S2 Chapter 46 : Proposal

The Ace And the Four kings

Xyrine Jean's POV

"Baby, Hold on tight, alright? Everything will be fine soon."

I gently rubbed my stomach, which ached from the unbearable cold. I then ran my palms over my arms, trying to generate some warmth, but I was already shivering from the relentless downpour.

"Will they ever come back for me?" I murmured with a trembling voice, attempting to joke but failing miserably. "Will your daddy come to save us, my love?" A bitter smile crossed my lips.

I kept my head down as exhaustion weighed on me. My eyelids grew heavier, my vision blurred, and no matter how much I fought to stay awake, my body was failing me.

Just as I was about to succumb to the darkness, I caught a glimpse of several men emerging from the shore.

"Baby, your daddy is here," I whispered weakly, forcing a smile despite the dizziness consuming me.

"Xyrine! Xyrine!"

A familiar voice echoed through the rain, jolting my senses.

Xyrine? Did he finally remember me?

I lifted my gaze, straining to recognize the figure rushing toward me. But as my vision cleared, my shoulders slumped in disappointment.

It wasn't him.

"Lour—" was all I managed to say before everything went black.

AFTER A DAY

"Spade!!!"

I gasped and bolted upright, my heart pounding from the vivid dream.

"Xyrine..."

I turned toward the voice calling my name. As I took in the sight of the people surrounding me, a faint smile formed on my lips. They had been watching over me.

I let my eyes wander around the room, searching for him. But disappointment struck again.

He was gone.

He and Monique were nowhere to be found.

"Louren, where is Spade?" I asked, even though I already feared the answer.

Louren hesitated before turning to the others. "Can you guys give us a moment?" he requested.

Once Ren, Ten, and Ella left, he turned back to me. "Are you feeling better?"

"Where is he?" I repeated, ignoring his question.

He exhaled before answering, "He and Monique left yesterday. They went back to the city."

A wave of sadness crashed over me, and I let out a bitter chuckle despite the tears welling in my eyes.

I should've known better. I should never have let myself get carried away by the happiness and attention he had given me in the past few days. He wasn't even fully aware of who I was.

How foolish can you be, Xyrine?

A single tear slipped down my cheek before I could stop it.

"I think he already remembers you."

My eyes snapped to Louren in shock. "What do you mean?" A spark of hope ignited in my chest.

"Yesterday, he called you by your real name… out of sheer anger."

My heart pounded wildly against my ribs. "Are you sure, Louren?"

He averted his gaze for a second before sighing. "Don't get your hopes up too much. He hasn't regained all of his memories yet. It might have just been a momentary trigger caused by his emotions—his frustration and worry for you."

"Then why did he leave so soon?"

Louren met my gaze again. "After realizing what he had said, he froze—like even he couldn't believe it. And then, out of nowhere, a splitting headache hit him. He was in so much pain that we had no choice but to send him and Monique back to the city immediately."

"Do you think he's starting to remember me, Louren?"

"It's possible… but it's hard to say for sure."

A newfound hope surged within me.

So all he needs is to see or experience something that reminds him of our past… and maybe his memories will start coming back?

I was deep in thought when my phone suddenly rang. I quickly grabbed it, and my breath hitched the moment I saw the caller ID.

Spade.

My hands trembled as I reached to answer, but something else caught my attention. The number—

It was from his old phone, the one he used before the accident, the same one I had asked Butler Ma to keep safe.

Why is he using it now?

Anxiously, I answered the call.

"Hello, Spade." I could barely breathe as I spoke his name.

Silence.

Then, the call abruptly ended.

Before I could redial, a message notification popped up.

1 New MessageFrom: King SpadeMeet me tomorrow night at Blue Moon Park. It's Spade.

My heart thundered in my chest.

"Blue Moon Park?"

That was the place where he proposed to me six months ago.

Tears streamed down my face as the realization struck me.

"Xyrine, what's wrong?"

Louren's voice snapped me out of my daze, but instead of answering, I lunged forward and hugged him tightly.

"Louren, I think Spade really remembers me!" I sobbed against his shoulder. "He just texted me, asking to meet at Blue Moon Park tomorrow night. That's where he proposed! And he wouldn't joke about something like this, not if he was still in the city!"

Louren smiled and squeezed my hand. "I'm happy for you, Xyrine."

I let out a soft laugh through my tears, gently placing my hand over my stomach.

"Baby, From now on, everything will be okay."

SPADE'S POV

Welcome back, Young Master Spade.

The maids and butlers of the Sy family greeted me in unison as I stepped inside the mansion.

After my accident and head injury, this was the first time I had returned to the Sy estate.

"I'm truly happy, Young Master, that you are finally reunited with the woman you love the most," Butler Ma said with a warm smile as we sat in the living room.

The woman I love the most?

I let out a deep sigh. "Mr. Ma, is it possible for feelings to completely disappear for the woman you once loved… and instead be redirected toward the woman you once despised?" I asked, my gaze distant.

