The clock ticked as every second passed in the tension filled room. Serious expressions were worn by every single man and woman in there as they all looked to the power head at the end of the table. His brows were furrowed in thought as he looked at the document in his hands.

With every flick of a page, they grew more and more anxious.

He was like a bear with a thorn in its paw. They'd all thought him a monster before, but in the last month, the man had been a complete Grinch. They feared him even more now since any small thing set him off.

They all gulped nervously as he reached the last page of the file. He set it down slowly, almost as though to torture their already apprehensive minds. In one swift move, he leaned back in his chair before raising his eyes to look at all of them. None of them dared to look him in the eyes as the cerulean orbs scanned the room.

"You're dismissed," he said curtly.

Like ants that had been interrupted from their hunt for food by a sudden invasion, they all scrambled, trying to reach the door first. They couldn't wait to be out of the room as it was.

Emery sighed as she watched them all leave. When her boss wasn't coming out, she went into the boardroom to find him on his iPad. His face was in the scowl he seemed to be accustomed to as of late.

"That was not nice," she admonished.

"I'm not obliged to be nice to them. I don't even pay them so that they can be on the receiving end of my niceness. I pay them to work and make money," he replied, not looking up at her.

"Any word from Dr Hyland?" she asked.

"The results of her brain scan come back today. I'm meeting him tonight after my last meeting," he responded, still not looking up at her.

She sighed. "So she's still not awake?"

"Not as far as I know," he said, finally looking up at her. She could see the toll this situation was having on him.

They hadn't been able to determine whether or not the operation on Diamond had been successful. All they knew was that her body had accepted Xavier and Lyell's blood, and that her heart was still pumping.

They recently discovered that there may be some brain activity occurring since she hit the pole on her way down and had a big gash on the side of her head. Two of the bullets had lodged in her back, while one had gone completely through her the side of her stomach.

The two bullets had been successfully removed, and now she was in a coma.

The media had gone wild with the story of the shooting, but none of them had the factual story since the police weren't saying anything, and neither had Xavier. He didn't want Diamond to wake up to her face everywhere in the news.

Besides the shooting, his ring was also being questioned. It wasn't a secret how he came to own it, and it had everyone buzzing, especially since he wore it in its rightful place on his left wedding ring finger.

Emery hugged him. "Any day soon Xav, don't worry."

He'd gone to visit Diamond every morning and night, spending the whole day with her on Saturdays and Sundays. He'd had her moved to a private room since he's the hospital's biggest benefactor.

It was the least they could do for him with everything he and The Kingston Foundation had done for the hospital over the years.

He would visit her and hold her hand while telling her all the ideal things they were going to do once she woke up. He didn't hold anything back, telling her about his past and what he hopes is their future.

Dr Hyland had suggested that he talk to her.

"I know Emery! It's just hard having to be patient for so long. I was born with a silver spoon, and anything I wanted, I got instantly. I just want her to wake up already. I'm going out of my mind," he whispered the last part.

"We're all here for you Xav. You don't have to go through this alone," she comforted.

In the last month, Xavier grew close with Diamond's friends. While the employees at Kingston Empires couldn't understand the sudden appearance of the flamboyant visitors, they didn't question it either. Diamond's friends couldn't have cared less what anyone thought.

They were worried about Xavier and that was all that mattered.

Xavier sighed. "I know you are and I don't question that."

"But we're just not her," Emery said knowingly. The look in his eyes told her that he agreed.

He hugged him once more. "I know you don't want to hear this from me Xav, but it's honestly all about patience at this point in time."

He hugged her back. "Thanks Emery."

"I always knew there was something here."

They both turned to the door and Xavier's expression hardened. While there were many things that pissed him off, none succeeded like Treyvon Kingston. The twenty four year old brat got under his skin more than anyone else and he was always on high alert when the guy was around, much like now.

Treyvon Kingston was always second best to Xavier, with him always being picked second every time. He hated it, and he hated his cousin even more. The fact that Xavier had their grandfather's love only made the tension between them worse, but Treyvon had lost their grandfather's trust and respect when he'd stolen from the family at age fifteen to pay off a drug lord he owed money to.

Nothing had ever been the same from then.

"Who let you into my building?" Xavier asked with a slight growl. He did own the whole building since it was in his name. There were no other companies renting the building.

"Is that how you treat family nowadays?" Treyvon sneered.

Xavier narrowed his eyes. "You and I are family by title and you know it. What do you want?"

