When the door finally opened, every single neighbor froze. It wasn't just the sound of the door; it was what followed that made everyone's breath hitch.
And then she jumped into him. It was his girl. Her arms wrapped around his neck, tight and trembling. It wasn't a polite embrace or a gentle hug; it was desperate like she'd been waiting years just to feel him, and the sudden force nearly made him lose balance. He stumbled back a step, his heels scraping the porch, but his reflexes caught up just in time. His hands instinctively steadied her waist, holding her close before either of them could fall.
Everyone gasped.. Mrs. Parker's hands flew to her mouth. "Oh my Lord...she opened the door!"
Mr. Davis blinked, speechless. "Three days we've been begging her, and he...he just...."
"Who is he?" another neighbor whispered, eyes wide.
"Did he hypnotize her or something?"
Mrs. Collins almost dropped the food tray she'd been holding. "What in the world… she hasn'topened the door for anyone...and now she's hugging him?"
"She didn't just open the door," Mr. Davis muttered, "she ran to him."
"Who is he?"
"Or worse… what is he?"
Their whispers grew louder, confusion twisting into curiosity and awe. To them, it was nothing short of a miracle that three days of locked silence were shattered by one man's voice. He hadn't begged. He hadn't shouted. He hadn't demanded. He just called her name, and she came back to life.
And as they stood there, watching Alina clutch him like her world depended on it, not one of them dared to move or interrupt.
For a moment, the world froze. Kai stood there stunned, his breath caught somewhere between shock and disbelief. His body went rigid, his mind blank. He didn't move. He couldn't.
Her face buried into the curve of his neck, her arms locked around him like she was afraid that if she let go, he'd disappear again. Her fingers clenched the fabric of his hoodie, desperate and shaking. Her tears came without pause, warm, real, unstoppable. Each drop rolled down her cheek, slipping onto his skin, seeping into his shoulder until the fabric turned damp.
And as the neighbor stood there, watching Alina clutch him like her world depended on it, not one of them dared to move or interrupt. Something about the moment felt sacred… almost unreal.
Kai blinked, his chest tightening as he felt the trembling of her body against his. She's real.
She's here. And just as that realization hit him, the ground around them shifted.
Because in the next instant, the silence was broken by the sound of heavy boots hitting the ground in perfect rhythm. Thud. Thud. Thud
A black SUV rolled to a stop, and several suited men emerged. Around five to ten men appeared from the shadows of the lane dressed in black tactical gear, earpieces glinting faintly in the dim light. Their movement was sharp, synchronized, and silent like a scene straight out of a high-budget action movie.
The neighbors stepped back instinctively, whispering, stunned by the sheer presence of the men in black, each one moving with purpose, every breath synchronized. The neighbors stumbled backward, startled all over again, their minds racing with questions.
Who was that man who could do what no one else could?
And what kind of power did he have that came with men like those following him?
In a matter of seconds, they formed a tight perimeter around Kai and Alina, a living wall of defense. Their eyes scanned every direction, their posture rigid, every muscle alert.
One man, clearly the lead, gave a small hand signal, and instantly, two guards positioned themselves at the gate, two near the windows, and the rest closed in behind Kai, forming a V-shaped shield that locked him safely in the center.
It wasn't chaotic; it was precision. Smooth, sharp, professional. And the way they moved, of course. Ryan wasn't stupid. He'd never let Kai walk into the countryside alone, not after everything that had happened in the past.
"What in the world…" murmured Mr. Thompson, taking a cautious step back. "Who are these people?"
Mrs. Collins clutched her pearls. "Bodyguards. Those are definitely bodyguards."
"Bodyguards?" said Mrs. Parker, nearly gasping. "For him?"
"No," Mr. Davis said slowly, eyes narrowing, "for her."
That set the whispers off like wildfire. "Did Alina marry someone powerful?"
"Maybe she's working for someone rich now."
"No, no, this looks bigger than that. This is serious."
"Do you think she's involved with… some kind of mafia?"
Kai's breath hitched as he realized what was happening, his brain flickering between the shock of Alina in his arms and the cool, composed entry of the guards forming around him like shadows of loyalty.
