Francis rings the doorbell and waits before the owner opens the door and he plants a bright smile onto his face. "Kenna, hey!"

"Hi," Kenna mumbles, furrowing her brows as he lets himself in. "Wh-"

"Mary forgot her scarf here," Francis says.

Kenna gasps in realisation, heading to grab the Gucci silk scarf. "I knew it was hers," she says lightly, before leading him into the living area to retrieve the cake tin. "The cake was wonderful. Tell Mary that her baking's got better!"

Francis chuckles. "I will," he says, laughing now. "You know-"

"The twins helped?" Kenna asks knowingly. "I kind of guessed."

When Antoine went to bed, she got the cake back out, relieved that the bin had been changed before he threw it out. She only ate a little before feeling disgusted with herself for digging it out and throwing out the rest.

"Too much... cinnamon."

Francis laughs. "My mother dodged a bullet then."

"So, you've got-"

"Do you want to come to a work event? You can bring Antoine," Francis tells her.

Kenna blushes a little. "We're not exactly close anymore-"

"Don't be silly. You're still like a sister to me. I mean, you and Mary are family, and Bash used to be your husband... Your loving husband who worshipped the ground-"

"Francis, don't," Kenna whispers. "He ended things, don't let him forget that. I'm happy now."

Francis nods with a sigh. "Sorry."

He turns and he turns back to face her when she lets out a sharp gasp and winces. He sees her clutch at her side and she waves it off, laughing a little.

"I'm so clumsy," she explains. "I didn't learn my lesson yesterday... I fell down the stairs again."

Francis frowns. "Do you need to see a doc-"

"God, no!" She cries out, eyes wide before she relaxes. "I'm good. Nothing a bit of ice and a hot water bottle can't handle."

"You might have broken a rib-"

"I'm fine!" Kenna says. "You know how fine I am? I'm so fine, Antoine and I will make it."

Francis beams. "Shall I put down the details in your phone?"

"I-I broke my phone," Kenna says quickly. "Dropped it down the toilet."

"Shit."

"Yeah," she breathes out, laughing. "Silly me. I've been so overworked, my mind's going... Well, I have some paper and a pen."

She gets the items and he scrawls down the details neatly before she collects the note and attaches it to the fridge.

Francis frowns deeply when he notices a little bit of a reddish-brown colour on the steel and his eyes meet the back of Kenna's head where she's got dry blood caked on the strands.

"Is that blood?"

Kenna frowns. "Where?"

"The fridge and the back of your hair-"

"Oh, that's just red velvet," Kenna says. "I was baking a cake for Antoine's work colleagues. Note to self - don't run your hands through your hair when you're baking or cooking."

Francis chuckles softly. "Mary's the same. Well, the kids cause that."

Kenna blushes. "Well, I better get back to work but thank Mary and the kids again and I'll see you next Friday?"

Francis nods. "You will. See you."

"Bye," Kenna says, letting him out.

She turns when she closes the door behind Francis and sees Antoine standing there, arms crossed.

"Why did you invite us to that stupid event?"

"I-I thought we could take advantage of the free drinks," Kenna says, moving past him but he shoves her into the wall, sending her breath out of her body.

"What did he say about Bash? That he worshipped the ground you walked on? Your loving husband? Do you still love him?"

Kenna shakes her head. "Of course, I don't! We've been over for five years, Antoine, I love you," she sobs out.

"Prove it."

"Marry me," she whispers fearfully.

Antoine gasps, smiling. "Y-Yes! Oh, baby girl... You've made me so happy... I'll marry you."

Kenna smiles through her tears. "You will?" She asks.

"I will," he promises her, kissing her deeply. "Now, we can get married and in nine months..." He presses his hands against her flat stomach. "We'll have a baby."

"Yeah," Kenna whispers. "We will."

...

You watch as she dances and laughs, drinks and talks. You sip your own drink and think if you're just seeing things for the sake of seeing them. If everything is totally explainable and you're just jumping to conclusions.

But at the same time, you watch as she switches, her mood shifts and she's back to being depressed and upset over something as soon as he comes to her. You wonder if you can go over and save her but does she really need saving when she's now back to being happy and normal, her lips locked with his in a deep kiss?

"Francis, you're slow," Bash says from beside him.

Francis chuckles wryly. "Well, I'm still conscious that I am a father of three who can't drink as much as I'd like to. Got to keep my swimmers fighting fit-"

"Oh, God," Bash groans. "We get it, you and Mary love making babies. Please stop for a few years at least. My bank's being broken because I have to give your kids gifts all year round."

"You love them."

"I do," Bash replies, his eyes landing on Kenna and Antoine who seem to ignore everything but each other. "That's disgusting."

"You weren't saying that when you were in his place," Francis teases him.

