. Cyan could do was be sorry for her. Xhemin thought that her life was meaningless, that she was cursed to be alone and that was the karma she had to suffer in exchange for defying her grandad's instructions and worst for marrying a man she shouldn't have love in the first place and she was okay with that. She was okay with the loneliness, she was okay with the pain and she was okay living alone so long as she knew the family, she had left was doing fine, somewhere around continent, living safe and peaceful. However, that belief was actually a lie because after two years of living a depressed life, Xhemin received a message from Ziggy and that message changed everything.

"Are you okay?" Darryl asked because he noticed Xhemin was drowned in a deep sea of her own thoughts.

****

"Yes," Xhemin replied, "I'm trying to focus on Little Miss Willows demo so please give me some space,"

Darryl did not anymore respond. Instead he sat back comfortably on his seat and let Xhemin enjoy the view of the child she introduced as god daughter, speaking with confidence in the little stage, talking about her own discoveries and research with pride and enthusiasm.