Unknown to everyone, the current Lagdameo heir had thought of all these things while he was in the hospital, doing his treatment. He had already decided what his fate would be, more so the fate of L'Empire.

"But I can't…" Xhemin felt like something was going on. For Darryl to give him L'Empire for nothing made her feel very anxious about such a huge sudden decision that she herself wasn't able to predict. What was the Lagdameo heir doing? What was he planning to do? His decision right then was making Xhemin scared that at the end of their conversation there's a sudden pit that she will fall helplessly.

​​

"Please do milady, this I asked of you," Darryl lightly begged but even Xhemin then knew there was nothing anyone could do to change his mind. He had already decided this on and that there was nothing left to do but for her to accept such a gift.

"Darryl, you can't give me L'Empire just for nothing. At least get something in exchange. Something that's worthy of L'Empire. I can trade shares with you or I can give you the money I once offered in exchange for your shares. Just please take something in return..." She was the one begging him right then. She can't make Darryl go broke. She can't leave him with nothing even when it was him who decided on it.

Darryl paused for a moment, carefully thinking Xhemin's offer. Then, he gets back at her with a wishful facade as if a child who had already found what gift he needed to ask Santa for christmas,"There is actually something I want. Something worthy of L'Empire…"

"I'll have it—" Xhemin was not able finish off her words because right then, Darryl had captured her mouth, sealing a kiss. Their body was separated by the table between them that Darryl had to go and bend to her side to go deep.

Xhemin let him, how could she ever refuse a kiss at this point when she nearly lost him. She swam into the warmth of his longing as his warm tongue explored her, trying to mark every corner of it. In his kiss was the promise of their love after the many years that had gone by and the million wishes and thoughts of him to be with her forevermore.

Xhemin closed her eyes, sucking him in and returning his kisses. His tender love and warmth had always been her weakness and there were many instances that her pride fell hard on just one of his single touches. She wanted to pull him closer and wanted to feel more of the warmth. She thought she would never ever be able to experience it again and she was very glad she was still able to. However, just when she felt some relief and when Darryl's kiss became more passionate, Xhemin felt something different with it. The Lagdameo heir had kissed her differently this time. His previous warm kisses had gone cold. There was still love and longing yet there were also regrets and bitterness. His mouth was watery and his tongue was a bit shaking, unsure and helpless as if he was crying deep inside.

Xhemin opened her eyes at the realization that Darryl's kiss meant something else. It was not a kiss not of longing and passion, it was a kiss of farewell. Did he come afterall to say his goodbyes?

Darryl too opened his eyes and immediately pulled his face away from her. He went back to looking at her fervently, with his love that had always been with him and with deep devotion to the woman in front of him, the only woman whom he had ever loved in his life.

"There I had what I wanted," he said as he reached for her lips and caressed it for a moment before he finally let her go. "You can have L'Empire now,"

Xhemin stood openly confused at Darryl's word and actions. Her heart even then was anxious and her nervousness aggravated. It felt like there was something that was to explode any moment then, something that would surely create a huge casualty.

When she was able to process her husband's current statement, he got his message clear and bright—he just traded off L'Empire for a kiss!

"Darryl!" Xhemin couldn't believe what he just did. "Darryl Lemmuel Lagdameo! You can't just sell off a company for just one goddamn kiss!"

Xhemin's expression was heavy and yet Darryl remained calm. In the moment when his wife was ready to fire away, she saw how his face turned serious and the ambiance of the room went with him. Darryl's stares turned cold and looking at it was like she was hearing jangles of tunes from her closed windows, making her heart sink and drown into the pit of indifference. There was something in Darryl right then that even her own heart could not anymore recognize.

"It wasn't just a kiss milady," Darryl's voice contained his bitterness with such a comment. "For me, it was never just a kiss. It was a kiss from the woman I so desperately wanted but could never ever have,"

"Darryl, all these are very unreasonable. I cannot even under—"

"Do not ever underestimate the things I could do for love," Darryl cut her off completely. "I once made a bridge so I could follow you. Now, I am giving L'Empire so I can kiss you, for one last time…"

His last statement made Xhemin's heart sink. What does he mean when he said this will be the last? Darryl looked down at Xhemin's table and so she followed his gaze only to realize there was another envelope laying in there. Darryl pushed it in front of her again as he gave her another bitter smile.

"These are divorce papers milady," Darryl's voice bore no hurt, but it was full of regrets. "I had signed them already. This will be the last time I will come here as your husband,"