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Carissa's POV 

However, a week later, when my parents and brother returned, I was shocked by one piece of news. They casually dropped the bombshell that Dylan was going to be staying with us for a while due to some unexpected circumstances. My heart sank, and panic surged through me. 

“Are you throwing a birthday party and inviting your high school friends?!”

My scream made Raihan, my oldest brother, look at me strangely. 

“What’s wrong? Is there a problem?” he asked, his muscular frame and sharp brown eyes focused on me.

“Aren’t you ashamed of your age?!” I blurted out, frustration bubbling over.

“What does celebrating a birthday have to do with shame?” Raihan replied casually, unfazed by my outburst. “Besides, I told you about the party last month, right? Even before you came back here.”

I felt a mix of disbelief and irritation. How could he be so nonchalant about it? All I could think about was the imminent awkwardness of sharing a house with Dylan while my brother celebrated his birthday. The thought of facing both my brother’s friends and Dylan made my stomach churn. This was turning into a nightmare I couldn’t escape!

I fidgeted with my fingers. Honestly, I had forgotten everything my brother mentioned about the birthday party. He didn’t care much before, but now…  

What happened between me and Dylan made me think twice!  

“Are you inviting Dylan too?” I asked anxiously.  

Hearing my question, Raihan, who was busy watching the morning news, froze. He turned his gaze from the TV screen and looked at me suspiciously.  

“Why are you asking about Dylan?” Slowly, a smirk appeared on my brother’s lips. “Do you still like him?”

 Raihan’s teasing made me quickly deny it. “No! I’m just asking!”  

Smiling knowingly at my reaction, Raihan replied, “Unfortunately, Dylan isn’t coming. He’s busy working abroad.”  

Confused by Raihan’s answer, I wondered if he didn’t know that his friend had returned to the country. How could that be? Aren’t they close friends?!  

However, I quickly brushed aside those questions with a small shake of my head. It was none of my business, especially whether Raihan knew about Dylan’s presence here.  

It could be dangerous if Raihan found out Dylan was here; the chances of them meeting would increase, and I didn’t want that to happen!  

I chose to remain silent; what happened between me and my brother’s friend would remain a secret forever! I hoped that the man himself was also unaware of what we had done that night.  

Or at least, that was my hope for now.  

That evening, my family's usually quiet home was bustling with activity.

With a stage featuring a professional band in the backyard, an entertaining MC, and a variety of dishes, Raihan's birthday party was celebrated in style. The atmosphere was vibrant, filled with laughter and music, but I felt like a fish out of water.

“Carissa! Long time no see! You’re getting more beautiful!” a familiar voice called out, pulling me from my thoughts.

“Oh my, I feel like I’m seeing you all grown up!” another guest chimed in, and I plastered a smile on my face, trying to mask my unease.

As I navigated through the crowd, I couldn’t shake the feeling of Dylan’s presence looming over me. The mingling, the laughter—it all felt so normal, yet my heart raced with anxiety. I forced myself to engage, but my mind was elsewhere, worrying about how I would handle the inevitable moment when I would face him again.

The warm greetings and playful banter from Raihan's relatives at the party made me smile sweetly.  

As per my agreement with my brother, I was tasked with helping him host the guests, especially his high school friends. And that’s exactly what I was doing.  

“How was your experience studying abroad, Carissa? Have you found a boyfriend yet?” 

That question made me sigh internally. I had anticipated my brother's friends would ask this at the party, so I had prepared an answer.

“Unfortunately, not yet. Still in the selection process,” I replied with a sweet smile, adding a hint of teasing. “But if anyone wants to introduce me to someone, I’m all for it!” I suggested half-jokingly, knowing it wouldn’t be taken seriously.

Laughter erupted around me, and for a moment, I felt more at ease. But as the conversation continued, my mind drifted back to Dylan. I couldn't help but wonder if he was listening, if he was smirking at my attempts to deflect attention. The party buzzed with energy, yet I felt a sense of dread about what was to come. Would I really be able to keep my composure when confronted by the very person I wanted to avoid?

Unexpectedly, my response made Raihan’s female friends laugh awkwardly. “If we introduce you, we wouldn’t dare, Carissa,” they said, making me furrow my brows. “Dylan might get mad!”  

Suddenly, I was taken aback.  

Why bring Dylan into this? What does my love life have to do with that annoying guy?  

Another of Raihan's friends chimed in, “That’s right. If we introduce another guy to you, we’ll have to deal with Dylan! Who doesn’t know how protective he is of you?”  

“Ugh, even Raihan is scared!” said another friend, shivering in mock fear.  

“Sadly, after graduating high school, Dylan went to college in America and hasn’t returned since. I’m being left behind by my future husband!”  

Hearing that last comment made everyone burst into laughter while my face turned red. The joke based on my first love experience was truly embarrassing!  

At the peak of my embarrassment, I suddenly heard someone say, “Don’t you know that talking about someone behind their back is not a good thing?”

When I heard that voice from behind, my whole body froze. 

‘No… it can’t be, right?’ 

My heart raced, and I quickly turned to identify the source of the voice, confirming that my ears weren’t deceiving me about someone I knew quite well.

Yes! The man standing tall behind me in a luxurious suit was none other than my first love and the one who had taken my purity, Emperor Dylan Drake! 

Anyone who has seen this perfectly chiseled face would surely find it hard to forget Dylan easily, especially me, who had just spent the night with him a few days ago!  

“Dy-Dylan?”