Sunday, weekend. 

“I swear it wasn’t supposed to blow up this big.” 

But things aren’t going the way she wanted. Browsing the internet with her mobile phone, she saw her name in the domestic trends is still hanging high occupying three spots: Sena’s interview with La Bella. Sena got drunk and escaped with a mysterious man. 

Pffft— mysterious man. She thought funnily. 

The comment section of the social media page has thoroughly turned into a pot of porridge with different kinds of opinions mixed in. 

[La Bella’s featured celebrity is supposed to be Cassandra Liu. What the hell happened suddenly having Sena Erde’s name?]

[Shameless woman, if she gets featured I will not buy La Bella magazine!]

[I changed my thoughts about her when I watched the reality show but another piece of bad news suddenly came out.]

[Hey, don’t jump to conclusions yet. There was no announcement from both La Bella and Sena Erde’s sides!]

[I don’t know, I feel like we are being deceived. Not long ago the one high up the trends was about a certain movie king caught up in a scandal between a newcomer and his official CP.]

Sena didn’t know whether to laugh or cry. She was minding her own business when this huge pile of dirt suddenly fell on her head. It shouldn’t be this way. She felt that someone was deliberately guiding these topics to focus on her. 

About the root of the current gossip, it actually happened a few days ago… 

 

Friday night, to the agents of Diamond Realtors it was another get together after the hectic working days. A large serving of seafood medley filled up the entire space of their table and cold glasses of beer were raised as everyone congratulated the newly formed couple. 

“To Jue and Katya, I wish you everlasting happiness and a bond stronger than iron!” Elia cheered. 

“Thank you!” Jue replied, scratching his nape shyly. He and his girlfriend just returned from the camping trip and announced their relationship. The whole office teased them all morning and demanded they should celebrate hence they ended up here. 

“Congratulations!”

Rui snorted while pretending to be sour, “I’m obviously prettier than Katya but Jue has bad eyesight and chose her instead of me. Humph, don’t break up too soon!” 

Everyone laughed hearing his shameless declaration of a failed love.

“Don’t worry sister Rui, you’ll find a man better than him. Preferably someone with a perfect row of abs and gorgeous muscles.” Elia comforted him with a plate of grilled stuffed squid. 

“Of course!” He replied by picking up the food and started gnawing happily. 

“And if you can’t find that kind of lover, you better start training and develop your muscles to attract one yourself.”

“Ghurl,” He exclaimed, “I’m a natural-born bottom. I'm already tall enough to intimidate other tops. If I grow more muscles, who else would dare date me?!” 

Katya sighed, “No matter what you look like if they are sincere, they will like you anyway.” 

“Katya’s right.” Jue second and poured a glass of iced tea to his girlfriend. “Have a drink first,”

“Can I have shrimp next?”

The other looked sour at the couple’s interaction. Shameless PDA! 

Then the topic circled back to the new couple. 

“Boss, shouldn’t we ban office romance?” Elia glowered. 

Sena who was cracking a crab leg paused with a lost face. “Why?”

“Forget it.” Elia waved defeatedly. “Baby is too young to understand.” 

Sena: I, I’m not. 

The agents resumed their teasing and she watched them banter around unabashedly. The tense workweek is making them age rapidly! At least for a little while, they can finally put their shoulders down and relax. She scooped the crab meat from the shell and dipped it in vinegar and garlic and ate with relish. After finishing it with one bite, she went ahead and reached for the baked scallops starting another round of eating. 

The table turned unusually quiet as everyone’s eyes inadvertently stuck to her. Elia, who had nothing to do, opened her phone and began recording the evidence of their boss’ starving image. With her fingers smeared with red sauce, the shells piled up like a small hill and her mouth chewing fast, Elia was reminded of her gluttonous pet rabbit destroying lettuce twice its size. The atmosphere seems harmonious, everyone dared not make excessive noises while watching her eat. If anyone asked them:

“So, what did you do this weekend?” 

They would probably answer:

“Oh, nothing. We just sat for a whole five minutes secretly staring at our boss adorably devouring stuff…” 

Sena ate a lot of crabs and mussels. Laughed along when someone tosses in a joke, blissfully unaware of the consequences that might follow after. When everyone dispersed, a sudden pain jolted her stomach. 