"I'm here to have a meeting with you in case you didn't check your schedule," Treyvon informed. Xavier caught on very quickly.

"You booked an appointment with me under a false name? Has it come down to that?" Xavier asked with a raised eyebrow.

Inside, he was really amused.

"You and I have our differences, but only you can help me with this project and you'd be stupid to let it go by without hearing me out first. I'm pretty sure you understand the phrase 'it's just pure business' more than anyone," Treyvon said cockily, knowing that he had his cousin.

Xavier would never admit it to Treyvon, but his weakness was a good business deal. He realised that his cousin must've discovered gold if he was coming to him of all people for help. While Treyvon would stand to gain from whatever deal they made, it was still business, so he would've rightfully earned his share.

Xavier sat forward, leaning his elbows on the large table as his fingers interlocked. "I'm listening."

"What? Your play toy gets to stay?" Treyvon challenged. Xavier's eyes blazed while Emery rolled her eyes.

"You were taught better than that Treyvon," a new voice said crisply as Everett walked into the boardroom. Both he and Emery brightened at the sight of each other.

"What? A ménage a trois?" Treyvon asked in mock shock. The three of them looked uninterested by his implication.

"State your business or leave my building Treyvon," Xavier said brusquely.

"So what? Now the lovers are getting in on business deals too?" Treyvon asked amusedly.

"I don't even have the energy to keep looking at his face. I'll see you later babe," Emery said before kissing Everett goodbye and leaving.

Everett turned to Treyvon. "Say what you want to say."

Treyvon blinked. "And what is your relevance right now?"

"He's my partner and you're wasting our damn time," Xavier replied, maintaining his asperity.

Treyvon chuckled as he sat down. "Alright! Calm down! Sheesh Xav, you're going to age before you even start living."

For the first time since his arrival, Treyvon's eyes travelled to the legendary ring on his cousin's wedding ring finger. The different stones glimmered as the light shone through the blinds, bouncing off of them.

Even though he'd come to see Xavier about a business deal, he was mostly curious about the ring. While his cousin wore his ring, he was dying to know which dame was sporting the partnering legendary piece of jewellery.

"I've landed on something big, and if you let me, I'll present the whole thing to you another time," he stated to the two men exuding power and success in the room.

"What industry?" Everett asked. He and Xavier were involved in different industries, but they had their no-go industries.

"Mining, and I know you don't want to venture into that industry, but you should hear me out first," Treyvon stressed.

There was a hint of desperation in his tone that made Xavier and Everett wary of his intentions. They'd gone into mining before, but one wrong move almost destroyed them. At the time, Xavier owned eighty percent of the business, while Everett shared the other twenty percent with other investors.

The investors dropped them and it was up to the two of them to rebuild the company. That was when Xavier decided to make Everett his only partner, with a share of forty percent leaving him with the majority of sixty percent. Lyell and Dorothy became their only investors, and as soon as the company made its first millions, they paid them back.

They didn't trust Treyvon at all, and this time they had a whole lot more to lose should the deal go wrong, but something about Treyvon's desperation was different. It was as though he needed the deal to happen and Xavier immediately knew that Treyvon was in some kind of trouble. He just wasn't sure whether he wanted to help his cousin and risk his business.

"Fine! After you apologize to Emery, get her to slot you into our schedules," Xavier said as he got up to leave. He had another important meeting to get to.

"She's both your assistant and your receptionist? You people are millionaires but you can't afford personal assistants?" Treyvon asked, this time genuinely asking in confusion.

"It doesn't concern you Treyvon, so stay out of it," Xavier snapped before he and Everett walked out.

Treyvon sighed to himself before standing to leave the boardroom. He'd already figured that Xavier had picked up on his desperation and he wasn't going to bother lying about it either. He was in trouble and he needed the money the deal would bring in. His fate lay in the hands of the last person he would've ever wanted to turn to.

Walking out of the boardroom, he spotted the woman he was to apologize to. She's the face of Kingston Empires and everyone loves her. Even top businessmen who don't bother learning their own staff member's names know who Emery Applegate is. She's just that loveable.

He approached her just as she was walking back to her station at the receptionist area. "I'm sorry."

"I know you are Trey. What do you want?" she asked with a smile.

See? She couldn't even stay mad at you all that long.

"You're the only person on the face of the planet who treats me like I matter," he said without thinking. Her eyes widened a little in surprise.

"You matter Trey. We all make mistakes in life and sure, you have enough mistakes to last seven lifetimes, but you still matter. It's up to you to show the rest of the world that you're worth their time," she said, squeezing his hand.

