Owen was amused. Regina managed to avoid him all week by hiding in the bathroom or the kitchen when he came in to greet his mom, finding one task or another, so they had no interactions. He tried to be astute about his timings when he came home, but for some reason, she always knew the minute he arrived. He heard snippets of her voice as she talked to several members of the household, sometime catching glimpses or her as she darted to her car or moved about the house. It was Friday and Owen just wanted to relax, so he came home early and got himself a beer from the fridge. Regina usually took half the day off, so he knew he had the house to himself for a few hours until his brothers arrived. Owen was on the treadmill with only his riding shorts on when his mother walked in. “You’re on my machine,” she declared. It was the last 30 mins of his workout. After lifting weights, he was doing cardio to strengthen his lungs and his heart, and during this time, he usually listened to music

“You should have seen your face. I’m not a pervert who places cameras without telling people. That’s an invasion of privacy.” Regina frowned. ‘What is wrong with him? Why is he laughing?’ He twirled the pen in his hand. “Unless you think I should place cameras in her room. Are there things I need to know?” Regina looked annoyed as she sat back down. ‘Did he just play a trick on me and laugh in my face?’ “And I didn’t hear your conversation,” Owen said as he stood beside her chair and sat on his desk, “Though now it makes me very curious. Will you tell me what you were talking about that made you think I’d fire you?” “I would rather not repeat it, plus I don’t want Marius to get in trouble. You can punish me all you want.” Owen cocked an eyebrow. “What is it with you and protecting all the men around you?” It baffled Owen that instead of throwing people under the bus to save her neck, Regina repeatedly volunteered herself for punishment. It went against what he thought he knew

Regina stopped by Jason’s bakery before heading to her parents. She wanted to bring them some of the pastries and cakes she enjoyed from his place. “Ms. Regina, I’m glad to see you in here again. Do you want to tell me what you want, and we’ll bring it to your table?” “Jason, can we drop the formalities? We’re friends, aren’t we? Or I think at least we are.” “We are, Regina. So what can I do for you today? Are you dining in?” “Oh, not today, Jason. I need to visit my parents, so I need an Iced Latte with an extra shot of espresso, then an entire chocolate cake, and wrap me some of your favorites. Mostly fruit ones, if you have them.” “Are you having a party?” “No, I just want to distract them with sweets, and maybe they’ll stop asking me the usual annoying questions.” Jason smiles and nods knowingly. Of course, she loved her parents, but they constantly nagged her about her job, and now that they have that squared off, they can’t stop talking about marriage. Regina tapped he

“Where have you been?” Regina turned around swiftly, ready to face Owen with a snarky comment. “Ms. Regina, I’m sorry if I startled you.” “Oh my gosh, it’s just you.” “I tried to call your attention earlier, but you weren’t responding.” “Hey, Art. What are you doing here? Do you live in the area?” “I’m... I uh… well uhm… Ms. Regina, do you mind if I talk to you somewhere private?” “Uhm, sure, let me set these things down, and I’ll be right back.” Arthur saw the flowers in one of her bags while a frown followed Regina as she entered the building. Regina bought a few boxes of tea and some desserts to take home from the event. She wanted to share some of it with a few people from the Bennet household and her doorman, Jeffrey, and his assistant. “Jeffrey, this bag is for you guys. I got you some tea and desserts from the hotel.” “Oh, Ms. Regina, you shouldn’t have. You spoil us too much.” “Well, you guys do a good job guarding this building and ensuring our safety at all times

“Marius, can you keep a secret?” Regina had been contemplating the whole day if she should tell Marius what happened last weekend, and several times she shot down the idea, but in the end, thinking about it too much had made her anxious. Working at the hospital left her with no friends. Her best friend and brother, Raffy, would never understand her predicament, so she had to confide in another person. Marius signaled by zipping his mouth and throwing away the key. “Wait, before you tell me anything, I wanted to say that you look very happy today. There’s a glow about you that looks like you got laid. Okay, zipping my mouth again.” “First off, I did not get laid,” she rolled her eyes, “But I went on a date, and ended up with two men confessing their feelings for me.” “Oh my gosh girlfriend, look at you. Men lined up all the way out the door.” “Oh, don’t exaggerate. It’s two guys and I barely know them.” “Still, don’t you feel elated that two men are infatuated with you?” “Oh shu