Something was bothering Aqua, and Dawn tried to figure out what it was. Ever since they finished their ice cream, Aqua was huffy. They were in the taxi on their way to the hotel, where Dawn reserved them a room with fake names and a dinner date at a fancy restaurant later in the evening. With some string-pulling, he found out where these guests would be dining.Sneaking over to grasp Aqua’s fingers intertwined with his, Dawn studied her expressions. The mermaid’s expression morphed from a frown to one of surprise, turning to look at him.“What’s wrong?” he mouthed the words, even though the driver was playing rather loud classical music over the radio.Aqua blinked dumbly and stared at their joined hands. Dawn was truly confused and concerned about her, but Aqua did not know what to tell him. How could one possibly be more than family as a human? She might appear human now, but she was still a mermaid masquerading as one. The only courtsh

Although the food was appetising, Aqua didn’t eat much.  Her stomach kept turning like waves when she thought about what would happen after dinner. She barely touched her shrimp salad until Dawn reached over the table to touch her hand.Without words, he poured his feelings through their connection, and Aqua blushed. The waitress earlier that day said that such a thing wasn’t common between family members. Now that she thought about it, they did many things normal family members wouldn’t usually do. Did it mean that Dawn liked her more than a family member? However, she remembered him promising they would always be together as a family. Human dynamics were confusing!“We don’t want to be late for the show,” he reminded her gently, prompting Aqua to pick up the fork. The giddy mermaid nodded and started munching mechanically.They finished the meal in twenty minutes, and Aqua thought they would leave when Dawn ordered dessert.

It glowed brightly like sunlight through a prism and turned warm on her chest. Aqua watched as Dawn fell into a trance-like state when she spoke to him with uncontrolled emotions. The colourful heart scale was usually hidden beneath the shirt. However, it sparkled briefly when feeding on the mermaid’s feelings. The bubbling sensation from Aqua’s stomach rose to her throat whenever she was ready to awaken her hypnotic voice. It did not take the smart mermaid long to learn how to recognise signs of her powers to control it.“How was it?” Dawn asked, feeling dazed as he came back to reality. The illusion that Aqua painted with her song was so vivid that it could be addicting if she did not go easy on him.After testing her newly found ability for the fifth time, Aqua finally understood how it worked. Her mother left too early to explain fully how her awakened voice worked, so Dawn offered to become her test subject.“I think I know how to co

Beep!Dawn checked his phone. He had a meeting in five minutes. However, the man had become more distracted ever since Aqua started working. Although her work did not start until evening, the CEO of a newly founded company couldn’t help but check every text he had. Aqua woke up later than usual in the morning. If Dawn were honest, he missed those little morning hugs and kisses. He could barely afford the time to see her in the afternoon after work started piling up. While he continued to look forward to the little lunch boxes she prepared for him, microwaved meals tasted different from freshly cooked ones.The only things keeping him from not reporting to his lonely office were those midday texts Aqua would send him once she woke up. The mermaid was adjusting to the human lifestyle rather quickly. Apart from new moon night transformations, the blonde beauty appeared no different from other humans. Her mannerisms might be a tad awkward, but most people would think of

It happened. As soon as Gordon secured the new deal with that pharmaceutical company, Dawn’s business phone blew up with congratulatory messages, all wanting to interview the elusive businessman. After his net worth doubled in a few hours, he was the hottest man in town. Jenny and Gordon couldn’t stop the persistent press from camping outside the office building. Thankfully, security was tight, and Dawn managed to escape, driving off in his tinted sedan. He had never been happier about the real estate investment in this city. Even if those news reporters gave chase, they couldn’t enter the tightly secured luxury condominium many other highly-profiled individuals lived in.It was four in the afternoon when he arrived at the penthouse. Aqua was studying the ingredients in the fridge when the door opened. She looked surprised at the time as Dawn dashed in with a radiant grin.“Come on,” he smirked. “Let’s go on a date. I reserved a ro