"What do you mean, Young Master?"

"I don't know… but ever since my head injury, I feel like everything has changed." I exhaled sharply. "Xyrine—she no longer feels like the woman I once loved. No matter how much I look at her, how hard I try to see her as I did before, I can't seem to feel the same way I used to."

I glanced at Butler Ma just as a small smile appeared on his face.

"Forgive me, Young Master, but no matter how I try to make sense of what you're saying, I find it difficult to believe."

"What do you mean?"

"How can I believe that you've stopped loving Miss Xyrine when she was the first woman you ever cared for? The first woman you ever brought to this mansion? The first woman you stood by and defended against your own father?" he said with quiet sincerity.

I let out a bitter chuckle. I wanted to tell him that this was exactly why I was confused. Because all those things… I no longer felt them for the woman I once loved.

Instead, I felt them for the woman I once hated.

Monique.

I ran a hand through my hair, frustration building inside me.

"If you seek clarity, Young Master, the answers are all in your room," Butler Ma added.

My room?

Without wasting another second, I stood up and rushed upstairs. The moment I stepped into my room, I scanned my surroundings, but there was nothing—nothing that could provide me with the answers Mr. Ma spoke of.

Shoulders heavy with disappointment, I walked toward my bed… until something caught my eye.

A portrait.

I stared at it, studying every detail. The woman in the picture stood straight, smiling directly at the camera. A strange feeling churned inside me. I turned my head, searching the room. Something inside me whispered that this wasn't the only one.

My heart pounded faster as I spotted another portrait—this time, a candid shot of her eating in the cafeteria, her cheeks stuffed with food. Another one showed her from behind, unaware that the camera had captured her.

My mind spiraled into chaos.

I remembered these portraits. I remembered taking them in secret.

But the problem was…

I took these pictures of Xyrine.

So why—why the hell was it Monique's face in every single one of them?!

My breathing turned ragged as my confusion grew unbearable. I paced back and forth, desperately trying to make sense of everything.

Then, it hit me.

My journal.

Yes, my black journal!

I dashed to my drawer, yanking it open. The moment I flipped it open, a photograph slipped out and landed on the floor.

It was from the Ms. Montreal event.

I clenched my jaw as I picked it up.

Monique's face stared back at me.

I squeezed my eyes shut.

This isn't right.

It was Xyrine. It was always supposed to be Xyrine.

I shoved the photo into my pocket and quickly flipped through the pages of my journal, scanning the entries from the very beginning—back when I first met Xyrine.

DATE:I met an annoying girl.

DATE:She saved Louren from the racetrack. Pathetic.PS: My heart feels weird.

DATE:I saved her for the first time.She wore revealing clothes. IDK, but it annoyed me.

DATE:I told her to stay away from everyone. She's mine.I think I'm the pathetic one.

DATE:I lied about liking Sharina just to get closer to her.PS: I'm really pathetic. Bullshit.

DATE:She's acting weird today… but she's cute. lol.

DATE:I saw her with another team captain during the game.Jealous? No. Maybe. Ah, fuck.

DATE:I confessed while a bomb was ticking. That was sick.

DATE:She confessed out loud! HAHAHA! Cute.PS: I saved her audio recording on my phone.

DATE:Ahhhhhhhhh! We're together now!!!!

DATE:First date. I even made a plan.

DATE:I saved her from Edward. That stays a secret.

DATE:We broke up.Is it possible to die from heartache?I hope not, because this fucking hurts.

DATE:We kissed under the rain.

DATE:I now have chicken trauma. What the hell.

DATE:I bought her an entire farm. IDC.

DATE:She got kicked out because of me.

DATE:Dad arrived.

DATE:I defended her in front of everyone—especially my dad.

DATE:I proposed. She declined.

DATE:I left. I lied.Now, I don't know what happens next.I'm a fucking coward.

I could only let out a bitter smile as I reached the end of the journal.

It's astounding how much we've been through, Xyrine. And now, here we are again—being tested once more. No, that's wrong. The problem is mine alone.

I exhaled sharply.

I'm so confused, Xyrine. I can't make sense of anything anymore! My mind feels like a massive jigsaw puzzle with a missing piece.

Everything in these entries… every emotion I had written down…

They were all about you.

So why, in my memories, in these photographs, in every single thing around me—

Why was it Monique's face?

I was about to put the journal back when I noticed my old phone.

Why is this here?

Monique—no, Xyrine—told me it was lost when we were kidnapped. I picked it up and turned it on, shaking my head when I saw her face as my wallpaper.

I opened the gallery, and just as expected, it was filled with her pictures. I kept scrolling until one particular photo caught my attention, making my thoughts even more chaotic. It was a picture of us—smiling, wrapped in each other's arms. I remember this moment.

But why… why is she in the photo instead of Xyrine?

"Bullshit!"

I nearly threw the phone against the wall when I suddenly recalled the PS note in the journal.

