"My goodness, Lianne!" exclaimed Byron, "You really have him trained well. He's like a loyal lap - aaarrrggghhh!"

Lianne ignored the screams of pain as Zero lunged over and started hitting Byron. She calmly picked up a teacup and started drinking the tea, thinking that it was good tea.

Soon, the shouts became whimpers as Zero sat back down next to her, and Lianne handed him his cup of tea, "It's good."

Zero nodded, flipped his hair so that the bangs over his eyes were cleared and he started drinking.

Byron was curled up on the ground, gasping and groaning.

"You really should learn to think before you speak," Lianne advised him, "You may get away with it in school as people just take it that you're a joker. Outside of school, however, you can get into serious trouble."

She didn't hold back Zero this time because Byron really needed to learn to not shoot his mouth off. That, and because he had insulted Zero.

Zero, on the other hand, hadn't been bothered at all about what Byron had said about him. He was just happy that Lianne had taken her hand off his chest, indicating he could do what he wanted.

He had been very careful with his beating. He had avoided the face and all areas that had a bone - which meant the area he could hit was small. Still, Zero landed his hits on those areas easily and cleanly, and with the palm of his hand rather than a fist.

This meant that he had distributed the force of the blow over a larger surface area, thereby avoiding leaving any marks.

In short, Byron got beaten up but there was no injury that could be seen as evidence of it. The pain, however, was real.

"That's only a taste of what sort of trouble you would be getting into, you know," Lianne said and put down the empty cup of tea, "Thank you for the tea."

She got up and Zero followed her, and just barely managed to refrain himself from giving Byron one last kick as they left.

"Oh, one more thing, Byron," Lianne said as she stood at the door, ready to exit, "For the record, thank you for the interest but no thanks. I already have Zero here. So please. Stop."

Byron quickly got up, ignoring the pain.

"I get it, really. I do," Byron said, clenching his teeth as he bore with the pain, "And I'm sorry. I … I … but we can be friends, right?"

Lianne looked at Zero, who just glared at Byron.

"What makes you think I would let you?" Zero said in a menacing voice.

Byron shivered but he managed to put his head up, "You can't control her. She has the right to decide."

Lianne smiled, turning her head away to hide it and she patted Zero on the back.

Well, perhaps Byron can be taught after all.

"At least you have *some* brains," Zero muttered.

"Fine," Lianne said, "Acquaintances."

"Huh?" Byron repeated, not understanding.

"You," Lianne said, pointing at Byron, "are not a friend. A friend is a person with whom I share a strong bond with, like Zero here. In fact, he's more than a friend."

Of course, Zero was her soulmate - but of the platonic kind.

"You, at the best, is an acquaintance as you're just someone I know," Lianne clarified.

"How long before I can be a friend?"

"Don't push it," Zero said, his eyes narrowing.

"It's not a matter of how long," Lianne said.

"So what does it matter on?" Byron asked.

Lianne just gave him a smile, turned and he heard her voice as she walked away, "If you can't even figure that out, then what's the point?"

Byron stood there, just frozen, as he stared at her back.

He clenched his fist, closed the door and limped to his bedroom.

Damn, that Zero was vicious.

But it really was a lesson he learned well. Everytime he was going to say something on the spur of the moment, he would stop and think about it. It certainly shaped him to a better person in the future.

✿ Author only posts on w.e.b.n.o.v.e.l. ✿

Kyle appeared calm while looking at his former spouse, who appeared agitated.

Lianne was on the way home, as per what Zero had reported. He gave Kyle a missed call in order not to alert Lianne as to what he was doing. With that warning, Kyle and Stephan sat and waited.

When Lianne walked through the door, she was immediately worried as she saw her father at home. It was obvious from the shoes in the corridor that Joseph had not returned home yet.

Worse, her mother was here as well?!

She panicked for a second before Zero told her, "It's okay. They know Joseph will be back later."

Lianne let out a breath of relief, but not much.

Because an ominous feeling arose in her heart.

She grabbed Zero's sleeve and whispered urgently, "Zero. What's going on??"

Zero looked aggrieved, the guilt eating up at him and he patted her on the back, encouraging her to enter, "I'm sorry. Sir and your father will explain."

Lianne took a deep breath, nodded and walked in. Her heart was beating fast, in nervousness although she didn't show it on her face. In actual fact, her face had an expression that usually triggered her father - to him, it looked like she was defiant.

Rebellious.

This time, however, Stephan was too upset and worried about her reaction to the news to be affected by that look.

Kyle, however, knew that expression better.

She was being guarded and nervous.

He cursed.

She suspected something.

This would make breaking the news worse.

Zero closed the door with a heavy heart. He leaned his forehead on the door on the outside, wishing he could be there for her. But he couldn't.

He placed his palm on the door, whispering words of encouragement and apologies, even though she couldn't hear him. After that, he left.

Meanwhile, inside, Lianne sat on the sofa, facing her parents.

"Lianne, I .. " Kyle began, hesitated then held her hand, telling her, "There is something we need to tell you."

Lianne kept quiet, waiting.

"At your last medical check, the doctor discovered something when he listened to your heartbeat," Kyle began slowly, "They would like you to go for further testing."

Lianne didn't say a word, listening to what her mother was saying. She just sat there, staring at Kyle.

"Lianne? Are you okay?"

"I .." Lianne finally opened her mouth, "I … I don't know what to say. Or feel. This is just too sudden a news."

"If you're up to it, we'll go to see the cardiologist tomorrow and do the necessary tests," Kyle said.

"We?" Lianne repeated, looking at her father.

Somehow, she didn't want him there, but could she stop him from coming? After all, he was her father while Kyle wasn't connected to her in any way in this life - other than her benefactor.

"Yes, you and me," Kyle told her.

This was something Stephan had discussed with Kyle.

He actually wouldn't be able to handle hearing any news about his daughter. He was really a sensitive person and thus, he was worried his reaction of concern would not be taken well by his daughter.

Stephan didn't want to show his weakness in front of his daughter and he knew that he wouldn't be able to make the proper judgment either. As such, he was truly glad that Kyle did reveal who he really was to Lianne.

Stephan managed to keep his emotions hidden, not wanting his daughter to get more worried.

"You should have your mother with you," Stephan said, tilting his chin towards Kyle.

Lianne's eyes went wide open, "You know?"

"I told him," Kyle said softly, letting go of Lianne's hands.

Lianne should have known, really, because Kyle was so open with his feelings for her. Holding her hand and all that in front of her father.

However, she had been so focused and worried about what her mother was going to tell her that she missed that point.

"Thank you," Lianne said, knowing that her mother did this in order to be by her side, "I'm going in now."

She had to process this and did not want to be with anyone right now. All sorts of scenarios went through her mind and she had to stop herself from thinking of all the possible scenarios.

"Will she be alright?" Stephan asked worriedly.

"Only time will tell," Kyle said, "The most important thing right now is to let her be. She needs to come to terms with this first."

Stephan nodded and took several deep breaths.

While Lianne was in her room contemplating her life, Joseph was doing the same.

He kissed his beloved wife's forehead, and she stirred in her sleep then snuggled deeper into his arms.

Why must they be apart?