When Dawn fluttered her eyes open, everything was hazy. She thought that she was still in her dream-like state where she was fighting the clouds to find her father. She had to ask him so many questions… "Father…" her voice was a mere whisper.

'Dawn!' Quetz called.

​​

"Dawn?" Daryn rushed to her and sat right next to her. Immediately he pressed the bell behind the bed to call the doctor. He held her hand and squeezed it tight. Dawn opened her eyes wide and it took a few seconds before her vision came back to normal.

"How are you feeling?" asked Daryn with worry etched in his voice. His hand went to her tummy inadvertently and he stroked it gently as if assuring his baby that everything is going to be fine.

The doctor rushed in by then. He examined her eyes, her pulse and said, "She should be fine but she cannot have any more stress for at least a week now. She needs complete body rest. These kinds of stresses are really bad for pregnancy and may cause bleeding."

Daryn paled. He became dumbfounded and felt his knees going weak. This was the King of Lykae who had just come back after a spree of killing winged demons who regenerated at… well, demon speed.

The doctor continued, "I will be prescribing medicines for stress if you like, but in my advice you shouldn't take them at all. Instead you must focus on finding happiness. Maybe you can go for a vacation, but not now… later. The discharge papers will be prepared by the nurse and after I sign them, you can take her home."

Daryn thanked the doctor and he left. Stroking her cheeks with his knuckles, he just couldn't say a word. He didn't know what to say. He didn't know how to face her. The office people had apprised him of the situation because of which she had fainted. Even he didn't know the whole story. What could he do to alleviate her agony? All he hoped was that she didn't leave him. He would die… He suppressed a tear that choked his throat.

Lying on the hospital bed, Dawn's mind went to what Helena told her, "Die in shame." Why did she say that? Dawn's gaze traveled to Daryn. "I want to talk to your father."

"Even I want to meet him, Dawn. He isn't in the town and will return by evening." He shook his head. "I don't know how all this happened. I have no idea if my father is involved or what is it that he knows about Luke Wyatt, but now I am desperate to find out." He grazed her nape tenderly. "He has to come out with the secret, else…" he exhaled heavily, "I won't be able to live peacefully…"

Dawn closed her eyes. Both she and Cole have undergone a lot through the past five years and only she knew how she pulled so long, all alone. But to think of it, back in her home, after her mother died, she was lonely…

"Where is he?" she asked.

"He is on a business trip."

"How long have I been out?"

"Nearly two hours."

Daryn wanted to slide beside to comfort her, but she had closed herself completely. He could understand her well. She took time to place confidence in people, but this time he could hear the deafening sound of faith that was shattering in her heart. He continued to sit right beside her. At the moment he felt he was lucky to even sit beside her or to hold her hand. What if… he didn't want to think any further. Gayle had the answers.

She didn't reply. Another wait…

'Dawn, please talk to me,' Quetz anguish was apparent in his plea.

'I will be fine Quetz,' she replied and shut him off. It wasn't his battle.

In the next one hour, the doctor had signed the papers and Daryn took his wife back home. She didn't speak to him and he just cherished holding her hand. How could in a day things go so wild?

As soon as she was out of the car, he scooped her up in his arms and carried her to the bedroom. Cole had come back from the school and he dashed to meet his sister.

"Dawn!" he rasped. Daryn was settling her on the bed. "What happened?" He darted a perturbed gaze to Daryn. "Why are you unwell? Is this related to your pregnancy?" He knelt down beside her on the floor and held her hand. "Geez! You look so pale, sister."

For the first time that day, Dawn broke into a feeble smile. "I will be fine Cole." Then she stared at him battling if he should know about it.

Feeling anxious, Daryn walked to the other side. How would he face the brother-sister duo? His stomach lurched.

"What is it Dawn? Do you want to say something?" asked Cole.

He should know.

She narrated the incident to him and opened up her trepidations, her dilemma and her fear. "So I am not sure why is it that she asked me to speak about it to Gayle, but now I have to and I am waiting for him."

Cole was aghast. The very foundation of his belief was disrupted as hell. He looked at Daryn with questions in his eyes, but Daryn gave a blank stare back. He didn't have the answers. Cole ran his hand through his hair and rose to his feet. "This is so twisted," he blurted. "I can't— I— Dawn," he frowned. "I think Helena is trying to make a fool."

"No, she isn't. There's more than the eyes meet." She stared ahead and then said, "I want you to stay with me when I speak with Gayle. He will be here this evening."

Cole sucked in air and nodded. His emotional scars had begun healing but the information that his sister just gave, it made his heart bleed again. The iron bars that he had created around his emotions held him strong, but all of a sudden they seemed to melt in the fury that was rising like lava inside him. He wanted to rage against the bars. Everything was complicated. So much pain that there was no escape route. Was Gayle responsible for their father's murder?

"I am going to be right here Dawn," he said as he looked at Daryn with stinging eyes. Daryn lowered his gaze. What could he say? He just hoped that Dawn didn't punish him for whatever his father had done to Luke. He shuddered once again.

Cole left the room with one last glare at Daryn. For the rest of the day, the couple didn't talk. Dawn didn't talk. However, even if she whimpered, Daryn would ask the servants to bring her food. By the time it was 6PM, there were five glasses of unfinished juice on her table.

Dawn was lying on the bed waiting for Gayle. She had lost her appetite.

It was almost 9PM when the doors of her room opened and Gayle walked in. His face was pale and face unshaven. He looked disheveled.

Dawn turned her head and stared at him. Slowly she rose to sit down.

"You have a lot to tell me," she accused him. "Where would you like to start with?"