Adira woke up to the smell of something nice filling the house. Her brows tightened as she looked up at the unfamiliar ceiling, trying to collect memories of what had happened the previous night. Yes, she was drunk, Jared had come in, and...she couldn't remember anything else. She blacked out. She shifted her eyes from the ceiling, casting a glance around the room. And her heart quickened when she noticed she was in a strange place. Good lord! She sat up quickly, and the force she had used made her head ache. She obviously had too much to drink. She rubbed her hand on her forehead, then stood up slowly and wandered out of the bedroom she was in. Why did she have a feeling Jared was responsible for this? She walked into the living room which was just outside the bedroom, and there she found Jared, bringing a platter of pancakes into the small dining. He had an apron on and had pearls of sweats on his forehead. It was just like she suspected. "Hey. You're up." He flashed a smile, seeming so busy. Adira glanced down at her clothes, feeling a bit relieved that they were intact. He didn't try to take advantage of her. "What's the meaning of this? What am I doing here?" She flapped her hand and asked. "Hey, calm down, will you?" Jared chuckled. "If it wasn't for me, you'd have probably woken up in a different kind of room. A dangerous one." He gave a gentle laugh as he took off his apron. "I'm sorry I brought you here without your permission. But trust me, you were not in a position to give one. You were deeply soaked, Adira. Drunk. So, I had to bring you here." She looked around. It didn't look like his apartment, she could hardly see any of his personal belongings. It was probably a resort. That gave her another reason to be relieved. "You shouldn't have bothered." She mumbled. "Besides, why didn't you try taking me home? I mean, to my place? Why bring me to your... apartment or whatever this is?" Jared walked into the kitchen without giving her a response. He returned shortly with a jar and two mugs. "I'm smart, Adira." He said, while arranging the table. "You're not a drunk. So, to be in that state, I realized something must've happened at home and concluded you wouldn't want to go back there. Moreover, don't you think it'd be a shame to have been seen by the entire family in that state?" He took a seat. "Come on. Come have breakfast." But Adira didn't take a step. "I... I need to go." She murmured. "Seriously, Adira. Do you realize how difficult it was to get up in time to make you breakfast? You unconsciously spent the whole night with me. So, what's wrong with having breakfast?" Adira didn't like the sound of his words. Well, she was damn hungry and her hormones were triggering her appetite pretty bad. With slow steps, she walked towards the dining and took a seat. The duo ate in silence for a while. Then, Jared asked her reason for getting drunk the previous night. "I don't want to talk about it." She answered sullenly. The mere thought of it alone was ruining her mood. "Are you sure you don't want to? You made mention of someone making you look bad to him, and questioning why he couldn't trust you. Let me know if I can be of help in any way, Adira." She looked at him and shook her head negatively. "You can't be of help. It's pointless.""You think so?" Adira said nothing else. She really didn't want to talk about it. Nikolai had seemed too angry last night and she was pretty sure a man like Jared wouldn't be able to remedy it. Jared tried all he could to get her to talk, but when he saw how determined she was about not discussing it, he decided to let her be. After eating, she returned to the room and took her bag. Jared entered at that point. "You leaving already?" His forehead gathered in a frown. "Yes. Is my car still at the bar shop or..." "I brought your car over." He interrupted and walked closer to her. When she took a step back, he stopped. "Y... You don't have to be scared of me. I'll never hurt you." He scoffed. "I'm... I'm not saying you will. I just want to get out of here, Jared. I really appreciate your help and everything. Trust me, I do. But I'm currently in a mess now and wouldn't want this to be interpreted the wrong way." She tucked some strands of hair behind her ear. "Interpreted? By who?" Jared asked, but she gave no response. "Alright, fine. How about I leave while you stay behind? You don't look like you're ready to go home." Adira shook her head. "Thanks, but this resort or apartment belongs to you. I honestly don't want this to be interpreted. I'm sorry, Jared." She tried walking pass him, but he held her hand softly, halting her. Tilting her head to look at him, she was calmed by the softness in his eyes. "I can always be a friend, you know. I'd be so happy if you learned to accommodate me." She swallowed around the lump in her throat. Glancing down at her wrist being held by him, he understood and let her go. "Thank you." She mouthed and finally left.... Once in her car, she took out her phone and tried calling Lancelot, but the bastard's line was switched off. That scumbag! She was definitely going to get to him and make him pay. She lifted her hand to her belly, caressing the flat surface. "It's just you and me, baby. Just you and me." She took a deep breath and drove out of the place. ****†****†****†****† Lyra had gone to visit her father, Jagger. Their plan was so close to coming to an end, so it was all getting heated. For years, her father