“Umph…” 

“Boss?” April stopped and looked at her worriedly. 

They were just walking on the side of the street filled with people coming in for the night food stalls. Sena thought they were only a few hundred meters towards the parking lot so she tried to endure. 

“It’s... alright, just a little stomach upset.” She said as she drew a deep breath and swallowed hard, fighting the beer and sauce trying to crawl up her throat. 

They walked for a few more steps and stopped at a dimly lit corner. Sena couldn’t hold it and vomited the food out. Her face turned pale visible to the naked eye. Cold sweat formed on her nose and forehead as the burning pain gradually spread. 

April dug out a handkerchief, wiped her face and held her closely. “I’ll take you to the hospital,” 

It was probably the combination of cold drinks and seafood that caused her stomach pain. When she came and took over her diet, the boss ate on time but little accidents still cannot be avoided especially when work is piling up. Sena straightened up and stepped back into the path. 

“It looks like someone got drunk a little too early.” April heard people say.

“Would you look at that? She seems familiar.”

A snickering voice chimed in, “Familiar my ass, isn’t that Sena Erde?”

Some people eating on the other side began to notice the two ladies. The much bolder ones took out their cellphones trying to snap a shot. Others obviously didn’t know her but they thought it was fun taking photos of other people’s embarrassing moments. 

April glared at the guy who boldly came forward and raised his phone to their face. April put her hand just in time to cover the lens. “What are you doing? You’re breaching someone’s privacy!”

The guy clicked his tongue and showed no signs of retreating. Instead, he smiled teasingly, “Beauty, your companion looks familiar. Is she a star?”

“No.” April said mildly while putting her hand towards the guy’s camera lens. “She is my boss and a real estate executive.”

The guy narrowed his eyes. He raised his phone again, “I really seem to know her.”

April did not want to lose patience and make a scene but the person was obnoxious. 

“Why can’t you leave people alone?” She covered the lens again and said frigidly this time, “It’s late, you would not want to squat in the police station for harassment, won’t you?”  

“Hey, don’t be petty.” The guy laughed. Sue him? Who dares?! 

Another passerby asked, “Isn’t she in the ad? What is she doing here? Is she drunk?”  

“None of your business.” Sena’s stomach pain was intense but she was still sober enough to know these people were one of Linsy Miles’ friends. She raised her head, searched for the culprit but found Lyndon instead of his cousin.  

Her eyes turned cold, “Either you delete that photo and walk away without problems or you can choose to post it and receive my lawyer’s letter.” 

The guy hooted, “What can you do to me?”

He waved his phone several times wanting to snap another shot when he suddenly felt a kick on the back of his knee. He folded and fell hard on the ground. “Fuck!”

The people crowding them stepped back unconsciously. 

“Who the hell’s blind that kicked me— ugh!”  

“Me.” 

Nicholas stood from behind towering over him with the kind of arctic gaze that makes all his muscles slack and his body cold. The guy realized he couldn’t beat this one. The air of someone who had taken several lives overwhelmed him so much he couldn’t properly breathe. 

“Everyone here is a witness, he’s harassing the two ladies here and maliciously took a photo without consent.”

“Hey, what the hell man? I was just—”

Nicholas, without breaking his chilly gaze mustered the meanest and coldest tone he uses when dealing with scums, “I’m not bargaining with you.”

There was a sharp intake of breaths.

“Don’t let him escape until the police come.”  

Someone is going to get arrested for snapping a shot. The ones who joined in the fun quickly deleted their copies and pretended not to get involved. Who wants to visit the precinct at this late hour?

Two men came and blocked the guy from running away. He kept looking at his buddies who were sitting not far away asking for help but none of them moved, especially Lyndon who was pretending not to see his plight. 

The guy with the phone turned pale. Damn all these bastards! They taunted him to harass Sena Erde and now they wanted out? The guy gritted his teeth in anger. He regretted being impulsive so much that he wanted to rush up and beat those so-called buddies but if he did, he would surely suffer more than this. They were people with strong backing, what can a slacker like him do? 

Nicholas followed his gaze and found Lyndon Miles five tables away from them. Surprisingly, despite the mayor having trouble, his nephew can still swagger around worry-free and pollute people’s eyes. 

He won’t be jumping for long. He thought grimly. 

