By dinner, Deja decided to try again—because clearly, the universe was drunk and the family was not playing their role. "Dominique mentioned she's been working on a business proposal," she said brightly, locking eyes with Edward Zuo across the twelve-foot mahogany table. "Luxury pet accessories. Real innovative. Like, silk bonnets for emotional support chihuahuas."
Edward blinked. "Is that... a real market?"
"Oh absolutely," Deja nodded, stabbing a dumpling like it owed her money. "Rich folks will buy anything if you slap the word 'bespoke' on it. Dominique's gonna make millions off poodles in rhinestones."
Ming coughed discreetly into her napkin. Lily didn't bother—she full-on snorted into her soup.
Deja nearly jumped out of her skin, scrambling backward on the bed. Her guardian angel stood at the foot of the bed, examining its perfectly manicured nails with a look of mild disappointment."You're back?" Deja gasped. "It's already been a month?""Yes, girl, I'm here to talk about your progress," the angel confirmed, conjuring a glowing tablet from thin air. It scrolled through some celestial spreadsheet with a deepening frown. "And let me guess—you already know you're failing."Deja groaned, flopping back on the pillows. "That bad, huh?""Let's check the receipts, shall we?" The angel tapped the screen, and glowing percentages appeared in the air:
She glanced at the caller ID. Her eyes narrowed."Oh HELL no, why is she calling me?"Ming leaned in with visible interest. "She who?""Dominique," Deja muttered, but then—an idea. A brilliantly petty idea bloomed in her brain.Wait. Wait a damn minute. Dominique coming here could fix everything.Her voice immediately went fake-sweet like syrup on grits. "Deja, darling cousin," Dominique's saccharine voice oozed through the speaker. "You forgot your medication at home. Your mother is terribly worried."Deja's t
Sunlight streamed through the gauzy curtains, falling across Deja's face. She scrunched her eyes tighter, trying to hold onto sleep, but the brightness was relentless. Groggily, she reached for her phone and checked the time.11:02 AM."ELEVEN?! Oh HELL no!"One fuzzy slipper flew off as she scrambled out of bed, knocking into a suspiciously delicate vase that she caught just in time. She skid across the polished floors like a cartoon character, grabbed the edge of the bathroom doorway, and whipped herself inside."Not me missing rich people breakfast," she muttered, yanking a bonnet off her head like it had betrayed her. "I swear,
By dinner, Deja decided to try again—because clearly, the universe was drunk and the family was not playing their role. "Dominique mentioned she's been working on a business proposal," she said brightly, locking eyes with Edward Zuo across the twelve-foot mahogany table. "Luxury pet accessories. Real innovative. Like, silk bonnets for emotional support chihuahuas."Edward blinked. "Is that... a real market?""Oh absolutely," Deja nodded, stabbing a dumpling like it owed her money. "Rich folks will buy anything if you slap the word 'bespoke' on it. Dominique's gonna make millions off poodles in rhinestones."Ming coughed discreetly into her napkin. Lily didn't bother—she full-on snorted into her soup.
It wasn't planned. It wasn't precise.But it was definitely a kiss.They both froze.Deja blinked.Ren blinked back at her.Earl barked once, tail wagging like he'd absolutely meant for this to happen.Deja rolled off of him, sitting up with a stunned laugh. "That... wasn't in the schedule."Ren sat up slowly, rubbing the back of his neck. "Definitely not on the itinerary."They sat in silence for a moment,
"Have you seen what your fiancée has done?" she said, with way too much delight."I'm looking at it right now," Ren replied, still scrolling through the photos in disbelief."Earl has more followers than that influencer I hired for our last campaign," his mother continued. "And the engagement is incredible. People are obsessed."Ren paused on a particularly ridiculous image of Earl wearing a tiny chef's hat, apparently "cooking" in what looked like Deja's kitchen. "This is... I don't even know what this is.""It's marketing genius, is what it is," his mother replied pragmatically. "Do you have any idea how much pet influencers make in spo