The morning on the island began like any other—quiet waves, soft winds, and the distant laughter of children heading to Fiona's kindergarten classroom. But Fiona felt… off. A strange heaviness pressed behind her eyes. Her palms were cold, and her steps felt unsteady.
Still, she forced a smile as the children ran to greet her.
"Teacher Fiona! Look! I drew a flower!"
She knelt down, praising their drawings, her voice gentle but slightly shaky. Liam watched her from the door again—he always did—but today, his brows furrowed. Something was wrong. Her skin was pale, almost translucent.
"Fiona," he said quietly, stepping forward, "did you eat anything this morning?"
"I'm fine," she insisted, though her voice lacked strength. "Just a little tired—"
Her words cut off.
The world tilted.
Her vision blurred into streaks of light.
"Fiona?" a child gasped.
Then everything went black.
She collapsed, hitting the floor with a soft yet terrifying thud.
Liam lunged forward instantly, catching her before her head struck the tiles. The children began to cry, fear filling the small classroom.
"Out. All of you—go to Teacher Mira," Liam commanded, voice shaking but firm.
He lifted Fiona into his arms, her body limp against him. His heart hammered violently, a mixture of fear and fury swirling inside him.
He had just regained her.He couldn't lose her.
Not again.
He carried her outside toward the clinic, his jaw clenched, every vein in his neck standing out.
"Why now?" he muttered under his breath. "What happened to you, Fiona…?"
Her eyes remained closed, her breathing shallow.
Liam's steps grew faster.
She couldn't leave him—not like this.
At the Smith Mansion — A Family War
While Liam fought to keep Fiona conscious, the Smith mansion had turned into a battleground.
John stood beside the massive marble staircase, papers scattered across the floor. His eyes were bloodshot, his breath heavy. In his hand—divorce papers.
Grace stood opposite him, arms crossed tightly, tear tracks drying on her cheeks.
"Sign it, Grace," John said hoarsely. "This marriage… it's over."
"Over?" Grace snapped. "John, you think you can destroy everything and walk away just like that?"
"You lied to me about the baby!" he roared back, voice echoing through the silent hall. "You knew I couldn't be a father—you knew it! And you still made me believe—"
Grace broke.
Tears poured down her face.
"I didn't want to lose you, John. I was desperate. I thought if we had a child… maybe you would love me again."
He stared at her, stunned.
"I did love you," he whispered. "But lies killed everything."
Grace shook her head violently, stepping closer.
"John, please… let's fix this. We can still try. I can change—"
"You can't fix what's already broken," he said coldly.
The mansion doors slammed open.
Mrs. Smith walked in, her expression icy.
"Enough," she snapped. "Everyone in this house is losing their mind. John, if you want a divorce, do it. Grace, if you can't accept it, then leave."
"Mother!" John growled.
Grace's face turned pale. She clutched her chest as if stabbed.
"Is this what this family wants?" she whispered. "To throw me out like garbage?"
Mrs. Smith's silence was answer enough.
Grace let out a bitter laugh, tears falling rapidly.
"I hope this family pays for every pain you've caused."
She shoved past them, storming up the stairs.
John watched her go, his chest tight. He wasn't proud. He wasn't relieved.
He was breaking too.
Back on the Island
Liam paced outside the small clinic room, fists clenched so hard they shook. The doctor's voice filtered through the thin walls.
"She fainted due to extreme exhaustion… stress… lack of proper meals… and emotional strain."
Liam's heart sank.
He caused some of that stress.The families caused the rest.
But this—this was on all of them.
When the doctor finally let him in, Fiona lay on the small bed, her eyelashes trembling as she slowly woke. Liam rushed to her side, kneeling.
"Fiona," he whispered, brushing strands of hair from her forehead. "You scared me."
She blinked, eyes weak but soft.
"Liam… I'm okay."
"No, you're not," he snapped, his voice cracking. "You fainted in front of the children. How long have you been pushing yourself like this?"
She looked away.
Silence was her answer.
Liam swallowed hard, anger and fear mixing.
"You don't have to handle everything alone," he murmured, his thumb brushing her hand. "I'm here. Let me help you."
She didn't speak, but her fingers weakly curled around his.
Outside, rain began to fall, tapping softly against the roof.
Inside, Liam sat beside her bed, refusing to move, refusing to blink, refusing to leave her even for a second.
Because now he knew—
Fiona was the one thing he could not survive losing.