Chapter 265: I Met Our Maker

Marina dropped to her knees right in front of me, burying her face into her hands as heavy, uncontrollable sobs wracked her entire body.

I set Sarah gently into Brad’s waiting arms and dropped onto my knees directly in front of her, wrapping my arms tightly around her trembling frame as my own tears spilled over.

"It wasn’t your fault I took those suppressants from the black market, Marina," I sobbed into her neck, holding her as tightly as my smaller arms could manage. "I wanted to play hockey so badly... my whole life, all I wanted was to stand on that ice. You helped me. You achieved my dream for me when all odds were stacked against us, and you loved no one more than me. I know that, Marina. So I’m thanking you again... with this new body of mine."

That broke it. That cleared every last shred of doubt left in her heart. She knew Reid would never tell anyone my deepest, most dangerous secret—and yet here I was, using a stranger’s lips to speak the exact words her younger brother had whispered to her before.

Marina’s hands flew out from her face, locking around my shoulders with a desperate, crushing grip. She pulled me into her chest, burying her face into the curve of my neck, weeping with a raw, agonizing relief that shook her entire body.

"Kain..." she wept, her voice entirely shattered, all her tough Alpha walls crumbling into dust. "Oh God, Kain... my baby brother... you came back... you actually came back..."

"I’m here," I whispered back, wrapping my arms tightly around her waist, letting our shared tears soak into each other’s clothes. "I’m right here, Marina. I’m home."

Above us, Reid dropped down beside us, his broad arm wrapping firmly around both of our shoulders to hold us steady, while Brad held Sarah close, weeping tears of pure, quiet joy.

For the first time in a very long time, the suffocating shadows of death and grief completely lifted from the room, leaving only the warmth of a family finally made whole again.

After Marina finally calmed down, drying her tears on the sleeve of her jacket, she sat back on her heels and looked at me with her usual sharp, analytical eyes—though they were still red and swollen from crying.

​"Alright," she breathed, her voice thick but regaining its grounded authority. "Now tell me... how the hell did you come back? How is any of this possible?"

​It was a question no one had actually voiced yet. Reid and Brad looked at me too, waiting quietly for the answer.

​I let out a soft, faint laugh, looking down at my pale, unfamiliar hands. "I met our maker."

​"God?" Brad asked softly, his eyes widening.

​I thought back to the white room, the endless piles of paper, and that tired, caffeine-addicted writer slumped over a desk, mumbling about messed-up plotlines and broken deadlines. A gentle, wry smile touched my lips. "You could say that. They told me my ending was wrong... and they asked me to apologize to Reid on their behalf for making him, and everyone else, suffer so much with my tragic ending."

​Reid’s grip on my waist tightened slightly, his jaw clenching as a quiet, heavy silence settled over the room.

​"Since my original body had already decayed," I continued softly, tracing the silk fabric of my suit trousers, "They gave me this one. The real owner of this body was destined never to wake up from his coma again. I feel deeply sorry for the Samsons... so to repay them for letting me use their son’s body to come back to life, I’ve decided to be a good, dutiful son to them for the rest of my days."

​I cleared my throat, shifting my posture as I looked up at my sister. "Ahem... anyway, back to the main point."

​Marina’s masterful strategic brain was already whirring into gear. She crossed her arms, pacing the floor for a few brief seconds before her eyes lit up with that brilliant, calculating spark I knew so well.

​"We need a story," Marina said firmly. "A public narrative that makes your presence around Reid and Sarah look completely natural. The world knows Reid as a grieving, untouchable widower. If he suddenly announces he’s dating a young Samson heir out of nowhere, the media will tear you both apart, and neither family will buy it."

​"So what do you suggest?" Reid asked, leaning back against the bedframe with his arm still anchored around my lower back.

​"We make Kain the insistent loverboy," Marina declared with a sharp smirk. "To the outside world, Kain Samson fell head over heels in love with the tragic Alpha widower at first sight during the gala. You pursue him relentlessly. You show up at the McCoy estate at every possible opportunity, bringing gifts for Sarah, refusing to take ’no’ for an answer, until Reid’s frozen heart slowly begins to melt."

​Brad clapped his hands together, his face lighting up with pure delight. "Oh, that’s brilliant! I can create those opportunities! I’ll invite Kain over for tea, ask him to stay for lunch, and let him ’help’ me with Sarah while Reid is working. It gives Kain a completely legitimate reason to spend every single day with his daughter!"

​And so, the plan was set into motion.

​For an entire month, the grand play unfolded perfectly. To the rest of the world, the media, and the estate staff, young Kain Samson was a hopelessly smitten suitor, constantly arriving at the McCoy gates with flowers, baby toys, and bright smiles, shamelessly courting the quiet, distant Reid McCoy.

​But behind closed doors, away from prying eyes, the illusion shattered into pure, sweet reality. The moment the door locked, my hand would instantly find Reid’s, our fingers intertwining naturally. I would lean heavily into his chest, drinking in his frozen pine scent, while Reid held me tight against his heart, kissing the top of my hair as Sarah slept peacefully in our lap.

​After thirty days of this careful, deliberate dance, Reid finally chose a family dinner to break the news.

​Sitting at the grand dining table under the glowing chandelier, Reid set his fork down, cleared his throat, and looked directly at his mother and my former parents.

​"I have an announcement," Reid said, his voice steady and quiet. "I’ve decided... to give dating Kain Samson a chance."