Chapter 44: Shattered Truth
The apartment was quiet, the calm after the storm of emotions from the previous night. Kai sat on the armrest of the sofa, scrolling absentmindedly through his phone. Leo, sprawled out on the couch, seemed lost in thought. The silence was companionable, though heavy with unspoken words.
Then Kai's phone buzzed. He glanced at the screen, his brows knitting together as he opened the email. His posture stiffened, the light from the screen illuminating his face as a series of images loaded.
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A Harrowing Discovery
Leo noticed the change in Kai's demeanor immediately. "What's wrong?" he asked, sitting up.
Kai didn't respond right away. His eyes were locked on the screen, his jaw tightening as he scrolled through photo after photo. Images of Lin. Her smiling face, her moments of joy—and then the stark contrast of her bound and lifeless form, her once-bright eyes now closed forever.
"What the hell is that?" Leo's voice cracked as he stood, grabbing the phone from Kai's hand before he could react.
Leo's eyes widened in disbelief as he stared at the screen. The world around him seemed to tilt as he pieced together the horrifying truth. "This... this can't be..." His voice faltered. "She didn't... she didn't kill herself. This... this was murder."
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A Painful Realization
The weight of the revelation hit him like a freight train. His knees buckled, and he sank onto the floor, the phone slipping from his grasp. "She loved me," he murmured, his voice barely audible. "She loved me so much, and I... I couldn't save her."
Tears streamed down his face, unchecked and unrelenting. His hands trembled as he covered his face, his shoulders shaking with the force of his sobs.
Kai was at his side in an instant, kneeling beside him. He placed a tentative hand on Leo's back, his voice soft. "Leo..."
Leo didn't respond, his grief consuming him. He rocked slightly, his words spilling out in a broken whisper. "She was everything to me. And I failed her. I... I didn't even know."
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A Moment of Comfort
Kai pulled him into an embrace, his arms strong yet gentle as they encircled Leo. "You didn't fail her," Kai said firmly. "Don't do that to yourself."
Leo clung to Kai, his fingers gripping the fabric of his shirt as if it were the only thing keeping him grounded. "I should have known. I should have protected her," he choked out.
Kai tightened his hold, his voice steady and unwavering. "She didn't want you to carry this burden. She wanted you to live, to be happy. That's why she asked me to watch over you."
Leo looked up at him, his tear-streaked face filled with anguish. "She trusted you... and you didn't tell me?"
Kai met his gaze, his own eyes filled with regret. "She made me promise. She wanted you to have a chance at a life free from all of this."
Leo's breath hitched, and he buried his face in Kai's shoulder. The two men sat there, the silence filled with the weight of unspoken words and shared pain.
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A Bond Strengthened
As the tears began to slow, Leo pulled back slightly, his hands still clutching Kai's arms. "Thank you," he whispered, his voice raw.
"For what?" Kai asked gently.
"For being here. For... for everything."
Kai cupped Leo's face in his hands, his touch tender. "You're not alone in this, Leo. I'm here. And I'm not going anywhere."
The vulnerability in Kai's voice struck a chord in Leo, and he nodded, his hand resting over Kai's. "I know."
The connection between them deepened in that moment, an unspoken understanding passing between them. It wasn't just about protection or loyalty anymore—it was about trust, about finding solace in one another amidst the chaos.