She confessed out loud! HAHAHA! Cute.PS: I saved her audio recording on my phone.

I quickly opened the audio recorder, and since it was the only file saved, I found it instantly.

["At first, I never thought I'd like him. He acts as if he has every student in this school wrapped around his finger, like everything he wants, he gets. And worst of all, he's so self-centered that he doesn't care about anyone else. But that person… I don't know. I hate seeing him, yet I don't understand why my heart races every time I see him—especially when it's unexpected."]

As I listened to the voice, chills ran down my spine.

Why…?

I clenched my fists.

Damn it! Why is this Monique's voice?

I let the recording play.

["I know… No matter how many times I confess to him now, it won't matter. It's too late. He's already gone, and I'll never get the chance to say...

I like him."]

The moment the audio ended, tears slid down my cheeks.

Monique… Who are you, really? Why does everything in this room—every single memory I have of Xyrine—keep pointing back to you? Who are you to me? What do we really have between us?

I shook my head as a realization struck me.

But you know what's even funnier? It's not just the things around me that are pointing to you. Even my own heart agrees.

I ran a hand through my hair in frustration. I was about to drop the phone when my eyes landed on the messaging app.

I opened it and quickly scrolled through my inbox. The texts were all from Xyrine. But something was off.

Why is the number different from the one she's using now? When did she change it?

Without hesitation, I grabbed my new phone and sent her a message.

[To: Xyrine]—When did you change your number?

A few moments later, she replied.

[From: Xyrine]—What do you mean? I've never changed my number since I moved to Montreal.

I immediately threw my phone against the wall.

Then who the hell have I been talking to on my old phone?

Without wasting another second, I dialed the number. I needed to know.

"Hello, Spade…"

My heart pounded in my chest as I instantly hung up.

That voice—it was unmistakably Monique's.

Now it all made sense. That's why she said those words the other day.

["If that's the case… can you finally bring back your memories?"]

That's it!

I need to see Monique as soon as possible and get to the bottom of this.

No more doubts. No more running.

I typed out a message on my old phone and hit send.

[To: Xyrine]—Meet me tomorrow night at Blue Moon Park. It's Spade.

That's right. I'm going back to Balisi Island.

As I was about to leave my room, Butler Ma stepped inside.

"Young Master, there's a call for you from the Montreal mansion," he said, handing me the phone.

The moment I put it to my ear, I was met with the sound of a maid sobbing.

"Sir Spade, it's Ma'am Xyrine…"

A sudden wave of dread washed over me.

Even if everything around me—everything, even my heart—told me that what I saw and believed was wrong, I still felt a deep unease for the Xyrine my mind and eyes recognized.

I have to go to her.

Xyrine Jean's Pov

Blue Moon Park

"Good luck, Xyrine. Looks like this is really it," Ten said with a smile as I stepped out of the car.

"For the second time around, this is it. Maybe this time, if he proposes again, you could say yes?" Ren teased, laughing.

I turned to Louren, who was smiling at me, though I could see the pain hidden behind his eyes.

"I think... this is as far as I go," he said with a bittersweet smile.

I walked up to him and pulled him into a tight hug. "Thank you, Louren," I whispered, holding on to him.

"Wait, we want a hug too!" Ren and Ten chimed in unison.

I pulled away from Louren and hugged the two of them. "Thank you as well," I said, my voice trembling. "You've been with me through it all."

"Hey, no tears," Ten scolded playfully. "That's bad luck. Besides, you look absolutely stunning tonight. It would be a shame to ruin your makeup."

"Xyrine, it's time," Louren said.

I turned to look at them one last time, offering them a heartfelt smile. "Thank you, truly."

"Go on now," Louren said, averting his gaze. "He's waiting for you."

I wanted to say, I'm sorry, but I knew he didn't want to hear that from me. So instead, I smiled at them once more before finally walking away.

Just like before, the path ahead of me was shrouded in darkness. But with each step I took, the lights slowly flickered to life, guiding me toward the massive tree where Spade had once proposed.

Tears welled in my eyes when I finally saw him standing there, his back turned toward me. I had waited so long for this moment. I thought it would only ever exist in my dreams.

Spade, if you ask me to marry you again, I swear... I won't say no this time. I will say yes.

I took a deep breath, steadying myself before calling out to him.

"Spade."

He turned around, smiling, and my heart raced wildly in my chest as he slowly took a step toward me. But then, to my surprise, he suddenly dropped to his knees.

Wait... is he really proposing to me now?

His hands trembled as he reached for mine.

But... where's the ring?

Confusion flooded my mind when instead of pulling out a ring, he bowed his head and... started sobbing.

Wait, what's wrong? Why is he crying?

When he finally lifted his gaze, his eyes filled with unshed tears, my heartbeat pounded against my ribcage.

"Monique," he murmured, gripping my hands tightly.

I held my breath, waiting for his next words.

"Please..."

Please?

What does he mean?

"Please... let me go."