Kyle and Stephan entered CICU, while Joseph updated the others on Lianne's condition. Lianne was still unconscious, and both of them were in a daze at what the surgeon had told them.

She had so many wires attached and the monitor beside the bed was beeping, while it showed her heart rate and heart beat.

"She's strong," Stephan said softly, his voice breaking.

"She is," Kyle agreed, "But what about you? Are you okay?"

"No," Stephan admitted, "I feel like everything is crumbling around me, honestly. Nothing is within my control."

Kyle didn't look at him as they continued looking at their daughter, "You've always been such a sensitive soul, Stephan. Lianne gets that from you. It's okay to feel weak. It doesn't mean you are weak."

Stephan snorted a bit.

"Coming from you, that's rich," Stephan said, laughing a bit, "For someone that is at the top, in all aspects, saying such a thing is hardly inspiring."

"People only see the result," Kyle said "But not what was put into it. If I didn't have the support of my sister, and now, my wife, I wouldn't be where I am right now."

"Yes, I had a good start but if I hadn't had the right mindset and foundation, nothing would have happened," Kyle said, "I would have been a spoilt, rich boy that probably wasted his family's money."

Kyle turned to Stephan, "Lianne will be okay. We raised her well. You raised her well. You, too, should move on. Start going out. Meet someone. Live again."

"Perhaps," Stephan said.

"I hear Lydia from Sales is rather pretty," Kyle said with a smirk, "And a rather nice girl, too. Still single."

Stephan looked at him in surprise, "You-you…"

He looked at Stephan innocently, "What? I would still need to know who's going to be my kids' stepmother now wouldn't I?"

Stephan didn't answer but just stared at his daughter.

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

For the next two days, Lianne was kept under strict observation.

She was one cranky patient, though. The worst thing for her was the breathing tube, causing her to feel like she was gagging. After one day, it was decided that her breathing tube would be removed.

She was not being cooperative at all.

Kyle and Zero were outside the curtains that covered her bed as the nurses and doctors were busy taking it out. It was visiting hours, and thus, both of them were allowed in.

The nurses also chose this moment to take the tubes out for the presence of the two men who had a calming effect on Lianne. It didn't take long for the nurses to figure that out.

The fact that the two men that were constantly by Lianne's side happened to be strikingly handsome were an added bonus for them. They really were soothing eye-candy - even if one of them had a rather 'stone' face.

When he was with Lianne, however, the gentle expression on his face made all the nurses just swoon. Lianne, too, would have a gentle smile on her face whenever the two were around her.

So, naturally, having them around while they had to take out the breathing tube was a no-brainer.

Despite the fact that she was rather vocal with her displeasure at that moment.

Curses and shouts were heard and Kyle winced.

Zero, on the other hand, was looking highly worried and rather agitated.

"She will be fine," Kyle told Zero softly, "Calm down."

"She's in pain, Sir," Zero said, his voice breaking a bit.

"It's unavoidable," Kyle said, "But she's fine enough. If you can't hear her curse, then that is when you should be worried."

Lianne was the type that would be very patient and take things in her stride. However, she had a low threshold for pain. Kyle didn't think that there was anything wrong with that, for she was strong in other areas.

Right now, her mouth was rather unfiltered as she was cranky and scolding everyone around her. It wasn't that she was deliberately trying to be rude, but she couldn't stand people just telling her to 'suck it up'.

Once it was all over, the medical personnel left and Kyle thanked them, dazzling them with his Million-Dollar Watt smile. Flustered, and completely won over, the nurses left with a smile.

They turned to look at Lianne, who looked rather put-off and had a bit of tears in her eyes. Kyle wiped them, asking gently, "Feeling better now?"

Lianne pursed her lips.

"Do you want the beef porridge from the food truck below?" Zero asked.

Lianne loved porridge, and it so happened that there was a food truck which sold really delicious porridge just opposite the emergency center doors.

"I just had a f*cking large tube pulled out from my throat," Lianne said hoarsely, "I don't want to eat."

Kyle's mouth twitched.

Zero didn't look disturbed at all, "Ice-cream then? Jelly?"

Kyle stepped back a bit, watching as Zero approached Lianne and asked her gently. Lianne shook her head.

"Later, maybe," she said softly, "I don't know."

"It's okay," Zero said, patting her hand, "When you do know, let me know."

"When can I get out?" Lianne asked Kyle.

"We'll see what the doctor says first," Kyle replied.

Each time they came to check-up on Lianne, they would be observing the heartbeat monitor, or ECG/EKG machine beside her bed. Kyle also knew that they would be making their second round right now, which is the reason why he's also staying slightly longer in order to meet them.

It didn't take long, and Kyle basically was rather quiet as he continued to observe the way Lianne and Zero interacted.

He had known that they were close, but this was still beyond what he had thought it would be. Having been the one that recruited Zero and watched him grow, Kyle did have a special sort of feeling for him - as well as the rest of the Diamond Team.

No matter how MIB grew, they were amongst the first.

Now that everything was settled with his past life, the original purpose of the team no longer exist. Of course, Kyle had already thought about their future but right now, for the first time, he began thinking of letting them go.

Their roles and responsibilities have changed over time, and they were still deathly loyal to him. That was his blessing and it wasn't that he was complaining, but he felt he was also holding them back.

None of them seemed to have their own private life, as they dedicated their lives to him. He, on the other hand, was already married with kids.

"Lianne," Kyle called out suddenly.

"Yes?" Lianne answered, turning to face her mother while her face was still smiling brightly over something Zero had said.

"You once asked if you could have Zero," Kyle said.

Lianne blinked rapidly. Where was this going? Why did her mother suddenly bring this up?

"Ye-es…" Lianne said, turning slightly red as the words she had uttered before sounding so misleading now.

Zero's shoulders began moving, a sign he was holding back his laughter though he didn't make a sound. His lips were twitching, though and his eyes were sparkling.

"Zero, what do you think? Do you want to move over to her side?" Kyle asked.

Zero stopped laughing.

"Sir," he said, suddenly getting up, looking a bit agitated.

Kyle put up his hand and said with a smile, "No, I am not asking because I want to get rid of you. Neither am I disbanding Diamond Team."

"Sir? I don't understand," Zero said, puzzled.

Lianne looked at her mother in horror.

"No," she said, shaking her head vigorously.

"Why not?" Kyle asked, tilting his head.

"I'm only fifteen, you know," she said.

"So says the person that got her own brother married off," Kyle snorted, "Plus, arranging everything and getting Akikai to cover for him - and Zero following your orders like it was nothing."

Zero looked away at that point while Lianne pouted.

"Since you're already doing it, why not make it official?" Kyle asked, "Seriously, they're already self-sufficient, and work by themselves. However, they can be yours for certain things you deem fit."

"So, essentially, I can use them?" Lianne said, "For whatever purpose?"

Kyle smiled, "It's you, Lianne. You wouldn't abuse the position but I have a feeling you may actually be able to do great things with them if they are at your disposal."

"Wait wait wait," Lianne said, rubbing the space between her eyebrows, "Let me get this straight. So, essentially, they don't need me to be their boss but I can boss them around?"

"Yup," Kyle said, "In a nutshell."

"What's the point?" Lianne said, "I don't think I would ever need to use them in the manner you say anymore. Joseph's issue is settled."

"Oh, you never know," Kyle said, "Anything's possible."

Oh, how true those words are.