"Finding out the truth is only half of it. It's what you do with it that matters."
— Tristan Wilds

Byun Baekhyun remained without words as his mind drifted back to the past few days, scouring for the telltale signs he clearly missed. The extra helmet, the black Yamaha, his expertise in flowers, the choice of white rose—Kim Junmyeon is…

"Then this Kim Junmyeon…is Ara's 'motorcycle and flowers'?" Jongdae continued for him.

Almost immediately and without waiting for Chanyeol's response, Baekhyun sprang to his feet and exited the Grand Ballroom, leaving his two equally dumbstruck best friends and the social butterfly behind.

"Were you being prideful or just stupid? Why the didn't you tell me?" he mumbled under his breath as took out his phone and dialed Ara's number without change in his fast pace.

But unsurprisingly, his wife's cell was turned off.

Baekhyun released a quiet curse then lowered the device from his ear, trying to think of his next move. Accounting for Seoul's night traffic, he knew he wouldn't be able to make it back to The Lux in time to catch Ara—if she was still in the premises—and there was currently no one at the property he trusts enough to check on her except—

"Sehun," he whispered as he dialed Secretary Oh's number and once again pressed the phone to his ear. He had asked Sehun earlier this morning to drop off the Maserati at the Grand InterContinental—just in case he needed to make a quick escape—so his grandfather's punctual assistant should now be at The Lux to pick up the vehicle.

Yet to his surprise, Sehun, who never fails to answer after the first ring, did not do so even after the third.

|| Two Hours Later ||

"It's either you've misplaced your phone for two hours, or you've just been ignoring my calls. I certainly hope it's not the latter," Baekhyun threatened, his tone irate. He had been trying to reach the man since finding out about Ara's past, and it took him twelve attempts before the elusive secretary finally answered.  

Sehun smirked as he turned into the Grand InterContinental's porte-cochère and drove up to the lobby's main entrance. He could feel Baekhyun's frustration infused with urgency and concern coursing through the car's Bluetooth speaker—a dead giveaway the young executive already knew of the drama that unfolded at The Lux—but he was tempted to push some buttons. "And if it is?" he answered teasingly.

“What?" the young executive replied as he exited the hotel with Secretary Kim struggling to keep up behind him. "Ya Oh Sehun, have you lost your mind?" he continued, preparing to lecture the once-uptight-turned-mischievous assistant, "What if I was dying?"

Starting to see the fun in ruffling his future employer's feathers, Sehun's lips curved into a constricted grin. "That would've been unfortunate, but I'm sorry, you're not my responsibility yet," he countered before he turned off the Maserati's engine and got out.

Baekhyun sneered at his grandfather's quite sassy assistant making his way towards him. If only he didn't have more important matters to address, the man two years his junior would’ve certainly heard an earful.

"Ara. Did you see her?" Baekhyun whispered as Sehun handed over the keys.

Feigning innocence, Secretary Oh looked at him, "Why? Did something happen?"

"Just answer the question. Did you see her or not?" the impatient executive replied through gritted teeth. 

Sehun restricted the satisfied smile forming on his lips. He had never seen Baekhyun this concerned about anything that didn't have to do with work, and he couldn't help but be amazed. Seo Ara really was a game changer. "Ms. Seo is at home," he answered, ending his teases.

Without saying another word, Baekhyun made his way around to the driver's side, but as he opened the door, a timid voice halted his steps.

"But General Manager Byun, the minister…” Secretary Kim interjected with disappointment. On their way to the venue, Baekhyun had given her an important yet difficult assignment: to reserve a one-on-one with the Minister of Tourism. It was a task to test her abilities as his lead secretary. A task she fought tooth and nail for against others like her instructed to do the same. It was a task she accomplished by exhausting her charms and her vocabulary, so for her efforts go to waste was…disheartening.

Understanding the situation by having been through it himself, Sehun broke from Baekhyun's hesitant lenses. He summoned a rather charming smile and offered his arm to the woman in rose gold. “Shall we, Secretary Kim?” he asked politely, causing a kaleidoscope of butterflies to flutter in her stomach.

|| …………… ||

Already pushing 25 past the speed limit, Baekhyun raced down the expressway to their apartment, but with the image of Ara once again fresh on his mind, he pushed harder on the gas pedal and accelerated even more. 

His old self, pre-Seo Ara, wouldn't have given a damn about sob stories. He would have turned a blind eye and instead, focused his energy on establishing camaraderie with the government official. But he couldn't. He couldn't mind his own business. He couldn't stay still, knowing she was alone and hurting.

Baekhyun had never felt as scummy as he did now. He was frustrated at himself for choosing to ignore the physical clues earlier. For pretending the visible difference in his wife's demeanor didn't exist. The exhaustion in her breath. The pain in her eyes.

Though he wasn't exactly sure what he would say nor do when he arrives, it didn’t matter—he just needed to get to her.

"Ara!" he called as he navigated through the dark hallway to her bedroom. "Seo A—" he called again, but his voice was cut short by the sight of her sleeping at her desk.

With quiet steps, he cautiously made his way over and examined his slumbering wife. The bruises on her arm had turned darker. Her flushed cheeks were stained with tears, eyelashes covered with remaining droplets. She held a camcorder in one hand and a laminated lace like flower in the other. To her right, was an event binder cradled by the trashcan at her feet.

Seeing her in such a state, he couldn't explain why he felt the way he did—why the tightness in his chest existed.

Baekhyun released a weighty breath and ever so carefully took his wife in his arms. He carried her bridal style to her bed, wiped the traces of tears from her face, elevated her arm, and tucked her in ge