He sighed. "I've screwed up royally this time Emery. It's so bad that my life is literally in Xav's hands now. If he chooses not to help me, it might be the end of me."

"Rett will probably have my head for this, but do you want to go out for coffee and talk about it?" she offered. He couldn't believe it.

"You'd listen to me of all people?" he asked.

"You don't have friends Trey. I'm here for you," she replied. He just nodded.

"What about your post?" he asked.

She shrugged as she grabbed her handbag. "I'll get someone to fill in for me."

She found someone to cover for her before they left together. He opened the door to his Maserati for her to step in, before stepping into the driver's side. A couple of pictures had been taken of them, so Emery made sure to text Everett before anything was turned into a big thing.

She was shocked when he agreed to her being there for Treyvon. What she didn't know was that her boyfriend had the same sentiments, despite what his best friend thought or felt about Treyvon.

"Rett is ok with this," she notified Treyvon.

Treyvon's eyebrows shot to his forehead. "He is?"

"I know! I'm just as surprised," she admitted.

"He trusts you," he commented.

She smiled. "I would hope so."

They drove the rest of the way in silence before they reached a cafe. They entered and a waitress attended to them. She was lusting after Treyvon, who didn't return the attention. Emery ordered herself the chocolate cake slice that she'd been craving for days, with a latte. Treyvon ordered a cup of strong black coffee.

"So, what did you do now?" Emery asked him once the waitress was gone.

"I may have gotten into some deals with the Russians and lost them a whole lot of money. Now they're on my back and they want their money in two month's time, or else they end my life," he explained.

"How on earth did you get mixed up with the Russians?" she questioned.

"The same way Xav and Rett got mixed up with the Germans, except the Russians are more violent and hands on," he replied.

"So why not borrow the money from Xav?" she asked curiously.

"He would never just give me the money. I have to use this deal to make sure I get the money. I know that the deal is worth billions, and it will make them billions too," he replied.

"I still say you should ask Xav for the money, and then you can still go through with the deal and pay him back from that," she suggested. He sat there thinking about her words as the waitress brought their orders.

"Do you really reckon that could work?" he asked in thought.

She nodded. "It will if you give it a try."

"He won't listen to me and I know he won't even think about helping me and I need to get Iv-" he said before stopping. He was fuming and she reached out to squeeze his hand.

"What's going on Trey?" she asked lowly.

"They have her Emery! They have the only woman who has my heart. They are holding her hostage," he growled. She gasped.

"What? Why?" she asked.

"They're not only looking for money. Someone found out that Xav and I are related and reported it to the big boss. It turns out the big boss is a descendant of the family where the rings originated and he wants me to get them back," he whispered the last part. Emery numbed when she thought about which rings he was referring to.

"Isn't the leader Russian?" she asked.

"No! He's English and has the Russians working for him," he replied. Emery was stunned.

"You're never going to get those rings Trey," she admitted.

"I know! Who has the other one?" he asked, in reference to the partnering ring.

"Someone who Xavier would die for in a heartbeat," Emery replied with a small smile.

Treyvon raised his eyebrows in surprise. "He's found love again?"

While he and Xavier never got along, even he was upset about what the snake of a woman had done to Xavier. He'd gone and had his own share of words with the woman, who couldn't believe that he of all people cared that much.

He'd surprised himself, but it was also the first time he admitted to himself that he was the only person to blame for his own demise, and that his cousin honestly had nothing to do with it.

"Yeah, he has," she replied, not wanting to reveal too much.

He smiled genuinely. "I'm happy he did. After that snake, I didn't think he would."

"That snake? You cared?" Emery asked wide-eyed.

He nodded. "It was the first time I realized that I had nothing against Xav because everything that happened to me was my own fault."

"Have you ever told him this?" Emery asked curiously.

He gave a weak smile. "You and I both know Xavier won't willingly give me the time of day, so I can only wish him the best of luck for where I am."

"I'm sorry Trey, but everything will work out in the end. I will try my best to steer Rett and Xav in your direction if you promise me that you'll use the opportunity wisely. I don't know about the rings, but the deal I can guarantee," she offered.

"Everett is a lucky man," he commented.

She blushed. "Just as I'm a lucky woman."

They enjoyed the rest of their time before he took her back to the office. He was suddenly optimistic about everything, and even more determined to make peace with his family.

