The mansion was still, wrapped in the quiet veil of night.
Everyone was fast asleep.
Except Nora.
She blinked, staring at the ceiling. Her heart ached in a way she couldn't explain. Without making a sound, she got out of bed, her bare feet padding across the cold marble floor.
Zayan's wardrobe.
She opened it, not looking for anything in particular—just something to feel close to him. Her fingers brushed over one of his jackets before she spotted a thick, dusty book on the bottom shelf. Curious, she picked it up.
It was an old photo album.
She tiptoed to the living room and sat on the large velvet couch, curling beneath her blanket. As she opened the first page, soft footsteps approached.
"Nora?" a gentle voice asked.
Nora looked up to see Dr. Imara.
"Couldn't sleep either?" Imara asked, sitting beside her.
Nora yawned, eyes half-closed. "Found this… in Z's wardrobe."
She turned a page.
Then froze.
Her eyes widened.
"Hey… that's me," she whispered.
In the photo, she was in a maid's uniform—smiling, eyes bright. The memory tried to push through the fog in her mind.
Imara leaned closer, keeping her voice soft. "Do you remember anything?"
Nora stared. Page after page. Photo after photo. All of her—working, cleaning, laughing, sometimes even sleeping. Zayan had taken them all. In secret.
Her head began to pound.
Black-and-white flashes.
She saw herself scrubbing floors.
Serving tea.
A broken plate.
Blood.
Pain.
Screaming.
Her hand flew to her nose as hot blood began to pour out.
Then—
She screamed.
"Z!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"
The sound shattered the silence of the night.
Zayan's eyes shot open upstairs. He bolted from the bed, running down the stairs in panic.
He found her collapsed in Imara's arms, blood staining her lips and hands. The photo album lay open beside them.
His eyes landed on the picture—her as a maid.
The past he had tried so hard to bury.
"She's unconscious!" Imara shouted.
The rest of the doctors rushed in.
"Move her to the hospital—NOW!" Kyomi commanded.
Zayan scooped her up, pressing her to his chest as if trying to stop her from slipping away.
"Hold on, baby girl… Hold on…" Imara whispered in the car beside them as Zayan drove through the city like a madman.
"N…n…Z…" Nora tried to speak, her voice faint and trembling. He gripped her tighter.
"I'm here, princess. I'm here."
At the hospital, the ICU doors flew open. Nora was rushed inside. Imara, Royce, Kasir, and Arion followed, shouting out vitals and commands. Kyomi and Aaila were already prepping the emergency scans and tests.
Zayan stood outside the glass, hands shaking.
He called Asher.
"She's in the ICU… she lost too much blood…" Zayan's voice cracked.
Asher, in a boardroom meeting, stared at a photo of Nora on his desk. His jaw tightened.
"I'll be there."
Hours passed.
It was 6:56 a.m.
Asher arrived with Shaw, Rex, Neal, Kiernan, and two new arrivals—Maverick and Damian—Nora's older brothers who had been running the family businesses abroad. They always made time for their little sister.
Aaila came out of the ICU with a sigh of relief.
"She's out of danger… for now," she said. "But we need to keep her emotionally stable. No shocks, no stress. She was extremely unstable tonight."
They all turned to the glass, watching her pale body hooked to machines. Her chest rose heavily with each breath. Then—
Beep. Beep. BeepBeepBeep.
The heart rate monitor spiked.
Nora's heart began racing uncontrollably.
"Nora?!" Zayan slammed his hands against the glass. "What's happening?!"
"We're losing her!" Arion yelled. "GET THE INJECTION—NOW!"
Nurses ran. Zayan's soul cracked in half as he watched her body tremble.
"MY NORAAAAAAAAAAA!" he cried, sinking to his knees.
Asher ran to him. "Zayan!"
"She… she was about to… to leave me… us… my baby…" Zayan was in total shock.
"She's alive!" Aaila rushed out again. "She's stable. We got her back."
Kasir walked out slowly. "Mr. Kai… pull yourself together. She's alive. She's going to be okay now."
Zayan sat on the cold floor, tears streaming down his face.
"Shaw," he whispered. "Call Aveline. Tell her… her daughter is in the hospital."
Shaw nodded quietly.
Minutes later, Nora was wheeled out, still unconscious.
Zayan stood and gently caressed her face, his fingers brushing her forehead, her cheeks. Flashes of her smile, her laughter, her kiss—it all hit him like a storm.
He leaned down and kissed her forehead.
They wheeled her into a quiet private room. Everyone followed. No one left.
Zayan sat beside her, holding her hand, never letting go. Everyone else drifted to sleep on couches and floors.
It was 11:46 a.m.
She hadn't woken up.
Later, Asher changed clothes in the guest wing. While walking through the hallway, he accidentally bumped into Aaila.
"Sorry," he said with a small smile.
"How old are you?" she asked, eyeing him.
"You won't believe me," he chuckled.
"Try me."
"I'm turning seventeen."
Her eyebrows lifted. "Wow. You don't look it."
He smirked. "And you?"
"Twenty-three."
Asher licked his lips, stepped back, then suddenly turned and walked toward her. He grabbed her gently by the neck, pulling her close.
Their lips were inches apart.
"A kid, huh?" he whispered, eyes locked on hers.
Her heart thudded.
He kissed her.
Deep. Slow. Confident.
Her hands pressed against his chest, but she didn't push him away.
They parted.
He smiled. "Still think I'm a kid?"
She was speechless.
"Did… did he just kiss me?" Aaila whispered to herself.
Back in Nora's room, Zayan never left her side.
He hadn't even worn shoes when he rushed to the hospital.
A sudden voice echoed behind him.
"Zayan?"
It was Aveline, Nora's mother.
He turned, eyes cold. "She's not awake yet."
Asher and Aaila returned at the same time. The other doctors were there too.
"Who are you?" Kyomi asked.
"I'm her mother," Aveline replied.
"But isn't she an orphan?" Royce frowned.
"It's… complicated," Aveline said softly.
Then—
Nora's fingers twitched.
Zayan leaned forward. "Nora? Baby?"
She stirred. Her fingers brushed his face weakly.
He kissed her hand, eyes glassy with tears. "My sweet baby girl…"
"Z… Z…" she tried to speak through the oxygen mask.
"Shh… It's okay. You're safe now."
Ten minutes later, the mask was removed.
"Z… why can't I remember anything?" she asked weakly. "Why am I here?"
"It's just a small problem, love," Zayan whispered. "We're going home soon. Okay?"
She nodded slowly. "Mmhm."
"My princess," Aveline said softly.
Nora turned her head. "Hey… Mommy?"
"Yes, dear," Aveline said, holding back tears.
Nora closed her eyes again, falling into a deeper sleep.
Kyomi turned to Zayan and Arion. "We must be extremely careful now. Any small trigger could bring back suppressed trauma—and we may not be able to control the consequences."
Zayan clenched his jaw.
"Nothing will happen to my Nora again," he said.
And he meant it.