He no longer paid the person any mind and turned to April. “What happened?”

“Boss just had a beer and a little seafood.” 

Nicholas took over and let her lean on his shoulder. “We need to go to the hospital.”

He suddenly felt her tense up. “No, no hospital…”  

“You are not well.” He said softly then wrapped her with his coat.

The residual temperature of his body mixed with the smell of cologne made her confused head settle down. Sena had no idea how she got out of the crowd and laid on a hospital bed complete with a drip. 

She slept for three hours as the medicine took effect and her pains subsided. The first person she saw when waking up was Nicholas leaning on the side of the bed looking at her. 

“Feeling better?” There was a touch of worry in between his eyebrow and a hint of helplessness in his tone. 

“You… How did you find us?”

He cocked an eyebrow, “I suddenly couldn’t find my girlfriend when she was supposed to be at home at this hour so I thought I should go out and search for the little troublemaker.” 

His nonchalant tone made her smile, “That still does not answer how you found us.”

“Well, as luck would have it, I have Leo’s contact number so…”

At the mention of Leonard Tang, Sena bounced up like a spring. Her honey-coloured eyes are widening. “You, you asked big brother?”

“Yes.” He nodded. “I found you after all.” 

Just like that...?

Her eyes moved away from his face guiltily then she uttered a sheepish, “Thank you…” 

“Listen, honey, if you’re not ready to tell them yet, I’ll respect your decision but,” he trailed with a playful wink, “Don’t make me wait long, hm?”

She felt something soft and warm unfurl in her chest. “I’ll tell them soon.” 

Nicholas leaned over and kissed her forehead. Then, he put his hand on her tummy and asked softly. “Does it still hurt here?” 

She shook her head. 

“Hungry? Want to eat something? I bought soup.” 

His tone was lower because it was already very late at night, but then again, they are in a private ward, there is no reason for him to lower his voice. Sena moved to ease herself up on the pillow but when she felt the tension in her right hand she instantly froze. 

An IV needle is stuck in her skin drilled into her sight making her shiver. 

“Don’t look at it if it makes you uncomfortable. There are still a few minutes left for the bag to finish.” Nicholas said, helping her lean on a pillow. “I had Jacob send April home because it was already very late.” 

“Thank you, she might be worried.”

“She was but I told her that the doctor will give you medicine.” 

“What about you? You should be busy…” and he must be tired from work as well. 

Nicholas went to the side table and opened the bag with a sealed food box. “Work will always be there but we also have to know when to take time off.” 

The scent of spice and chicken wafted in the air, making her stomach gurgle. After she ate, the drip was also finished. The nurse came in and took it out leaving only a small bandage to stop any bleeding. 

All the while as they rode the elevator down to the lobby she kept looking at her hand and couldn’t put it down. Nicholas was amused looking at her as if a kitten holding her injured paw sadly. Her pink little mouth was pouting until they were in the car. 

“It will be gone in a little while.” He said, and couldn’t resist touching her head affectionately.

The atmosphere inside the car was oddly comforting that she had no inhibitions letting her guard down. After a night of extreme pain, her limbs felt loose and relaxed that even the soft touch on her head made her yawn. 

“I, I saw it.” She said in a nasally upset tone. Her eyelashes flickered tiredly fighting off sleepiness. “I saw it when the nurse pulled the needle out. It was long. Very long.” 

Fear can make you exaggerate. He thought amusedly. 

He hid his wretched smile under a cough. This girl, she looks so brave and sassy but afraid of needles? The contrast gave him a strange ticklish feeling in his chest.

“So then make sure to take care of your health so that you won’t be able to see the big needle next time.” 

It was probably the way he said it that made her cheeks hot. Or the when he sounded like an elder gently reminding her that gave her this soft fluttery feeling in her stomach. Uh-oh is she going to get another stomach upset? Sena stole a glance at him and found him smiling at her.

Sena shrunk her neck deeper into the collar of his coat, “Uh… have I thanked you yet, for sending me?” 

“You already have.” 

She shook her head, fiddled with her fingers and said in a small voice, “No, I want to properly make it up to you.”

“Alright then, how are you going to thank me?” 

“How about,” she licked her dry mouth tentatively. “How about I treat you to dinner? Is that alright…?” 