Xavier walked out of the building after his meeting and was met by the press outside. He simply ignored them as he made his way to the Rolls Royce. Rowland opened the door for him, closing it after he'd stepped in. He took out his phone and dialled the number.

"Mr Kingston, I've just fetched the results so you can come through," Dr Hyland said before he could say anything.

"I was just about to ask you about that. I'll be there in the next hour. I need to make a stop," Xavier told him.

"See you then," the doctor replied before hanging up.

"Where to Sir?" Rowland asked him.

"My mother's house," Xavier replied before retreating to his thoughts.

While everything had taken its toll on him, he hadn't given up any hope or stopped living. If anything, he couldn't wait for Diamond to wake up. He wanted to do so much with her, although he knew and understood that the first few weeks would be a struggle.

He was willing to fight though, because for the first time in his life, he had to fight for a relationship, and for the first time since his company, something was worth fighting for.

"We've arrived Sir," Rowland snapped him out thought. He hadn't realized that the car had stopped.

"I'm going in to fetch her, so keep the car running," he instructed before leaving the car and heading inside the house.

"Mother!" he shouted.

"I'm in the kitchen," she shouted back. He followed her voice to find her looking through a recipe book in the kitchen.

"Hello mother," he greeted before kissing her cheek.

"Hey baby! What brings you here?" she asked.

"I thought you might like to come to the hospital with me. Dr Hyland has the results from Diamond's CAT scan and I'm going to hear what he has to say," he informed, leaning on the counter.

During the past month, Dorothy had grown attached to the young woman who she'd never met before, but who had managed to get through to the side of her son she didn't think she'd see again. It had been five years since that day, and she honestly thought she'd lost him to that memory.

"Stop thinking about it," his voice was hard.

"I'm sorry son. I just wish Diamond could wake up already. You have all this love to give her and I just want to see you happy," she confessed. He walked over and hugged her.

"Don't worry about me mother. Everything will be fine when she wakes up," he said before kissing her forehead.

"Well, let me just go change and then we can head out," she replied.

Kenny was sitting in his lounge, going through some papers, but his mind wasn't there. His thoughts were on his best friend. It had been a rough month for him, and he couldn't begin to imagine what it was like for Xavier.

Through Diamond's shooting, the two of them had not only become great friends, but great business partners too. They'd just signed some deals together with Everett.

Xavier was surprised to learn that Kenny was actually very erudite in the business field, specifically in agriculture, which is the one field Xavier and Everett hadn't explored- until Kenny that is. While the deals were beneficial for them, Kenny still just wanted his best friend back.

He'd observed the multibillionaire mogul, catching him on his visits to Diamond a few times. He'd caught some of the words that Xavier told her, and from that alone, he'd made a promise to himself to make sure that she ended up with him. He knew that Xavier is Diamond's God sent soul mate, and he would work his damn hardest to make sure she doesn't run from him.

"Hello?" he absentmindedly answered his buzzing phone.

"Are you busy right now?" Xavier asked him.

"No, why?" he counter asked.

"I'm on the way to the hospital to get the news on Diamond's CAT scan and I thought you might want to tag along," Xavier replied.

"I'll be there in ten minutes," he said before hanging up.

He arrived at the hospital just as the black Rolls Royce pulled up. Xavier exited the car before helping his mother out of it. After a month, the press grew tired of waiting outside the hospital, especially since it was never revealed who Xavier had been coming to visit every day.

It was a top secret at the hospital and the staff understood that.

"Kenny!" Dorothy said as she beamed. She'd grown to love him like a son, especially once she'd found out that his own mother failed him.

"Hello mom," Kenny chuckled at her enthusiasm. She'd insisted he adopt the term.

"Hello little brother," Xavier teased.

Kenny rolled his eyes. "You're older than me by five months Xav."

"Even if I was older than you by a minute, I'd still be older," Xavier emphasized with a chuckle. He loved teasing Kenny. They both appreciated their brother-like relationship that they both grew up without.

Dorothy loved it!

"He got you there Ken," she commented as they reached Dr Hyland's office. They entered after being told to do so.

"Ah Mr Kingston, Ms Kingston and Mr Wallace! It's good to see you again. Please take a seat," he offered.

Dorothy smiled, accepting the invitation. "Same to you Doctor Hyland."

Kenny sighed. "We hope you have great news for us."

"I wish I could say I do, but as you know, the body is strange and unpredictable. The results show no signs of abnormal activities or abnormal developments. That is normally a good sign, but we won't be sure of anything until she wakes up. Everything is dependent on her waking up," Dr Hyland explained.

