LOGINRomilda’s eyes rolled in irritation when she noticed another woman wearing an almost identical dress. The color choice was far too similar, even though Romilda’s gown was clearly more revealing and glamorous. She hurried toward the restroom, nearly slamming the door shut behind her.“Matteo, that bastard. Why did he have to bring me here?” Romilda muttered angrily. “God, I hate him. I hate him!”She placed her mask beside the sink, turned on the faucet, and washed her hands roughly. Her mind raced, searching for a way to get out of the party.“I’ll just pretend I’m sick. That should work,” Romilda murmured.After lightly splashing water on her face, Romilda fixed her makeup. It barely mattered anyway—the event was a masquerade, which she found utterly ridiculous.She quickly left the restroom and headed back toward the main hall, glancing left and right from behind her mask. Her irritation only grew stronger. The party made it even harder to find Matteo.“Where is that bastard?” she h
Rose stared at the white dress Aaron was holding up, then shifted her gaze to her boss. Meanwhile, Aaron was comfortably seated, enjoying snacks and drinks provided by the boutique. Rose frowned, silently demanding an explanation.“It looks good.” Aaron gave a thumbs-up.“Sir, I will not be attending that wedding,” Rose said politely, but her refusal was unmistakable.“Do you want a different color? Or a different style?”Rose nearly burst into tears out of sheer frustration. Aaron completely ignored her words. “I don’t want to go, sir.”What made it even worse was the fact that Aaron hadn’t changed his clothes. He had already bought a new polo shirt and trousers, yet he chose to wear Rose’s oversized T-shirt and her pants instead. His excuse made no sense.“This is comfortable.”A shirt that didn’t even cost three dollars was somehow more comfortable than one worth thousands?“Yes means yes, Rose.” Aaron shrugged indifferently, then loudly slurped the last of his lemon juice. “Just p
Romilda let out an irritated huff, deliberately loud enough for Matteo to hear. Matteo, however, seemed to turn a deaf ear. He continued to hold onto Romilda’s arm as they stepped off the plane together. Romilda wanted nothing more than to shove him away, but she held herself back because other passengers were disembarking as well.“What is the point of coming to Belgium?” Romilda muttered.She had her own plans. She intended to buy property in Italy and live there after she got her hands on the Cavanaugh family shares.Her plan was simple. Once the shares were legally hers, she would sell them. Of course, she would offer them back to the Cavanaugh family at a very high price. Selling them cheaply to outsiders would throw the family business into chaos.Romilda had thought everything through.But now, every plan was falling apart. From looking for property, to threatening Matteo, to the shares she still could not obtain.One year felt unbearably long. Far too long.“We will stay at a
At precisely six in the morning, the jet touched down smoothly. Outside, it was still dark, fog swallowing what should’ve been a sunlit morning. The slight jolt of the landing stirred Rose awake. Blinking, she turned toward the window— they had arrived in Belgium.Once the jet came to a complete stop, Rose stood up and folded the blanket on her seat. Oddly, there were two blankets on her; no wonder she felt hot. She waited until the flight attendant approached and signaled that they could disembark.When Rose glanced at Aaron, her boss was still fast asleep. She blinked, exchanging a look with the attendant.“We have to wake him, right?” Rose asked carefully.The attendant smiled sweetly. “We always wait until all passengers leave, ma’am.”“So he can just wake up whenever he wants?”“Yes.” She nodded politely. “That’s part of our service.”So Rose was supposed to sit here until Aaron woke up? She started to panic a little.“So I just… sit?” Rose muttered uncertainly.“We have a lounge
Aaron’s palms suddenly landed on Rose’s desk. Rose, who had been typing, jumped in surprise and leaned back a little. She looked up to find Aaron standing right in front of her.“Do you have a passport?” Aaron asked out of nowhere.Rose blinked. “I do, sir.”“Postpone all my meetings for the next five days. We’re going to Europe tonight.”And just like that, Aaron walked into his office as if nothing was out of the ordinary, while Rose sat frozen, trying to process her boss’s words. She hurried out of her seat and followed him.“Europe? Are you sure, sir?” Rose asked in confusion.As far as she knew, Aaron had no scheduled trips or meetings in Europe for the next three weeks. This impulsive decision could throw off the carefully arranged month-long schedule.“Yes.” Aaron sat casually on the couch, completely relaxed. “My cousin is getting married and invited me. So I have to go.”Rose nodded. “Oh… then what does that have to do with me? Why do I need my passport?”“Because you’re comi
Matteo let out a long, weary breath as he sat inside the car. He had been there for more than ten minutes, doing nothing. Just staring blankly at the buses leaving the terminal one after another.He had followed Aaron all the way to the bus terminal.Matteo had no idea what Rose was doing there. All he saw from a distance was Aaron having a small argument with her, and then it ended with Aaron kissing Rose. Kissing her.Why did Matteo’s chest ache so badly when he saw Aaron kiss Rose in public?Rose was nobody to Matteo. They did not even know each other. And yet, the look in her eyes felt so familiar to him. Eyes that once made his heart tremble and feel alive.“My God,” Matteo whispered.His troubled thoughts were interrupted when his phone vibrated. He reached for it on the passenger seat and glanced at the screen. Letty’s name appeared. He did not feel like answering, but ignoring her was not an option.“Yes, Letty?” Matteo greeted.Whether it was instinct or the tiredness in his







