The next morning, the plan moved into motion.
After breakfast and another round of nervous glances between them, Rivan Jr. slipped out onto the back porch with the tablet and dialed the now-familiar number.
It didn't even ring twice before Rivan Elisar answered.
"Hey," he said breathlessly, as if he'd been waiting all morning.
"We're coming tomorrow evening," Rivan Jr. announced.
There was a pause on the other end.
"All of you?"
"Yeah," Sahir answered from behind the screen. "All of us."
"You might want to get a cake," Eliya added.
"A cake?" Rivan asked.
"A sorry cake," Rivan Jr. corrected with a grin. "Big. Frosting. Decorations."
"In our favorite colors," Eliya said. "Yours too."
"Just us," Sahir said. "No strangers. Just family."
Rivan went quiet. They could hear his breath catch on the line.
"You'll come?"
"We're already on our way," Rivan Jr. smiled. "You better not mess this up."
"I'll try not to," he whispered.
---
Evening crept in like nervous breath. Loira Darien wore a long beige coat over her soft peach blouse, hair curled softly at the ends. Keal Darien dressed in dark jeans and a buttoned-up navy shirt. Neither one had said much since the morning.
"Are you sure this is the right address?" Keal asked, standing in front of the tall gates, eyeing the grand structure ahead.
"Yes," Sahir said confidently. "That's it."
Loira adjusted her purse. "Where's the gift?"
"In my bag," Rivan Jr. said with a perfectly practiced innocent smile.
Eliya tried to keep her face neutral, but a small flicker of excitement danced in her eyes.
As the gates opened and they entered the villa, Loira paused in the foyer. "This place is…"
"New," Keal said quietly, stepping forward with his arm gently brushing hers.
The living room was dark, only soft evening shadows filling the space. "Where are the other guests?" Loira asked, eyes scanning the room.
"Mom," Sahir said, grinning. "You know how people come late."
Before she could reply, the lights burst to life.
And there it was.
A massive cake stood in the center of the room on a long table, surrounded by balloons in pastel peach, blue, and soft silver — the favorite colors of all five of them. Across the top of the cake, in delicate cursive piping, were the words:
> "I'm Sorry. Please Come Home."
And then Rivan Elisar stepped out from behind the curtain.
No suit, no mask of confidence.
Just a man in a soft grey sweater, sleeves pushed to his elbows, eyes wide and vulnerable.
Keal turned immediately to the kids.
"You were lying," he said, not angry — just stunned.
Rivan Jr. looked up. "We wanted to see you all together. Just once."
"You shouldn't have—" Loira began.
"You don't need to do things you don't understand," Keal added, his voice tightening.
"But we do understand," Eliya said. "We understand enough to see how you cry when he's not looking. How you whisper his name when you think we're asleep."
"You still love him," Sahir said quietly. "And we love you both. But we love him too."
"We just didn't want to keep pretending anymore," Rivan Jr. added. "We wanted you to be in the same room. Even if it was only for an hour."
There was silence.
Until Rivan stepped forward — not toward the kids, but toward Keal.
His hands shook as he reached for him, and without hesitation, he pulled Keal into a back hug, pressing his forehead to the base of his neck.
"I'm sorry," he whispered. "I want you. All of you. I can't live like this anymore. I can't breathe without you."
Keal stood frozen.
But then his fists clenched.
He turned.
"What did you think would happen, Rivan?" he snapped. "That a cake and a hug would erase ten years?"
"I wasn't trying to erase it—"
"You betrayed us!" Loira's voice rose now. "You looked us in the eyes and said we were enough, and the next week—what did you do? You took everything! You left us with dust!"
"I was trying to protect—"
"Protect?" Keal cut in, laughing bitterly. "You chose power. Not family."
"I chose us!" Rivan shouted, stepping back. "I thought if everything was under my name, we'd never be threatened. I thought if the company was mine, no one could break us."
"You broke us yourself," Loira whispered, her voice trembling now.
Rivan's breath shook. "I just wanted to keep you."
"You wanted control," Keal said.
"You didn't trust us," Loira added.
"I was scared!" Rivan's voice cracked. "I've always been scared. You both— You loved each other before me. I thought maybe one day you'd leave, go back to what you were, and I'd be the third wheel again. So I made myself… important. Indispensable."
Loira looked like she'd been slapped.
Keal was already shaking his head.
"You were never a third wheel, Rivan."
"You were our heart," Loira whispered. "All three of us made that family."
"I know now," Rivan said, voice quiet. "But it took losing everything to see it."
He turned to the kids, eyes wide. "You should go. To the car. Please."
Sahir hesitated. "But—"
"Now."
Something in his voice made them obey.
Eliya took Rivan Jr.'s hand. "Come on," she whispered.
But Sahir paused at the threshold, glancing back just in time to see Rivan stagger.
His knees buckled.
Then he collapsed.
"Rivan!" Loira gasped, her hand flying to her mouth.
Keal rushed forward, catching him before his head hit the floor. "He's burning—!"
"Rivan!" Loira knelt beside them, heart in her throat.
Sahir darted back in. "I'll call an ambulance!"
"No, no—Rivan, look at me. Look at me," Keal urged, cradling him.
Rivan's eyes fluttered open for a second, landing on Loira's face. "I was going to tell you…" he whispered. "I didn't want to ruin the night."
"You are the night, you idiot," Keal choked, tears blurring his eyes.
"Don't leave," Loira whispered, brushing back his hair.
"I never wanted to," Rivan murmured, then went still.
"Sahir, call them!" Keal barked.
Loira cupped his face. "Rivan… please…"
From the hallway, Eliya and Rivan Jr. stood frozen.
The cake still sat in the middle of the room, the words I'm Sorry flickering in the candlelight, untouched.
---