"And there's no way of getting her out of the coma?" Dorothy asked sadly.

"No. It is her choice, well her body's choice. I'd like to believe that a month has been enough for her body to heal itself, but again, the body is unpredictable," Dr Hyland replied.

"When she wakes up, what exactly is the way forward from there?" Xavier asked.

"Well, she's going to need to go to rehab to get her back working to its full ability again, so she'll be wheelchair bound for a while. I can only answer that question fully once she's woken up and we know what we're dealing with," Dr Hyland replied.

"So for now we just wait?" Kenny asked. Dr Hyland nodded.

"Well then, nothing new there. We'll check you later then doc," Xavier said as he stood up.

"I'm really sorry Xavier, but she'll pull through," Dr Hyland offered sympathetically. While Xavier would've snapped at any moment, this time felt different.

"I know," he smiled before walking out of the room.

Dorothy turned to Kenny. "Can you take me home?"

Kenny frowned. "Aren't we visiting Diamond?"

"I think he needs tonight," Dorothy suggested. Kenny nodded in understanding before they left Dr Hyland's office after saying their farewells.

Xavier walked into the room and sighed. The incessant beeping was calming to him because he at least knew that she was still alive. She was a whole lot paler than that night as he approached her. He took his seat beside her bed and reached out to hold her hand.

He smiled to himself when his eyes landed on her short fingernails. Macy and Emery had insisted that she still needed to look good, even if she was in a coma. From how her hair and face looked, he knew that Emery had come by. Her hair was combed, her face was clean and her lips were not chapped or dry.

He sighed, interlocking their fingers. "Hey love."

It took him a while before he said anything else. His mind was blank as he took her in. His fingers were toying with the ring on her finger. Knowing that it was there made him feel somewhat safer, and it made him feel better knowing that she wore his mark. While he'd marked her while she was close to death, he could only hope that she would accept their relationship once she woke up.

"So, my cousin Treyvon came by to see me today. He's one person I haven't told you about. He's two years younger than me, and he's a twerp basically. When he was thirteen, he started hanging out with this gang out of disobedience. He became a druggie and an alcoholic. By the time he was fifteen, he was an addict and he got into some trouble with some people who he ended up owing money to. He stole the money from our grandfather, and we've never forgiven him since. He and I have always been compared, and it pisses him off like nothing on earth. I can't, for the life of me, stand him. He's an ass and a liar. He came by to tell me about a business deal that he needs me to back, but there's more to it than what he's sharing. I just know it! It's like he needs my help, or rather, my money, and I'm not sure if I want to give it to him," he finished off with a frown.

"You have to forgive him and help him," a voice croaked to him.

His eyes shot up to meet the cerulean orbs he'd been waiting a month to see again. While he'd been unconsciously ranting about his cousin, he'd missed the fact that Diamond had woken up.

At first she didn't know what was going on, but when her eyes landed on him, she was fascinated by his presence alone. When he started rambling, she found herself listening to him, realizing that his voice had become second nature to her.

"You're awake," he whispered disbelievingly.

"Water," she whispered in return. There was a bottle next to the stand, which he opened and gave her. He held it for her as she gratefully gulped down the cool drink.

She frowned. "How long have I been here for?"

"A month and three days," he replied almost automatically, making her giggle a little.

"It sounds like someone's been waiting for me to get up," she teased.

He smiled sheepishly. "A month is a long time."

"I know! That trip to Bali sounds tempting now," she said as she blushed. His eyes widened.

"You heard me?" he asked.

"Well I heard bits. I've been coming and going in my consciousness, but this is the first time I open my eyes," she admitted.

"And?" he prompted.

"I've heard bits and pieces, though I'm not sure about anything," she admitted.

"Let me call your doctor in," he said, getting up to leave.

"Wait!" she shouted, her voice still slightly raspy. He turned to her expectantly.

"Don't leave me yet," she whispered. She felt safe with him around. He sat back in the chair and took her hand back, sending electricity between the both of them.

"It's you," she gasped as a memory flashed in her mind.

He smiled. "I didn't know it was you until the night you saved my life."

"Saved your life?" she frowned.

"You were shot saving my life," he reminded her.

At his words, the memories flashed in her head. She remembered everything from that day and everything that happened six months before that, but that's as far as her memory would go. It hurt her head to try and remember anything beyond that, and she reached out to clutch her head with both hands as a hiss escaped her lips.