KISS'S POV
I didn't plan to stop the car.
I only told the driver to slow down.
Just a little.
But the moment I saw the colorful gate, the spinning rides, the laughter that cut through the afternoon air, something inside my chest tightened so painfully that I pressed my palm against it.
"Madam?" my assistant called softly from beside me.
I swallowed. "What… is this place?"
"An amusement park," she answered gently. "Popular with families."
Families.
My eyes moved on their own.
And then I saw him.
Adrian.
He was standing near the carousel, sleeves rolled up, hair slightly messy in a way I hadn't seen in years. Not the cold CEO. Not the man the world feared.
Just… him.
"Stop the car," I whispered.
The car halted.
I didn't step out immediately. I just watched.
He bent down, holding a small hand.
A very small hand.
"Careful," he said, his voice warm. "One step at a time, princess."
Princess.
My breath caught.
The little girl laughed, high-pitched and carefree, clinging to his finger like he was her entire world.
"Daddy!" she squealed. "You're slow!"
Adrian laughed — an unguarded, real laugh that struck my heart like a blade.
"Excuse me?" he said. "I'm carrying your snacks. Show some respect."
From the stroller, a boy lifted his head, his expression far too serious for a child his age.
"She has no respect," the boy declared in a baby way.
Adrian crouched in front of him. "And what about you, young man?"
The boy huffed. "I'm supervising."
Adrian burst out laughing.
I pressed my fingers to my lips.
"That's… my son," I whispered.
My assistant nodded slowly. "And your daughter."
My vision blurred.
Adrian lifted the little girl effortlessly, placing her on his shoulders. She shrieked with joy, tiny hands grabbing his hair.
"Higher!"
"I can't," Adrian said. "You'll fly away."
"I won't!" she insisted. "Daddy will catch me!"
Daddy.
I turned away sharply.
No.
Don't cry.
Not here.
Not now.
Adrian bought cotton candy, kneeling to divide it carefully.
"Blue for you," he told the boy.
The boy nodded solemnly. "Fair."
"And pink for my princess."
The girl tilted her head. "Why princess?"
Adrian smiled — soft, aching.
"Because your mommy was one," he said quietly. "The bravest one I know."
My knees nearly buckled.
"That's enough," I whispered hoarsely. "We're leaving."
"But, Madam—"
"If I stay," I said, my voice shaking, "I will walk over there and ruin everything."
I took one last look.
Just one.
Then I turned my back on my heart and walked away.
WILSON BASEMENT — NIGHT
The air was cold.
Ashley looked up when I entered, her eyes widening in fear.
"Kiss," she croaked. "You're alive…"
I smiled.
"Disappointed?",I asked coldly.
She tried to stand. "I—I didn't mean—"
I struck her hardly.
The sound echoed.
"You planned my death," I said calmly. "While I carried my children."
"I loved him!" she screamed. "I loved Adrian!"
I grabbed her hair and forced her to look at me.
"You don't know what love is," I said quietly. "Love doesn't poison a pregnant woman."
She sobbed. "I was desperate!",she shouted.
"You were cruel."
Another hit.
Then another.
"Do you know," I continued, my voice steady despite the fire inside me, "that my daughter laughs exactly like him?"
Ashley whimpered.
"My son watches the world like he's already been disappointed by it," I added. "And you wanted them dead."
"Please—"
I leaned closer. "You don't get forgiveness.
You get fear."
Her body sagged.
I stepped back, chest rising and falling.
"Keep her alive," I ordered the guards. "She needs to remember this."
MY SUITE — LATER THAT NIGHT
The bathwater was hot enough to sting.
I sank into it slowly, wine glass trembling in my hand.
The room was silent.
Too silent.
I closed my eyes.
Adrian's voice echoed in my mind.
Princess.
I laughed softly, bitterly.
"You became gentle," I murmured. "And I became a weapon."
The doorbell sound from my phone cut through my thoughts.
I answered.
"Yes."
"Madam," my assistant said, "Goodwill Empire just released new expansion plans."
I smiled faintly.
"Send them a partnership contract," I said. "Global scale."
There was hesitation. "Adrian will know it's you."
"I want him to," I replied calmly.
I stared at the ceiling.
"I won't chase him," I whispered. "I'll stand where he can't ignore me."
The call ended.
I lifted the wine glass again.
"Wait for me," I said softly, imagining two small faces I wasn't allowed to touch. "I'm coming back… the right way."
GOODWILL RESIDENCE — SAME NIGHT
Adrian froze when the email arrived.
"Partnership proposal?" he muttered.
Oscar frowned. "The terms are… aggressive."
Isaac's eyes narrowed. "The sender…"
Adrian's chest tightened.
Wilson Group.
He stood up abruptly.
"I knew it," he whispered.
Across the city, thunder rolled faintly.
And for the first time in years, Adrian Goodwill felt it with certainty —
She was close.
Very close.