Chapter 7

• "Kaivan Maximilian, finally tonight I have a worthy opponent."
• Edward immediately greeted the arrival of Kenzi Maximilian's sibling as he stepped into the Picadelli Shooting Arena. Everyone knew that among the four of them, only Kaivan and Edward possessed impressive skills in handling firearms.
• Since childhood, Kaivan had a strong interest in all adrenaline-pumping sports. Especially now, he often dealt with big mafia figures. This forced him to always dedicate time to sharpen his skills and instincts in defeating enemies.
• On the other hand, Edward was the only man who could match Kaivan's expertise in shooting, horseback riding, and archery. The two of them sometimes lost track of time when engaged in a game together. To the point that Richard always referred to them as if they were blood siblings due to their compatibility.
• "I did come to defeat you as usual," Kaivan confidently stated.
• Edward chuckled. "Don't get too confident just yet," he retorted. "Tonight, I'll be the one to win."
• Kaivan smiled dismissively. So far, he had never been defeated. "Let's prove it later then."
• Kaivan headed straight for the weapons storage room, choosing which type of pistol he would use tonight to defeat Edward and the others. Meanwhile, Kenzi, who had already been playing, positioned herself comfortably while observing closely.
• "Kai, did you come alone?" Kenzi asked when Kaivan began loading bullets into the pistol in his hand.
• "No..." he shook his head. His eyes were still focused on arranging the bullets in front of him. "I came with Anne."
• Kenzi frowned. "Then where is that woman?"
• Kaivan shrugged indifferently. He was really not interested in discussing a woman named Anna Maria. "Who knows? Before entering the arena, she said she wanted to buy ice cream first at the café outside."
• After saying this, almost as if it was meant to be, Anne approached, licking the ice cream she was holding. The woman looked relaxed and immediately sat down in one of the waiting chairs provided for spectators.
• While the others were busy playing, Kenzi decided to walk over to Anne. She took a seat across from the woman and poked her drink.
• "Thank you," Anne said politely while nodding.
• Kenzi smiled, her brown eyes scanning Anne's appearance from head to toe. She tried to figure out what kind of person this woman was. She concluded with confidence that the woman who claimed to be impregnated by her brother was not just anyone.
• "I apologize in advance if I'm being bold, but if I may ask, before you and Kaivan had a one night stand a while back, did you know each other?"
• Anne turned to her, her expression calm. The beautiful woman with ash brown hair smiled and replied, "No... we didn't know each other before."
• Kenzi's brow furrowed. "And, are you just willingly giving your body to an unfamiliar man?" she pressed. Actually, it wasn't taboo these days for a woman to give her virginity freely to a man she had just met.
• "Could you refuse when you yourself were drunk?"
• Kenzi shook her head. "Ah, yes. Of course, I would just give in."
• Anne nodded. "That's how I felt too. My intention when I came to the nightclub that night was to have fun. Until one of Kaivan's friends invited us to join their table. After that, I don't really remember what happened. All I know is, when I woke up, we were in the same bed without any clothes."
• "Then who took the pictures of the two of you?" Kenzi asked, puzzled.
• As far as Kenzi could recall, the first time she met Anne, the woman showed her some pictures of her and Kaivan lying in bed together. Anne also had evidence from the hotel's CCTV recording showing them stumbling together towards a room.
• "I took the photos some time before I decided to leave Kaivan," Anne explained.
• Kenzi raised an eyebrow. "For what purpose?"
• "To ensure that your brother wouldn't run away from responsibility if something happened to me later on. To be honest, I initially thought this was just a typical one night stand. Have fun and when both parties are satisfied, you're free to decide whether to continue the relationship or not," Anne explained. "But I realized that we both did it without protection. That's why I took the photos as evidence that we had an intimate night together."
• Kenzi finally understood why Anne had prepared all of this. If she were in Anne's shoes, she might have done the same thing.
• "That's why the other day you suddenly came looking for Kaivan and asked him to take responsibility?"
• Anne nodded. "Honestly, I never expected it to end up like this, with me being pregnant. I'm still young, and my career is going well."
• "Is this purely about asking for responsibility? No other motive?" Kenzi inquired cautiously. She was concerned that Anne might have other intentions behind all of this. After all, no one truly knew what was in the woman's heart.
• As a mature and handsome man, Kenzi realized that many women attempted to get close to her brother. Some genuinely loved him, while others had ulterior motives. That's why their parents always emphasized that their children should restrain themselves from engaging in relationships that could potentially tarnish their reputation.
• "Clarify it," Anne replied. "You mean, am I doing all of this for money, right?"
• Kenzi didn't answer. Instead, in the next moment, Anne pulled out her wallet from her bag. She opened it and displayed a row of neatly arranged cards.
• "These are my business cards," she pointed.
• "You're a model?" Kenzi confirmed. On the business card Anne had just shown, the name of a well-known modeling agency was written.
• "Yes..." Anne nodded. "I work as a model for a renowned fashion brand." She then took out another card to show. "These are my credit and debit cards. You can check the limits and balances on them. I'm not trying to boast, but I'm financially well off."
• Kenzi sighed softly. She felt guilty for having entertained wrong thoughts. But it was understandable why she had been worried. After all, Kaivan was different from the others. There were many people who wanted to bring him down, especially considering his recent interactions with the mafia.
• "So, your goal is simply to ask for accountability from my brother?"