Bash smirks, sipping his drink. "Well, Kenna and I did make a hot couple."

"Yeah, total power couple vibes," Francis replies, turning to order another drink once his drink is finished. "Can we do some shots? I need to use to the toilet real quick but-"

"Yeah, go," Bash says, ordering for five shots each.

Francis smiles and leaves the hall, heading down to the gentlemen's loos. He hears a heated conversation behind him and he turns to see Antoine pulling an unsteady Kenna out.

"You're making a damn fool out of yourself, you stupid woman!"

Francis is about to walk over but Kenna kisses Antoine and apologises profusely, explaining that work's been stressful and she needs to let loose. It seems to calm Antoine down and he pushes her against the wall, lifting her leg around his waist.

Francis gags and leaves, rolling his eyes. Back when she was with his brother, they at least knew boundaries when they were in public. In fact, Francis can't remember them being couply outside of their homes but he and Mary could feel the sexual tension and had no doubt that their sex life was wonderful.

After using the toilet, he returns to the main hall and is intercepted by his mother. He chuckles when she complains about his father schmoozing a few younger heiresses and he presses a kiss on his mother's cheek, assuring her that all is fine.

"And dear God, why is our interior designer all over Antoine Bourbon?" Catherine asks with a disgusted tut.

"They're together," Francis says and then spots the sparkling ring on Kenna's finger. "Engaged?"

He turns to see Bash who seems to have taken the shots himself, his green eyes glaring at the couple and Francis sighs heavily, turning back to his mother.

"About Kenna-"

"Are you going to tell me why your half-brother is glaring daggers at her?"

Francis nods. "They were married."

Catherine gasps, looking between a drunk Bash and a nervous Kenna. "Wait, Kenna Beaton?"

"Yeah-"

"Robert Beaton's daughter. The one who owns all of Scotland's trade and-"

"Yeah, that one," Francis says. "The one who we've been doing business with for the past twenty-years Robert Beaton. That's his daughter-"

"Who is one of Mary's flying squad girls. The Maid of Honour at your wedding," Catherine finishes. "She and Sébastien were together? When?!"

"Five years ago," Francis squeaks out.

"Why did they split up?" Catherine demands. "Do you know how beneficial that marriage could have been?"

Francis rolls his eyes. "Probably why they didn't want anyone to know about their relationship," he states. "They just... grew apart. Like you and Dad-"

"But we're not divorced," Catherine states. "Your father and I respect the Catholic Church that divorce should be a last resort. We have separate rooms, separate lives but we're together for you and your siblings' sakes."

Francis sighs. "Not everything has to be about religion, Maman. Nor old-school. They still love each other but things didn't work out. Nothing is wrong with that."

Catherine scoffs, gesturing to Kenna who is staring longingly at Bash who is now interested in what Claude and Margot are telling him. "Do you think that either of them is capable of letting what they had, go?"

Francis pauses, seeing Antoine grip Kenna's chin and divert her gaze to him instead. He then looks over at Bash who stares at Kenna and Antoine, resentment in his eyes.

"Bash did say he regretted ending things," Francis admits. "But Kenna told me to remind him that he was the one who ended things in the first place."

"Then his psychopath of a girlfriend came along and made things unbearable in the family," Catherine adds. "If I'd know about him and Kenna, I'd prefer her over Daphne any day."

"Delphine," Francis corrects her.

"Who cares?" Catherine's reply comes as she grabs a flute from a passing waiter. "Keep an eye on Antoine."

"Why?"

"His last wife was... Well, let's just say she was admitted into a mental health clinic and had many hospital visits," Catherine tells him carefully.

Francis's eyes widen. "How do you know that?"

"I have my ways," Catherine says nonchalantly, taking a sip from her drink. "I'm sure I am just worrying about nothing but Kenna looks like she can't wait to finally be released from his clutches."

Francis nods. "Yeah," he mumbles, walking to Bash just in time to steady his brother. "How much did you drink without me?"

"Why is she all over him?" Bash asks his brother. "Why is she kissing him and hugging him and... why isn't she with me?"

Francis sighs, cupping his cheeks. "Let's get you home, Bash."

"No-"

"Please?"

"I want her back, Francis," Bash says, his voice breaking.

Francis shrugs. "I know."

"She's getting married to him. She texted me last night to warn me and I've tried ignoring them but... She's wearing that dress."

"What dress?"

Bash lowers his gaze to his drink. "The one I proposed to her in."

"Oh, Bash..."

"How could she wear that dress, knowing what it means to me, to us? We were going to last forever and now..." Bash turns away from Francis and spots Kenna and Antoine dancing along with other couples. "She's dancing with another man. A man who will be her husband, the father of her kids, her whole world... We used to have that, we could have had that."

Francis hugs Bash tightly. "Come on, bud. Let's get you home."

