**what awaits the future**

**Yang's POV**

I gingerly closed the file on the table, my fingers trembling slightly as I lifted my gaze. There he was—the person I had missed more than I could ever put into words. My savior. My brother.

"How are you, Yang? I've seen you've become a big deal." His voice carried that familiar warmth, but there was something else laced within it—something hesitant, something almost distant. He ran a hand through his hair, sighing before adding, "How is Mom?" His eyes, however, were fixed on the floor.

I swallowed the lump forming in my throat and forced a small smile. "I—I'm good, brother. Mom is doing well, too. It's been a long time… since I last heard from you." My voice faltered at the end. I stood up instinctively, a sign of respect. He was my older brother, after all.

He took a sip from his coffee and let out a contented sigh. "Just like I love it, Yang. You've never forgotten my taste."

A genuine smile tugged at my lips. "How could I? You are, and will always be, my brother. Forgetting what you like best? Impossible."

But then, his smile wavered. He turned away slightly, his fingers clenching into a tight fist. That movement—it was subtle, but I knew it well. It meant something was wrong. Something was weighing him down.

I stepped closer, my gaze locked onto his clenched hands. "What is it, brother? Did something happen?"

He inhaled sharply, his eyes flickering toward the portrait hanging in the corner of the room. "Do you remember that night, Yang? The night I found you in the basement, covered in your own blood?"

His words struck me like a thunderbolt, and my breath hitched. My chest tightened—not from anger, but from the sheer weight of the memory.

"You were ten," he continued, voice lower now, "and I was barely thirteen. You were lying there, your forest-green eyes dull with pain, and the moment you hissed in agony, I made up my mind. I wasn't going to let you die. You were too precious… too little to waste away."

I swallowed hard, my hands instinctively reaching for his. "Yes, brother. I remember. It was complicated… I was severely injured, at the very brink of death. And you—you saved me. I owe my life to you." My voice was thick with emotion. "You saved me from those monsters."

He exhaled shakily, nodding. But then, his expression darkened. "Frankly speaking, Yang… I'm a broken man right now."

His face grew taut, and I noticed how his knuckles turned white as he clenched his hands even tighter.

"I need to ask you for a favor." His voice was quieter now, but the weight of his words pressed down on me like a heavy storm.

Favor.

When have I ever denied him anything?

I sat back down, watching him with concern. "Brother, when have I ever refused you? Whatever it is, say it. I'll do it."

He hesitated. "It's not that simple. It's… it's hard to ask you this."

I heaved a sigh, adjusting my glasses. "Brother, you know I would do anything for you. You mean more to me than my own life."

Silence stretched between us before he finally spoke, his voice breaking. "I want my wife and my child back, Yang."

The words were like ice in my veins. A shudder ran through me as I processed what he had just said.

His wife?

His child?

"What… what do you mean?" I asked, my voice barely above a whisper.

He hesitated before continuing. "You see… Kath was my girlfriend first. Before she became your fiancée. We were together for four years. But I neglected her. She warned me—pleaded with me—to pay attention to her, or I would regret it. I didn't listen."

He exhaled deeply, his face pale. "She left. She ran away from Bainbridge to Korea. I searched for her everywhere… And then I found out she had my child." He let out a bitter chuckle. "Yang, you know how much I've wanted a child."

My blood ran cold.

Dragons pov

A devilish smirk tugged at my lips, but I forced a tear to roll down my cheek. A part of me—the part that loved her—sent a strange, burning sensation through my chest. A feeling I hadn't felt in years.

He noticed my reaction, his face draining of all color. His gaze dropped to the pearl-like tear trailing down my face, my messy hair… and then back to my trembling hands.

"Kath… Kath's your girlfriend?" his voice cracked. "And Asher… is your child?"

He looked horrified, terrified even.

I turned away, my shoulders shaking as another tear slipped down. Was it really an act? Or was it something more?

"Yes, Yang." my voice was barely audible now. "Kath is my girlfriend. And Asher is my child."

I inhaled sharply before stepping closer, gripping his shoulders. "You said you would do anything for me, brother. Does that still stand?"

His lips trembled, his eyes searching mine. "But Kath—"

"I understand, Yang. If you can't do this for me, then maybe our bond isn't as strong as I thought." I turned sharply on my heels, ready to leave.

"Stop!" His hoarse voice echoed through the room.

I halted, waiting.

"I… I can never separate a child from his father." His voice was thick with doubt. "And… I owe my life to you."

There it was.

He hesitated, then spoke again. "For our bond… for our past…" He trailed off, his breath ragged.

"I… can let go of her… for you."

A wicked satisfaction curled within me. Who needed her permission now?

