ISAAC'S POV
Warmth.
That was the first thing I registered.
Not the kind that came from blankets or sunlight—but the dangerous kind.
The kind that seeped into your bones and made your brain lag behind your body.
Something soft was pressed against my chest.
Breathing.
Alive.
I frowned slightly, my mind still fogged, and shifted—only to feel an arm tighten around me.
An arm.
Very real.
Very human.
My eyes snapped open.
Brown eyes stared back at me.
Too close.
Too awake.
Too familiar.
We blinked at each other at the exact same time.
For a full three seconds, neither of us moved.
Then—
"AAAAAAHHHHH!!!"
Augustina's scream pierced the room like a siren.
"What the—?!" I shouted back, instinctively jerking away.
She shoved me hard in the chest.
I yelped as I lost my balance, tumbling straight off the bed.
"ISAAC!" she screamed again.
I hit the floor with a loud thud.
"WHY ARE YOU IN MY BED?!"
I scrambled upright, ready to yell back—
And froze.
Very.
Slowly.
I looked down.
Skin.
Too much skin.
I looked up.
She was clutching the sheets to her chest, eyes wide, hair a wild mess, cheeks burning red.
Silence.
Then realization hit us both at the same time.
"Oh my God," she whispered.
"Oh my God," I echoed hoarsely.
We screamed again.
She pulled the blanket higher.
I grabbed the nearest pillow and slapped it over myself like my life depended on it.
"DON'T LOOK AT ME!" she yelled.
"I'M NOT LOOKING AT YOU!" I snapped, turning my head sharply away.
"WHY ARE WE NAKED?!"
"WHY ARE YOU ASKING ME?!" she shot back.
"THIS IS YOUR FAULT!"
"My fault?!" I scoffed. "YOU'RE THE ONE WHO DRINKS LIKE A—"
"DON'T YOU DARE FINISH THAT SENTENCE!"
I groaned, dragging a hand down my face. "Okay. Okay. Panic later. Think now."
She glared at me. "I am thinking. I'm thinking I might murder you."
"That's not helpful."
She threw a pillow at my head.
I dodged it narrowly.
"Do you remember anything?" I asked cautiously.
She hesitated.
"…Fragments."
I swallowed. "Define fragments."
She narrowed her eyes. "You singing."
I winced. "Oh no."
"And you saying," she added slowly, "'Augustina, you're too stubborn to be single.'"
I stared at the wall. "I absolutely did not say that."
She smirked despite herself. "You absolutely did."
I sighed. "Anything else?"
Her cheeks darkened. "…You challenging me to a drinking contest."
I groaned louder. "Why do I always challenge the most competitive women alive?"
She crossed her arms. "You lost."
"Of course I did."
Silence fell again.
Then she muttered, "…You also said you'd never let me fall."
I blinked.
"That doesn't sound like something I'd say," I admitted.
She looked away. "You said it anyway."
Something shifted between us—awkward, warm, dangerous.
I cleared my throat quickly. "Okay.
We establish boundaries. We forget this ever happened. We move on."
She nodded too fast. "Agreed."
Another pause.
"…You're still on my floor," she pointed out.
"Right. Sorry."
I stood carefully, still holding the pillow. "I'll—uh—find clothes."
She nodded. "Please."
As I turned, I muttered, "For the record, this never leaves this room."
She replied immediately, "If you breathe a word of it, I will bury you myself."
I smirked. "Fair."
And yet…
As I walked away, my heart was pounding far too hard for something I planned to forget.
KISS'S POV
Honeymooning with Adrian Goodwill was not peaceful.
It was adventurous.
"Why are you running?" he demanded behind me.
I laughed breathlessly, clutching my phone. "Because you hate pictures!"
"I do not hate pictures," he protested.
"You tried to confiscate my phone yesterday!"
"That was for security reasons."
I spun around, snapping another photo just as he caught up to me. "Smile, Mr. Goodwill."
He scowled.
Click.
Perfect.
"That one's going on our wall," I teased.
He wrapped an arm around my waist, pulling me close. "You're enjoying this far too much."
"I am," I said happily. "You're adorable when you're annoyed."
"I am not adorable."
"You absolutely are."
He leaned down, voice low. "Careful.
I might prove you wrong."
I laughed, pressing a quick kiss to his cheek. "You're impossible."
"And you married me anyway," he replied smugly.
We spent our days wandering cobblestone streets, tasting food I couldn't pronounce, laughing over little things. He pretended to hate every candid photo but secretly kept glancing at them when he thought I wasn't looking.
One evening, as we sat overlooking the sea, he took my hand.
"Do you regret it?" he asked quietly.
I frowned. "Regret what?"
"Choosing this life," he said.
"Choosing me."
I turned to face him fully. "Adrian… I've never been more sure of anything."
His thumb brushed over my knuckles. "Good. Because I don't know how to exist without you anymore."
My heart swelled. "Then don't try."
He smiled—soft, unguarded.
"I won't."
ADRIAN'S POV
She changed everything.
Not loudly. Not forcefully.
Just… completely.
Watching her laugh, seeing the way she soaked in life, reminded me that power wasn't just about control. It was about protection. About building something that lasted.
One night, as she slept curled against me, I realized something terrifying.
I had peace.
And peace made me dangerous in a different way.
KISS'S POV
The weeks passed like a dream.
Too fast.
Too perfect.
Then one morning, as we packed, I stood in front of the mirror, staring at my reflection.
Mrs. Goodwill.
Madam of the Goodwill Empire.
Adrian came up behind me, resting his chin on my shoulder. "Ready to go home?"
I nodded slowly. "I think so."
He met my eyes in the mirror.
"Whatever waits for us… we face it together."
I turned in his arms. "Together."
We kissed—gentle, certain.
As the jet lifted into the sky, I looked out the window, heart steady.
Our honeymoon had ended.
But our real story—
As Mr. and Mrs. Goodwill—
Was only just beginning.
And whatever reality had waiting for us in City V…
We would fight it.
Together.