• Anne nodded again. "I just need legal recognition that my child has a father."
• Kenzi pondered for a while. After finishing her thoughts, she rejoined the others. And when the game ended, in the changing room before they all left, Kenzi approached Kaivan for a conversation.
• "It seems you should consider marrying Anne soon, Kai."
• Kaivan, in the midst of changing his clothes, turned to her. "That will never happen until I'm certain that she's truly carrying my child."
• "Does that mean you'll let it go without clarifying her status until the baby is born in a few months?"
• Kaivan nodded confidently. He thought it was easy to marry a woman who might not even be carrying his child.
• "If that woman is truly pregnant, only a DNA test can prove if the child is mine or not, Ken."
• "Why not just marry her temporarily? At least give the woman some clarity until she gives birth. If in the end, after the baby is born, it's proven not to be your child, you're free to divorce her —"
• "And let the media mock me?" Kaivan quickly interjected. "They would be thrilled to write a story about Kaivan Maximilian, who got married just a few months ago and suddenly decides to divorce."
• Edward, who had been listening, grew frustrated and finally spoke up. "It's better to have a story about divorce. You can provide a broad media excuse, saying there was no compatibility or a dispute. It's better than being criticized for not taking responsibility for a woman you clearly impregnated. Remember, Kai, Anne has strong evidence that you slept together. If she wants to, she can reveal all these secrets to the media at any time. No one can predict your future circumstances. Don't forget about your parents either." Edward continued to advise. "Make sure they don't hear about this from someone else, which would put you in an even more difficult position."
• Kaivan fell into thought. Edward's words had made an impact and made him consider all angles. Indeed, there was no guarantee that Anne's pregnancy secret would remain hidden until she gave birth. No one could predict what their future held. Would things remain fine, or would they take a turn for the worse? Kaivan had to anticipate all the possibilities that could unfold.
• "Think it through, Kai," Kenzi spoke up again. "What Edward said has some truth. This is all about your reputation. So, think carefully."
• Kaivan just nodded. Without saying a word, he chose to leave the changing room in a relaxed manner. He approached Anne and led her back to the hotel.
• ****
• Kaivan woke up. Glancing at the clock on the nightstand, it showed three in the morning. His hearing caught loud sounds coming from the direction of the door. It could only be Anne knocking and shouting his name repeatedly.
• "Kaivan, please open the door!"
• Indifferent, from his bed, he responded. "What do you want, telling me to open the door?" His voice was clear. "You'd better return to your room. It's raining outside, and this isn't the right moment to get cozy."
• Outside, there was indeed heavy rain. Not only that, the sound of thunder also echoed a few times, piercing his ears. Despite the hotel room being soundproof, the booming sound managed to reach inside.
• "I beg you, open the door," Anne pleaded. She kept repeating her request.
• "Anne..." Kaivan's voice grew sterner. "I'm really tired."
• "Kai, I beg you..." Anne continued to plead.
• "I won't open it!"
• Kaivan grabbed a pillow and covered his head tightly. He did it on purpose to avoid being disturbed by Anne's noise or the thunder outside.
• He let it be, and eventually, the sound of Anne's voice faded away. Perhaps she had returned to her room. To make sure, Kaivan got up and walked towards the door. Slowly, he unlocked it and turned the handle.
• He was startled. His eyes caught Anne sitting by the door, her knees drawn up to her chest as she sobbed quietly. Her hands covered her ears tightly.
• "Hey, what's wrong?" Kaivan sat down next to Anne, baffled. "Why—"
• Kaivan didn't finish his question. As Anne looked up, she immediately threw herself into his arms.
• "I'm scared," she whispered. "Please, don't leave me alone."
• Kaivan was clearly taken aback by Anne's unusual behavior. But strangely, instead of trying to let go, he held her tightly in return. "What are you afraid of?"
• "I'm afraid of thunderstorms like this." Tears continued to stream down her smooth cheeks. Meanwhile, Kaivan, who suddenly felt sympathetic, loosened his embrace. He lifted Anne and gently laid her down on his bed.
• "Don't leave me." Anne pulled Kaivan's wrist as he was about to stand up, forcing him to remain seated and not go anywhere.
• "I just wanted to get you something to drink."
• Anne shook her head immediately. "I don't need a drink. I just need you to stay here with me. I'm really scared."
• Rather than being touched, Kaivan smirked mockingly. "What a strange woman. Back at the shooting arena, you were perfectly fine with the sound of explosions and gunshots from firearms. Why do you turn pale just hearing thunder?"
• Anne took a deep breath, trying to dispel the fear still lingering in her heart. Somehow, she felt like sharing her story with Kaivan.
• "A few years ago, my mother and I got caught in a thunderstorm like this. While driving through a rural road, our car was accidentally buried under a fallen tree due to the wind. My mother was severely injured and passed away. As for me, I suffered a broken leg because of the incident. That's why I'm so traumatized by heavy rain accompanied by wind like this."
• Kaivan finally understood what had frightened her. Suddenly, he felt guilty for leaving her screaming repeatedly earlier while she was in such a terrified state.
• "I'm sorry. Really, I had no idea you had such a deep trauma." He spoke sincerely.
• "It's okay," Anne mumbled softly.
• "Well, then, try to rest. For tonight, I'll allow you to sleep in my bed." Kaivan helped pull the covers. He, who usually had a brusque manner, was showing a gentler side. He didn't even move an inch from the bed until Anne was sound asleep.