He chuckled lightly and pinched her cheeks. “Miss Erde seems to like treating people to a meal when extending her thanks.”

She blushed to the tips of her ears. It hasn’t been a week yet since they had a meal together and she vaguely remembers that Nicholas somehow ended up paying for the treat… 

“Well, if not a meal. What else interests you?”

He chuckled softly. “Just small things.” He replied in a deep voice seeping into her ears. “But for now—” 

Slowly, he came closer and closer. The deep languorous eyes held her intently until she could feel her heart rate jump erratically. She had always known Nicholas had such an expressive pair of eyes but she was not prepared to face the full impact of it. As she emerged into different kinds of thoughts, he had already pulled the seat belt strap from behind and locked it smoothly on her body. “Safety first.”  

The pink bubble that was just beginning to form burst making her unreasonably unhappy for some reason. The whole drive to their residence, Sena had not uttered a word and curled herself like a ball on her seat. She looked outside the window quietly looking at the landscape, the passing cars, the pedestrian anywhere but to him that she suffered a stiff neck. 

What was wrong with her?! Has she not gotten used to his teasing until now?

Nicholas looked at the sulking girl beside him with a sly smile. The drive to Paragon is fifteen minutes without traffic at most, it was already one in the morning with few vehicles on the road. She hadn’t noticed that he took several detours just to make the journey longer.

Just for a while, he wanted to stay with her and see more of that adorable face. 

“By the way,” Nicholas broke the silence when they were about to arrive. “TEMPEST Management is still the one handling your career, isn’t it? Did you know that they have a branch here in Country H?” 

Sena’s head snapped up. “Ah?”

“There, you finally looked at me.” He said with a big boyish grin. 

She pursed her lips and glared weakly. 

“I guess you forgot about it, huh?”

That goes without saying. 

“I haven’t, I just didn’t put too much thought into it.” She murmured. “Apple has done a splendid job helping me oversee the company abroad. He’d been assisting me with both business and career since he returned.”  

He nodded, “It’s reassuring to know that your secretary is a reliable one.” 

But just in case trouble knocks, she might need a much bigger backer. 

Sena was so sleepy that she couldn’t care less about her image dragging her feet towards the elevator when they entered the building. Nicholas shook his head helplessly, seeing that she was about to plant herself on the floor he took her shoes off, held her waist and leaned her lolling head to his shoulders. 

Her side profile is directly presented to him. As he looked closer, he noticed that there was a tiny inconspicuous mole on her lower lip. The little thing won’t be seen unless you look at it at a certain distance. Somehow, the longer he stared the more he liked seeing it. 

“Unn,” She groaned, rubbing her nose to his neck. 

He paused, feeling an electric current rushing from his toes up. Nicholas swallowed with difficulty. 

“Itchy…” Sena murmured, rubbing her face harshly. 

The fringes of her bangs were hitting her eyelashes from time to time making her frown. 

He chuckled, “Big baby.” then brushed her hair to the side. The person has completely fallen asleep now so he had no choice but to scoop her up and walk her to her bedroom under April’s shocked eyes.

“Is, Is she alright?”

Nicholas nodded, “Just tired. Show me her room.” 

April snapped out of her daze and led the visitor in. He climbed up the stairs towards her room. He paused when he smelled the fragrance wafting in the air. It was very comfortable yet sophisticated, also very light. Just like Sena. 

Then he saw the green dinosaur toy sitting on the soft bed bench. 

A warm smile tugged on his lips as he gently placed her on the wide bed and covered her with blankets after taking off her coat. After settling the girl back to her own place, he went home and climbed up the stairs. 

He pressed the remote tucking the curtains on the side. In front is the nighttime view of the bayside park below, exactly half the same as Sena’s bedroom on the other side. This means that they are just a wall away when sleeping. Thinking about his little neighbour gave him a long nice sleep that night. 

 

That night on the other side of Capital City.

Lyndon returned in a bad mood after hanging out with friends. Everything he thought of did not go well as planned. He wanted to create an opportunity to brush up goodwill on Sena but that man intervened again. Adding more damper to his evening was the moment he got home he saw two bodyguards coming down to the garage dragging along a large suitcase towards a black van. 

Approaching them, the men stopped and gave him a greeting.

“What happened this time?” He asked irritably. 

