He didn't know what to feel. Relief? Fear? Anger?
But what he did know was how much his brother had suffered.
They had all suffered—every single one of them had been drowning in pain after Esme's disappearance. But his brother… he had endured something far worse.
Kai remembered it vividly. How his brother had just given birth, his body still weak, still healing, yet he had no choice but to bear the weight of everything—handling the company, handling the chaos Esme's absence had left behind.
Kai still remembered the sight of him, wandering the house aimlessly, his eyes hollow, his steps mechanical.
And he knew—without a shadow of a doubt—that if not for the children, if not for the small hands that clung to him, grounding him, keeping him—his brother would have followed Esme into the dark.
Kai swallowed hard, forcing himself to breathe past the lump in his throat.
This time… this time, he prayed that hope would not betray them again.