...

As you head outside, having finally convinced your drunk brother to leave, you spot her arguing with her fiancé and it's loud and rings in your ears, your brother too out of it to notice anything and he complains about how loud everything is.

You hear the door slam and a cry of pain and you leave your brother stumbling around, before he throws up due to the dizziness he feels, to rush over to where the source of the cry came from and you find someone walking back into the hall angrily and the other person clutching their hand as tears leave her eyes and sobs leave her lips.

"Kenna!" Francis cries out, gently coaxing her hand to him. It's red and messed up and a curse leaves his lips. "Kenna, what happened?"

"It was an accident," Kenna says, sobbing. "I slammed the door on my hand, I'm just-"

"Did Antoine do this to you?" Francis demands gently, remembering what his mother told him earlier.

Kenna shakes her head quickly. "N-No-"

"Francis, I threw up!"

Francis rolls his eyes. "Just a second, Bash!"

"I don't feel so good..."

"Go to him," Kenna breathes out. "I'm fine. Thanks."

Francis studies her eyes and she silently begs him. "Kenna, I can take you to the hospital."

Kenna shakes her head. "No. I'm fine. I'll get Antoine to drive me home and he'll help me ice it."

"Honestly, I can take you-"

"Francis, I'm fine," Kenna snaps.

"Ken-"

"Bash needs you. Go to him, now," Kenna tells him. "Make sure he drinks a lot of water and eats something. I don't want him dying of alcohol poisoning."

Francis chuckles. "Yeah. I'll see you soon?"

"Yeah," Kenna whispers. "Say 'bye' to Mary and 'hi' to the kids for me."

"I will," Francis says, kissing her forehead and going back over to see Bash leaning against the car. "What have you done to yourself?"

"I don't know," Bash mumbles. "Can we go home now?"

Francis nods. "Yes. Your ex-wifey told me to look after you."

Bash's eyes light up. "She did?"

"Yeah. Now stop looking like a kid getting presents at Christmas," Francis tells him, opening the car door. "She's just concerned, that doesn't mean she wants you."

"Oh, fuck off," Bash mutters darkly before throwing up again. "Merde..."

...

Kenna finishes up wrapping the bandage around her hand and leans into Antoine's back as he helps her finish it off, securing it tightly enough to not loosen. She feels his kiss on her cheek and she smiles.

"I'm glad we made up," he tells her, massaging her hip.

"Same," she tells him. "Everyone's excited about us getting engaged-"

"Only my family, Kenna," Antoine says, kissing her neck. "They're close and we can get married on Monday."

"But-"

"Come on, what do you say?" Antoine asks.

Kenna nods. "Yeah, that's great. Can I have Mary, Francis-"

"Just family, Kenna," Antoine says.

"They are family. Mary's my cousin, Francis and Bash are yours-"

"Immediate," Antoine snaps, gripping her forearm tightly. "If you invite anyone, I'll make sure you regret it, okay?"

Kenna closes her eyes. "Mhm."

"Excuse me?"

"Yes, Antoine," she says softly. "I'm sorry."

"You always are," he says, shoving her into the sink counter. "Like, what the fuck is wrong with you?"

Kenna turns to face him. "Nothing. I just don't want to upset you-"

"You always upset me, Kenna. You're so fucking stupid, I have to literally baby you in order to get you to understand things. For fuck's sake."

"Antoine, don't be mad-"

"Oh, mad?"

Kenna's heart sinks. "Antoine-"

"You kept looking at him today."

"Who?"

"You know who," he tells her, his nails digging into her skin. "Sébastien, that cocky, stuck-up son of a bitch. What does he have that I can't give you?"

Everything, she thinks. But she says, "Nothing, Antoine. Tonie-"

"Don't call me that when I'm angry with you," Antoine snaps, his hand going to her throat and shoving her deeper into the counter. "I don't want you calling me anything, is that clear?"

"Yes, Anto-" She closes her eyes. "Yes."

"Do you still love him?"

"No."

"Did you kiss him? Fuck him?"

Kenna gasps when she realises that she did kiss him. "No."

"You're lying."

"Antoine-"

"Tell me the truth."

"H-He kissed me," she admits tearfully. "I didn't want him to but he did and-"

She's pushed onto the floor and she screams when he raises his fist. She waits for the blow but it doesn't come and she turns her head a little to see that he's pacing.

"I'll kill him."

"No."

"He touched you."

"It was an accident."

"He still wants you, you dumb bitch! Why can't you see that?!"

Kenna sobs. "He doesn't-"

"He wants to take you away from me." He turns to face her. "And you don't do anything to discourage him."

Kenna shrugs. "I don't want him, I want you!"

But he doesn't believe her.

And she's not sure she believes her own words either.