Nico sat alone at a nearby table inside one of the city's most luxurious restaurants.
His gaze drifted toward Kaia, who was seated several tables away.
She was waiting for her boyfriend.
Tonight, Kaia looked beautiful.
Despite her childish personality, no one could deny how stunning she was. She wore a soft pink dress that complemented her fair complexion. A delicate silver necklace rested against her collarbone, while her lightly curled hair framed her face perfectly. Her makeup was simple and natural, yet it enhanced her beauty effortlessly.
Elegant.
Nico glanced at his wristwatch.
More than an hour had passed.
Kaia was still waiting.
Will he even show up?
Just as Nico was about to stand, he noticed a young man approaching her table.
.
.
Kaia frowned as she checked the time once again.
She had been waiting for over an hour.
Today was supposed to be special.
It was their first anniversary.
She had been excited for weeks.
They were originally supposed to arrive at the restaurant together, but earlier her boyfriend had called, saying he still had work to finish and would be running late.
"Babe!"
Her entire face lit up when she saw him.
"Babe!" she quickly stood and wrapped her arms around him.
"I'm sorry I'm late," he said apologetically. "I had a lot of reports to finish."
He kissed her forehead.
The irritation she had been feeling immediately disappeared. "It's okay, babe. The important thing is that you're here now."
The young man smiled. "Happy anniversary."
"Happy anniversary, babe," she responded with a wide smile.
They finally began eating.
"The food is great," her boyfriend said. "You should try the dessert."
Kaia took a bite and smiled. "It really is delicious."
Suddenly, his phone rang.
"Excuse me," he stood up and stepped away from the table to answer the call.
Kaia continued eating while she waited.
A few minutes later, he returned.
However, the moment she saw his expression, her smile faded.
"I'm sorry, babe, but I have to go," he said.
Kaia blinked. "What?"
"My boss called. Apparently, there are mistakes in my reports, and I need to fix them immediately," his voice was filled with regret. "I'm really sorry."
"But... it's our anniversary," her expression changed to sadness.
"I know," he looked away briefly before meeting her eyes. "But this is important."
The disappointment on Kaia's face was impossible to miss.
"Sorry," he said.
Silence fell between them.
"Enjoy your meal. I'll call you when you get home," he leaned down and kissed her forehead before hurriedly leaving the restaurant.
Kaia stared blankly at the entrance long after he was gone.
Then she sighed.
Great.
He had left her in the middle of their anniversary dinner.
Again, work had won.
Was his job really more important than their anniversary?
"Are you okay?"
Kaia looked up.
Nico stood beside her table.
"He left, didn't he?" he said quietly. "There's no reason for you to stay here alone. Let's go home."
Kaia lowered her gaze to the table.
There was still so much food left.
She had ordered all of it for their celebration.
A lump formed in her throat.
"Can you... stay and eat with me?"
Her voice was barely above a whisper.
Nico stared at her for a moment.
Without saying a word, he pulled out the chair across from her and sat down.
Kaia forced a smile.
"The food is delicious, right?"
But the smile never reached her eyes.
Tears began gathering at the corners of them.
Nico remained silent.
He noticed the way she kept lowering her head, trying to hide her emotions.
Then he saw it.
A tear slipping down her cheek.
His expression darkened.
"Is he always like this?" he suddenly asked.
Kaia froze.
Nico leaned back slightly. "Why don't you leave him?"
His voice was calm, but there was unmistakable frustration behind it. "It seems like his work matters more to him than your relationship."
That was all it took.
The tears she had been desperately holding back finally fell.
Kaia lowered her head and cried.
Not loudly.
Not dramatically.
Just quiet tears from someone who had been disappointed one too many times.
Nico watched her silently.
His chest tightened.
He hated seeing her like this.
After a long moment, he stood up. "Come on."
Kaia looked at him through tear-filled eyes.
"Let's go home," he said.
.
.
.
"Tomorrow, go to the mall and buy me—"
Kan stopped mid-sentence and turned toward Miao.
He found her fast asleep on his bed.
A small smile appeared on his lips.
He remembered how she had spent the entire day cleaning the house. No wonder she looked exhausted.
Quietly, he picked up a blanket and gently draped it over her sleeping figure.
For a moment, he simply stood there, watching her peaceful face.
Then he remembered what Nyx had said earlier.
His smile deepened.
"Wow. How sweet."
Kan immediately turned around.
Nyx was standing by the doorway, grinning mischievously.
"What do you want?" he asked.
She folded her arms. "Tell me. Do you like her?"
Kan frowned. "No."
"Really? Then how do you explain what I saw?" Nyx raised an eyebrow. "You can't deny the way you were looking at her while she was sleeping."
Kan glanced at Miao.
"Shh. You'll wake her up."
Before Nyx could tease him further, he grabbed her arm and dragged her out of the room.
A few moments later, they were sitting in the living room.
Nyx crossed her legs and smirked. "Why don't you just open your heart to her?"
Kan remained silent.
"Don't you want Ran to have a mother?" she added.
His expression softened slightly.
"You saw Ran's reaction earlier, didn't you?" he said. "She doesn't want a mother."
"That's because you always spoil her and agree with everything she says," Nyx rolled her eyes. "If you keep giving her whatever she wants, she'll grow up stubborn."
Kan let out a weary sigh. "It won't be easy for Ran. She's used to having all of my attention."
Nyx shrugged. "She'll accept it eventually."
Then she narrowed her eyes at him.
"Or what? Do you plan to stay a bachelor forever?" she made a disgusted face. "Ew."
Kan shot her a glare. "Instead of worrying about my love life, why don't you find yourself a boyfriend?"
Nyx immediately raised an eyebrow.
Unlike most women, she had never been interested in serious relationships.
She hated commitment.
Kan smirked. "See?"
"Hmph! Whatever!" Nyx stood up and stormed away.
Kan chuckled as he watched her leave.
"Crazy woman..."
.
.
.....
Philippines Airport
"Wow! I'm finally here!"
Cherry jumped excitedly the moment she stepped out of the airport.
Her name was Cherry Moon Lee.
Half Filipino and half Chinese, she had grown up in Macau. But despite living abroad, she had always dreamed of visiting the Philippines.
And now, she finally had.
The reason?
A certain someone.
"Waaahhh! Zoldiak!"
Dragging her suitcase behind her, Cherry immediately ran toward a giant promotional poster of the famous band Oblivion.
Her eyes sparkled with excitement.
She was one of the band's biggest fans.
And among all the members, her favorite was Zol.
To be more precise...
She had a massive crush on him.
Even though her father strongly opposed the idea, Cherry had stubbornly ignored his objections and traveled to the Philippines anyway.
She stood in front of the poster and stared dreamily at Zol's handsome face.
"Wow..."
She clasped her hands together and giggled.
"You're really handsome."
Her cheeks turned pink.
"I can't wait to meet you in person."
Little did Cherry know...
This trip was about to change her life forever.