Kieran walked down the hallway and turned the corner, arriving at the staircase that overlooked the grand living room and the large double doors. He descended the stairs, passing by the couch where Daisy sat watching a cartoon. As he passed, she quietly stood and began trailing behind him.
He pulled the door open and stepped outside. Unnoticed, Daisy slipped through after him.
As he stepped out, he stopped in his tracks.
Ahead, by the gate, two maids and several of his men stood clustered together, their attention fixed on the visitors beyond.
Kieran moved down the stone steps toward them, Daisy still following. As he neared, the maids and men turned, stepping aside to make way.
Standing outside the gate were Stacy, Calista, and Jaden. Kieran's gaze lingered on Jaden, whose expression was unreadable. But when their eyes met, something unsettling flickered in Jaden's stare.
Stacy spoke first. "Good afternoon, sir. Sorry to bother you—it's just that we haven't seen Genesis and—"
"She's not available," Kieran cut in coldly. "You should leave."
Stacy froze, stunned by the sharpness in his tone.
But Calista stepped forward, shaking her head. "We know she's unwell. We just want to see her, please. We won't cause any trouble—we just want to see her."
Kieran closed his eyes, took a breath, and was about to speak when Daisy's voice broke in.
"You can come in. I'm sure Lily would like to see you," she said softly.
Kieran blinked down at her, clearly unaware she had followed him.
She placed a hand on her hip. "Why are you being rude, Uncle Kier? They're Lily's friends. She likes them, so you should like them too. And if you don't let them in, I'll tell Lily—and I'll make sure she stops talking to you."
He stared at her for a long moment, then sighed and rubbed a hand over his head. Without a word, he took her hand and turned back to the visitors. Calista and Stacy clasped their hands in a pleading gesture, lips in a hopeful pout.
Kieran looked away, then called to Julian, one of his men. "Open the gate."
Julian nodded and moved to unlock it. As the gates creaked open, the girls rushed inside with grateful smiles—except Jaden. He lingered behind.
"Come on, Jaden," Stacy said, reaching back to grab his hand. "What are you standing there for?"
He finally stepped in, and Julian shut the gates behind them.
"When you get in there to see her," Kieran began, "I expect no shouting, no loud talking. She doesn't need any sudden—"
"What exactly is wrong with her?" Jaden interrupted, eyes narrowing.
Kieran paused and stared at him. Before he could answer, Calista added, "Yes, what happened? We saw that she was almost kidnapped."
Kieran turned and started walking into the house. "She's in a…" he trailed off, then said nothing more.
Calista and Stacy exchanged a glance, unsettled.
Daisy turned to them. "Grandma said she's awake, but she's stuck inside her body. I don't really get what that means."
Stacy offered a small smile. "Thank you, sweetie. We'll see for ourselves."
Daisy nodded and turned back as Kieran stepped into the house.
As they entered, Calista and Stacy's eyes widened in awe.
"And I thought the outside was beautiful," Calista whispered.
Stacy nodded, lips parting. "This place is insane…"
Jaden followed, but unlike the girls, his eyes weren't wide with wonder. Instead, they flicked from wall to wall, silently assessing everything like he was studying a map.
Kieran stopped in the middle of the living room, about to speak—when a loud pop echoed through the house, like something had burst.
Everyone's eyes widened. Kieran's head snapped upward. The sound had come from upstairs. From the bedroom.
Then—a scream. Sharp. Piercing. Familiar.
Genesis.
Without a word, Kieran released Daisy's hand and bolted up the stairs.
The scream lingered in the air as Calista and Stacy stood frozen.
"What is that?" Stacy murmured, heart hammering in her chest.
Daisy turned from the stairs and looked at them.
"That sounded like Lily's voice…"
The screaming stopped.
Calista shook her head, eyes wide. "But... Genesis is mute—"
She didn't get to finish. Jaden suddenly pushed past her and bolted up the stairs.
"Jaden! What the hell are you doing?" Stacy hissed, her voice sharp with panic. Without waiting, she ran after him.
Meanwhile, Kieran's heart thundered against his ribcage as he reached the bedroom door. He shoved it open, his eyes sweeping the room like a hawk.
There—on the bed.
Genesis was no longer lying there unresponsive.
She sat upright, pressed against the headboard, her knees drawn to her chest. Her face was buried between her legs, and her entire body trembled violently.
Then Kieran noticed the source of the earlier noise—Revelation, the maid. She was on her knees near the foot of the bed, her hands shaking. As Kieran stepped in, she looked up at him, tears filling her eyes.
"I… I'm sorry, sir. I only wanted to…" Her voice trailed off as he turned his focus back to Genesis.
"Genesis," he called softly, hesitantly, unsure what he was about to face.
What he didn't expect was for her head to lift.
Tears streaked her face, her nose running, eyes red and unfocused. She looked around like she couldn't see him—like she was searching for the source of his voice.
"Princess, are you okay?" he asked again, gently.
This time, her eyes landed on him.
Recognition flared. Her lips parted, and for a second, raw relief flooded her expression.
Then—suddenly—she launched herself off the bed, arms outstretched.
Just as the bedroom door burst open behind him and Jaden stepped inside, Genesis ran straight into Kieran's arms, leaping onto him.
She wrapped her legs around his waist and clung to him like a lifeline.
Kieran stood frozen, his arms instinctively catching her. His eyes were wide—not just with shock, but something deeper. Fear. Relief. Confusion. All tangled up at once.
She clung tighter, climbing him like a tree, her body shaking, her tears soaking into his neck as she sobbed without restraint.