One of them dodged his inquisitive stare, “Young Master was upset the bail came out late and Sir locked all his cars in the underground garage.” 

Lyndon put his hands on his pockets and looked at the trolley. A piece of white fabric with sequins was caught in between the latch. He pretended not to see it but his smile rose into a mocking arc.  

“Now that uncle’s position is unstable he better behave and stop playing these mess up games before people catch his tail.”

It also affects his reputation. The years he stayed quiet abroad will all be in vain if that idiot created another scandal. Going to the elevator leading upstairs, what welcomed him as he walked into the living room was the bright blinding neon lights, a thick layer of smoke and a combination of a nasty smell.  

Linsy just pulled up his pants when he saw his cousin come in. The woman kneeling under him wiped the suspicious liquid off her mouth hastily and stood on her feet. 

“Back so late?” Linsy asked. “If I had known you’d hang out as well I could have called a few more chicks.” 

“No thanks,” Lyndon said, pinching the bridge of his nose. “You better clean up before uncle comes tomorrow and see you haven’t repented.” 

Linsy snorted and lit a cigarette, “That old pig won’t know unless you tattle on me, bro. Come on, don’t be such a pussy. I have a new girl here, what do you say?”

“I’m not interested in your bunch of dried up twigs.”  

Linsy guffawed and shouted as he went up the stairs. “I guess it did not go well with the one you’re after.”

Lyndon paused and recalled Sena being held by another man. 

“Clean up when you’re done. I don’t want to see any garbage when I wake up!” He barked out irritably. 

Linsy snorted. “Tch, hypocrite.”

Who was it who went and knocked up Rachel Che’s sister and dragged their whole family in trouble?

 

The Sunday morning. Nicholas’s secretary Jacob came to knock on the neighbor's door wearing an apron.

“Err, Miss April… something came up at home.”

April was a little lost but she did not interrupt.

“Can I borrow a bit of butter?”

“Are you cooking steak? I can smell it on you.”

He nodded and explained that they ran out of butter for the mushroom sauce. It was his breakfast since his boss prefers only bread and coffee. He toddled around in embarrassment as April went to the fridge to take a whole butter for him to use. 

Jacob saw Sena watering the plants on the balcony in her home clothes. He hesitated at first then made up his mind. 

“Ah, Miss April. Has your boss read the online article about her yet?”

“What article?”

His thick eyebrows twisted. “The other night in the bay area.” 

“Oh,” April hurriedly took her phone from the pocket and brushed through SNS. “Did you come here specifically to tell me?”

He began to fidget. “That and to borrow butter as well—”

April put on a blank face but was laughing inwardly: Your boss is so rich but you can’t even buy butter?

Jacob was embarrassed to death, “You see, I don’t have your number.”

“Let’s exchange Messenger.” April agreed readily. 

Sena’s drunken photo circulated for a day but it was soon debunked when the hospital she was taken to sent out a statement that she was admitted because of indigestion. As evidence, someone attached a video of her slurping a crab leg and eating hurriedly like a rabbit. Then the video was mauled by a variety of comments. 

LindaTang: [My baby, you forgot to invite me! *crying emoji*]

Elia: [Boss, please take it slow next time. Rest assured that I and the guys won’t compete with you for food.]

CEOTang: [Health is more important.]

Katya: [Hahaha, our little glutton has been exposed. Look at those cheeks. Gosh, it’s killing me with cuteness!]

RuiRui: [Stop! Don’t call my noble goddess cute.]

Aren't these people from HQ? April thought. Fortunately, those guys took a lot of photos, they did not lack any evidence. But who had enough authority to make a private hospital like Weston Medical clarify a patient's case? 

Funny and thirst comments were there as well:

[I wish I was that crab. I want Sena Erde to chew me this way!]

[What have you done to her? Why does the poor girl look like she hadn't eaten for a year?]

[Perhaps Sena was traumatized by her life in the mountains during Challenge Me.]

[Hahahaha]

[Why do I feel strangely satisfied when looking at her eat?]

[TBH me too, I'm craving seafood but all I have is seafood flavored noodles by my side!]

April was smiling. 

Jacob held the butter and sneaked glances outside, “It’s better to let her open her phone later.”

“Okay, I got it.” 

