LOGINAmelia had just returned to the office after a hearty lunch with the sweetest man in the world.And the best part?He was hers.A smile lingered on her lips, warm enough to brighten the entire floor. It was almost contagious.The employees who knew about her relationship exchanged knowing smiles as she walked past them, but Amelia couldn’t have cared less.Her thoughts were completely occupied by one man.“I think it’s time I met your parents.”Just remembering Daniel’s words sent another wave of warmth through her chest.Tomorrow.They had decided on tomorrow.It was the weekend, and Daniel would finally meet her family.The thought alone filled her with excitement.She already knew they would adore him.How could they not?He was kind, thoughtful, respectful, funny…Perfect.And finally, she would get an explanation from her parents about why they had hidden Daniel’s identity from her all those years.She smiled to herself.Two birds with one stone.Walking into her office, Amelia s
Daniel was a man of his word.It wasn’t long before he arrived at Hart Corporation to pick Amelia up, and together they headed toward one of the city’s finest Chinese restaurants.The drive there was filled with the same effortless teasing and playful flirting that had quickly become second nature to them.It never got old.Somehow, every conversation with Daniel made Amelia smile.Likewise, Daniel found himself looking over at her every chance he got, still unable to believe she was really his.Soon they arrived at the restaurant.Daniel had already made a reservation, so they were immediately shown to a quiet table near the window.After ordering their meals, the two settled into easy conversation while waiting for the food to arrive.Just then—“Amelia?”The familiar voice made her look up.Her eyes widened slightly.“Alexander?”Standing a few feet away was the man she once believed she would spend the rest of her life with.He looked…Different.His suit was still expensive, but
Daniel would soon realized he wasn’t the only one distracted by love.He simply happened to be the happier victim of it.For what felt like the hundredth time that morning, he caught himself smiling for absolutely no reason as he walked through the grand lobby of Carter Global Holdings.Employees greeted him respectfully as always, but more than one person did a double take.Their usually composed CEO looked…Happy.Genuinely happy.Daniel adjusted the knot of his tie as he stepped into his private office, only to be met by the amused smile of his secretary.“Feeling good today, sir?”Daniel looked up from straightening his cufflinks.“Is it that obvious?”She nodded without hesitation.“Very obvious, sir.”He chuckled, shaking his head.“Well… what can I say?”She folded her arms, pretending to study him.“I’ve worked for you for years.”“I don’t think I’ve ever seen you smile this much before ten in the morning.”Daniel laughed again.“I suppose some things are worth smiling about.”
The movie quickly became nothing more than a blur of moving colors and distant voices.Neither of them had any idea what was happening on the screen anymore.Amelia shifted on Daniel’s lap until she was sitting sideways against him, her back resting comfortably against his chest. The warmth of his embrace surrounded her almost instantly, and the familiar scent of cedarwood and fresh linen settled around her like a comforting blanket.For a while, neither of them spoke.Daniel simply held her.His hand rested naturally on her waist, his thumb absentmindedly tracing slow circles against the fabric of her pajamas. Every gentle stroke made Amelia’s heartbeat quicken just a little more.“Daniel…”Her voice was barely above a whisper.“Hm?”She slowly turned in his arms until they were facing each other.Their eyes met.Neither of them looked away.There was laughter lingering between them from only moments before, but something quieter had settled in its place now.Something deeper.Someth
Daniel couldn’t stop smiling as he watched Amelia take another spoonful of lasagna.The moment it touched her tongue, she closed her eyes in pure delight.“That good?” he asked, thoroughly enjoying every one of her reactions.She answered with nothing more than a series of enthusiastic nods before taking another bite.Daniel chuckled.“Then eat some more. I made it for you.”Amelia swallowed before pointing her fork at him.“You know you’re going to spoil me if you keep this up.”“That’s exactly what I intend to do.”There wasn’t the slightest hint of teasing in his voice.He meant every word.Judging by the way Amelia suddenly became interested in her plate, she knew it too.A soft blush slowly crept across her cheeks.Daniel smiled to himself.There was a brief, comfortable silence before he spoke again.“Would you like to stay the night?”Silence.He immediately realized how that might have sounded.“I mean…”He rubbed the back of his neck.“It’s completely alright if you’d rather—
Grocery shopping turned out to be far easier than either of them had expected.Between Daniel’s organized shopping list and Amelia’s determination to throw anything that looked appetizing into the cart, they were back at the checkout in no time.“Do we really need all of this?” Daniel asked, raising an eyebrow as he looked at the overflowing basket.“We absolutely do.”“We’re only making lasagna.”“And?”“And lasagna deserves dessert.”Daniel narrowed his eyes playfully.“I don’t remember agreeing to dessert.”Amelia gasped dramatically.“You don’t?”“No.”She pointed toward the freezer section.“Then allow me to convince you.”Before Daniel could stop her, she had already skipped over to the ice cream freezers.A few moments later, she returned triumphantly, holding up a tub of vanilla ice cream.“A light dessert,” she declared proudly.Daniel looked from the ice cream to her hopeful face.“…Light?”She nodded with complete confidence.“Very light.”He laughed.“I don’t think that’s
Alexander didn’t remember the drive back.Didn’t remember the turns he took.The lights he passed.The distance he covered.Only that he was sitting in his car now.Still.And alone.The engine had long gone quiet, but he hadn’t made a move to step out. His hands rested loosely on the steering whee
Alexander didn’t walk in immediately.The car engine had gone quiet minutes ago, but he remained seated, his gaze fixed on the restaurant just across the street. The soft glow of lights spilled through the glass windows, warm and inviting, a sharp contrast to the tension coiled tightly in his chest
Alexander had not moved from his desk for a long time.Not because there was nothing to do.But because nothing in front of him seemed important enough to hold his attention.The reports were open.The numbers clear.The decisions waiting.And yet.His mind refused to stay there.It kept drifting.
The meeting came to an end, but the tension did not leave with it.If anything, it settled deeper into the room, clinging to every surface, every glance, every unspoken conclusion drawn in silence. Chairs shifted back, files were gathered, quiet conversations began to form in low tones, but no one