I turned back, masking my glee with a solemn nod. "I won't forget this favor, Yang."

He sank into the chair, his eyes brimming with unshed tears, while I prowled away, victorious.

---

**Araya's POV**

A small, sad smile graced my lips as I made my decision. I wouldn't waver. Not because of his threats. Not because of his power.

I placed a sleeping Asher in her crib, pressing a soft kiss to her tiny forehead.

Then, I reached for my phone. If Yang and I were to have a future, he needed to know the truth. Everything.

As I unlocked my screen, a message popped up.

'Meet me at the café down the street. I want to tell you something.'

A smile spread across my face as I saw his pet name for

me—'Love.'

How ironic.

He wanted to tell me something?

Good.

Because I had something to tell him, too.

Wow, we really think alike!" I exclaimed loudly, my voice breaking the quiet of the room. The sudden outburst startled Asher, making her tiny body jerk up with a throaty cry.

I sighed, exhaustion settling deep in my bones as I reached out to soothe her. Her wails pierced through the stillness of the night, her tiny fists clenched tightly, her face scrunched in distress. Gently, I cradled her in my arms, whispering soft, soothing words as I rocked her. "Shh, sweetheart. Mama's here. I'm right here."

It took another thirty minutes of soft lullabies, whispered reassurances, and gentle pats on her back before she finally drifted back into the serenity of sleep. The weight of her tiny body against mine filled me with an indescribable warmth, a love so deep it ached.

A small, weary smile escaped me as I looked down at her peaceful face. "Huh... It's only been a day, and you've already become so clingy to me." My voice was barely above a whisper, but the words carried a tenderness I had never felt before.

No one had ever told me that being a mother would be easy, but they also never told me how utterly fulfilling it would be. The overwhelming joy of knowing that this tiny being depended on me, loved me unconditionally, and looked at me as if I was her entire world—it was more than I ever imagined.

"I'm thrilled to be your mother, Asher," I murmured, brushing a soft kiss against her forehead. "And I promise, I'll make things right for you."

Carefully, I adjusted her pink pajamas before tucking her securely into the stroller. My heart clenched. How I wished Ash was here. If she were, I wouldn't have to take Asher with me; he would have held her, doted on her, carried her the way only she could.

The thought made me sigh. But I pushed those emotions aside and focused on the task ahead.

Once Asher was comfortably settled in her stroller, I stepped out into the biting cold of a Korean winter. The air was crisp, the streets dusted with a thin layer of frost, the glow of streetlights casting elongated shadows on the pavement.

What did Yang want to tell me? My heart quickened at the thought. Was he finally going to bring up the trip to Paris? Would there be roses and lilies waiting for Asher and me, just like he'd always done? The mere thought of his pampering, his devotion, made my heart do a little merry dance.

Ash had fallen for him so crazily, and maybe after telling him the truth, I'd tell him that too—so he better be prepared for her intense affection.

And Asher... my little princess... she'd grown so much in just two weeks. She no longer cried in his arms. I would tell him that his daughter had grown, that he didn't have to fear her earth-shattering cries anymore.

A soft chuckle escaped my lips as I recalled the memory of him trying to change her diaper. The look on his face when she peed on him—utter horror mixed with helplessness. Eww. Asher had been a little mischievous, but he had done it anyway. I had laughed so hard that day, and though he had glared at me, I knew he secretly loved every second of it.

He had looked so charming in his black suit and tie, a striking contrast to Asher in her pink dress and tiny bow. They had looked like old-time buddies, a perfect pair. The sight had warmed my heart in ways I couldn't describe.

My thoughts ran wild, and with them, so did my smile.

Yes, we would go camping with our daughter. We would travel the world together, just like Ash, Mom, Dad, and I had always done. He would love visiting Africa, and I would be over the moon when I finally said the biggest words of my life: "I do."

Street after street, I walked, lost in my blissful thoughts, the rhythmic sound of the stroller wheels against the pavement grounding me.

"Just one more street, and we'll meet your father, Asher," I whispered, leaning down to place a soft kiss on her chubby cheek. "Aren't you excited to see the best father in the world? My husband. The most handsome billionaire in Korea."

She responded with a soft, contented sigh in her sleep, her tiny lips parting slightly. My heart swelled.

But then... reality crashed down on me. My steps faltered, the weight of an impending storm settling over me.

Oh my goodness.

I wished we would never arrive.

How would he take the news? Would he accept it, or would it shatter everything we had built?

This truth... this truth would be a bombshell.

The thought lingered, the uncertainty gnawing at me, but I forced myself forward. Because no matter how much I feared his reaction, the truth could no longer be buried.