The air was thick with tension and emotion, but within that ring of protection, there was a different kind of silence. Alina still held on, her face hidden in his neck, her sobs quiet but raw. Kai didn't care about the guards, the crowd, or the world right then. All he could feel was her. Her heartbeat pounding against his chest, her tears burning through his calm façade, her warmth seeping through every layer of armor he had built around himself.
He didn't move, didn't speak. His hands finally, slowly, found their place, one on her back, one gently resting on her head. And for the first time in days, he breathed.
Within that perfect formation of guards, under the setting sun and the curious eyes of strangers, Kai Arden, the man the world saw as untouchable, was standing there with the one person who had shattered and completed him all at once.
And nothing, no fame, no guards, no chaos could outshine that moment. Kai froze.
For a split second, time didn't exist, just the sound of her sobs against his chest, her trembling hands clutching the back of his neck, her body pressing into him like she was afraid he'd disappear again if she let go.
Her scent hit him first, faint coffee and jasmine, blurred with the salt of her tears. His chest ached so violently that it almost hurt to breathe. His arms, hesitant at first, slowly rose and wrapped around her. The moment he did, she broke completely. Her cries deepened, raw and desperate, her shoulders shaking as if years of held-back pain were finally finding their way out.
Kai's heart pounded like thunder against his ribs. He could feel it every sob, every tear burning into his skin. His jaw clenched, his throat tight, words trapped somewhere between disbelief and agony. Was this real? Was it really her? The same girl who vanished like smoke, leaving his world hollow? The same girl whose absence shattered him in ways he never admitted?
He closed his eyes, his hand tightening protectively around her waist as if to anchor her to reality. But before he could even whisper her name, her body went limp in his arms.
"Alina?" his voice cracked.
Her head tilted back, her arms slipping away from his shoulders, fingers brushing weakly against his hoodie before falling to her sides.
"Alina!" he called again, panic slicing through his chest. His mask, hanging loosely from one ear, fell away as he caught her, his arms instantly circling her one beneath her knees, one supporting her back, lifting her effortlessly before she hit the ground.
"ALINA!" His voice roared through the silence, raw and unrestrained.
The bodyguards, Ryan's men, moved instantly, their formation shifting in perfect sync. Five of them surrounded Kai in a tight half-circle, forming a living wall of black suits and stern faces. Their presence was sharp, disciplined, a contrast to Kai's trembling hands and breaking heart. The metallic glint of their earpieces flashed as one spoke into his mic, "Alpha secured. Medical on standby."
But Kai wasn't hearing any of it. He didn't care about security or secrecy, not now. His entire world was the fragile weight in his arms.
Her head rested against his shoulder, strands of her tangled hair brushing his jaw. Her face, the same face he once saw glowing under soft café lights, was pale and drained.
Dark circles shadowed her eyes; her lips were dry and cracked, a thin trace of blood marking the corner. Her skin burned with fever.
"Doctor! CALL THE DOCTOR NOW!" Kai's voice was sharp, almost feral, nothing like the calm, collected man the world knew as Kai Arden. He carried her inside, his steps fast, uneven, desperate. The guards didn't follow him inside; rather, they stood there near the main door.
Kai laid her carefully on the worn-out sofa, his hands trembling as he brushed the hair away from her face. Then, instinctively, he knelt, something he had never done before. Not for investors, not for awards, not even under the weight of fame. But now, for her, he didn't think twice.
He tilted her face toward the light, his eyes scanning every tear-streaked inch. "Alina…" he whispered, voice breaking. "What did you do to yourself?"
He rose quickly, scanning the room, and spotted a jug of water on the small dining table. He grabbed it and hurried back, kneeling again. His fingers trembled as he sprinkled the cool water onto her face.
"Alina?" he called softly, almost pleading. Her lashes fluttered. A faint sound escaped her lips, barely audible, but enough to make his heart stop.
Then, slowly, she opened her eyes. Her gaze met his dazed, unsteady, and for a fleeting moment, she thought she was dreaming. Because for days she had longed to hear that voice. To hear him say her name again.
She breathed weakly, tears forming once more. And in that single, broken whisper, every distance, every silence, every wound between them collapsed.