planned his revenge on the Kensingtons. He hated them for taking away the one woman he loved and swore to burn them to the ground. Although, Lyra believed it's dumb. He already had she and Jared - although, he was never married to her late mother - and couldn't understand why the old man was bent on ruining the lives of that family. Well, she decided not to give a damn about it as it was to her own advantage. While they were talking, Yvonne walked in, looking all worried. She's never really like the bitch - wonder what her father saw in her and made her a part of them. If she had her way, she'd want to kick her out of the group. The group? The group will be destroyed soon enough, tho. "Yvonne, is everything okay?" Jagger asked, staring at her face. She sat on the same couch with Lyra, on the end of it. "There's... there's nothing entirely wrong." She mumbled. "It's just... it's Jared. I was in his apartment last night, but he didn't make it home. I'm curious because ..he hardly sleeps out." Lyra rolled her eyes and stood up. What right does she think she have to fall in love with her brother? "I need to make use of the bathroom, dad." She informed him and left. "Is that so?" Jared returned his attention to Yvonne. "But why is it getting you worried? If Jared comes home or not, it shouldn't be your concern, Yvonne." His voice was cold. Yvonne looked up at him and saw the darkness in his eyes. Then, she remembered - this man right here hated love. "Of course, it's of no concern to me." She lowered her gaze. "I was just worried and hoping he's fine." She stood up. When she tried walking away, she accidentally hit Lyra's bag that had been on the edge of the couch. The bag fell to the floor, some of it's contents falling out. "Oh, my God..." She squatted to pick them up at once. Jagger watched silently. Her hands froze when she saw something disturbing. Her brows knitted in confusion as she picked it up and slowly turned to Jagger, making him see it. Shock and confusion crept into the man's eyes. It was a visa to another country. ****†****†****†Na-ri stared pathetically at Nikolai from behind. He was drinking - again. Just like he's been drinking since the previous day. Contrition washed over. She was glad Adira was finally away, but she hated the effects it was having on Nikolai. Since the previous night, he'd locked himself up in his room and only came out to get drinks. It's actually a surprise that he decided to drink at the bar counter that evening. Taking a deep breath, she advanced towards him. She stood behind him and placed a hand on his shoulder. "Nikolai." She called softly. A startled gasp slipped her throat when he pushed her hand off his shoulder - roughly. He turned to look at her, and his eyes were scary. "Don't ever touch me. Ever.". He turned back to the counter, drinking directly from the bottle. Now, Na-ri was becoming scared. She never expected it to have such effect on him. He looked like he was losing his mind. Nervously, she took the seat beside him, careful enough not to touch him. He reeked of alcohol. "Nik, I think you've had enough. You might end up hurting yourself." She stated gently. Nikolai didn't look at her as he drank hungrily from his bottle. "Nik..." "Fúck off, Na-ri!" He yelled at her, his movement rattling some of the bottles on the counter. Na-ri's skin prickled with fear as she jumped on her seat. What the hell? He looked like a beast who was about to devour her, and at that moment, she was too scared to breath. "Say one more word to me and you'll regret it." He snarled and stood up, stomping out of the house. Only then did Na-ri release the breath she had been holding. Good lord, this wasn't good. Nikolai had gotten to the edge.Getting out of the house, Nikolai headed for one of his cars, the one with the keys in his pockets. His guards were around, and the moment he opened the front door, they rushed over. "Back off. I want to be alone." His words were clipped. The guards tried not to listen, but he shoot them a threatening glare. "I mean it. Back off." He spelt out the words and got in the car. Everything was blurred. Inserting the key into the ignition was a struggle as he could barely see clearly. He got the car started and drove out of the house. He noticed his guards coming behind in a different car, but it didn't matter. He just wanted to be alone in his car. ... As he hit the road, he drove with so much pain in his heart, rethinking the betrayal. He'd loved Adira so much. Hell! He's always loved her. And just yesterday, he'd planned on calling his lawyer to cancel the divorce process.He made up his mind to be with her forever, not minding whatever his father or Na-ri would say. He had been sitting on the bed and was about placing the call to the lawyer when the pictures came in - the pictures that ruined his heart. His insecurity was not letting him think straight. All he could imagine was Adira being unable to move on from Lancelot. How can she find it so difficult moving on from a man that caused her so much pain? A man he saved her from? His heart ached deeply, it didn't take long before his eyes started hurting as well. Maybe it was best to end it all - a tiny voice whispered in his head. Maybe there was no need fighting it afterall. His vision became blurred. He lost control of the steering and the brakes, and the next thing he felt was crashing and tumbling over. His visage became dark, his thoughts went mute. He blacked out.