After saying his piece, he quickly bid goodbye with his butter and returned to the other side. Sena does not open her phone until she finishes breakfast unless there is an emergency. It was a habit April discovered when she came into this apartment thus none of them was aware that Apple was coming to blast their ears off. 

“Very good, you two…” and he began to rant about how she got indigestion and ended up in the hospital because of overeating. 

April was suddenly in a fluster. He just told her to control Sena’s diet! 

“It wasn’t serious.” Sena reasoned bravely, however her body was sinking deeper into the couch as she hugged her green dinosaur doll for comfort.

“Didn’t I tell you not to eat that heavy flavoured food?” 

Just as he said that she was unwrapping a blue hard candy and shoved it to her mouth. 

On the side, April shivered in guilt. Apple would surely filet her flesh and put it in the fryer. 

The candy-eating habit started when Nicholas next door began using snacks as an excuse to drop by and linger like a ghost. She didn’t know the boss had a sweet tooth and was easily bribed. 

Sena looked at Apple and waved a pink candy, “They’re delicious. Try it.” 

“The person in the photo…” Apple suddenly asked. 

“That’s my neighbour.”

“And?”

Sena’s eyes dodged guiltily but Apple still noticed the blush on her cheeks no matter how she hid behind her dinosaur Daisy. He burst out laughing. 

“I see…” He said playfully.

Sena somersaulted and screamed inwardly. There was no escaping someone who practically watched her grow in her mother’s tummy. He could perfectly interpret the littlest expression on her face! 

The big guy sat beside her. “Are you happy?”

Her tensed body softened and she looked at him before nodding. 

“I’m glad.” He murmured gently, patting her head. “As long as you are happy, you have my support.” But at the question of whether her grandfathers know or if Leo and Linda knew, she turned into a shrivelled potato.  

April felt her boss looked pitiful at this moment. How does she go about informing her family that she’s dating her neighbour? 

“This drunken scandal in the bay area has been clarified. Not by me if you’re curious. I’m certain the Tang couple had no hand on it as well.” He said, looking at her pointedly. “I have never seen an issue clear up so smoothly and with such speed.”

Sena quickly fumbled on her phone to take another look again. Weston Hospital released a statement half an hour ago and the person who brought her to the hospital is an acquaintance. In the photo at the seafood restaurant, people also saw that Sena is with companions. 

Who knows if that guy is one of the agents? 

As for La Bella, she’s innocent. She hasn’t received any calls from them. Jacob intends to clarify this issue lest it drags on.  

“Sena,” Jacob tapped his hand on the pillow. “Less candies, alright?”

Her silly smile froze. 

While they were having a conversation, a shocking news flash about murder and the arrest of Capital City’s mayor son Linsy Miles spread all over the country. The weekend was bound to be filled with tension and gossip as the crimes committed by the Miles family came to light one by one. 

Collusion with an international gang. Drug trafficking. Murder. Extortion. All kinds of illegal activities. 

Mayor Miles’ candidacy for next year is now jeopardized. 

In the other apartment, Nicholas listened to Jacob finish the report with a cold face. 

“The mayor can no longer count on the Qilin gang since Seth Collier purged it in their home country.” He said. 

“The remaining drug labs they hid around the city were shut down by the DEA but the Bacchus pill remains in the black market and some patrons from the wealthy circle still buy them.” 

Nicholas threw his sights outside. 

They have done everything they could to minimize its damage. In a world where people love to split moral hairs, not completely eliminating the infidels can invoke outrage. However, fighting to suppress narcotics was not as easy as shutting down a computer. There are too many networks involved. Industries that are far larger than people could imagine. The least they could do is cut off some stray tentacles that are venturing out in places they are not supposed to. 

Bacchus pill was meant for high rollers. It wasn’t the same as cheap candies your handy dealer can easily give once you ask for them. 

“Make sure the police have all evidence against Linsy Miles and his cronies on their table.”

Jacob nodded and went to dial a number. 

The culprit who nearly ran into them in the tunnel is still out there. But soon, that person will be joining them. 

Nicholas’ phone lit up. A tiny avatar of Sena holding a kitten came into view: Thank you TvT  

He quickly typed in a reply. 

Nikki: I don’t want you to spend the weekend sadly.

Sena: Come for lunch. I’m cooking. 

Nikki: Yes, ma'am. ^_^