Time kept moving. Without realizing it, a week had passed.
In his spacious and modern office, Adrian sat still, staring out the window. His grandfather's voice echoed from the speakerphone, flooding the air with old advice that Adrian listened to half-heartedly. The call had been going on for almost half an hour, and there was still no sign that it would end anytime soon.
"Don't forget tonight—you're taking Kelly out to dinner," said Mr. Shine with a serious tone.
"Yes," Adrian replied briefly, barely audible.
"You...!!!"
Mr. Shine nearly snapped but held himself back. He knew that if he pushed too hard, Adrian might cancel the dinner with Kelly Summer—and that was a risk he couldn't afford.
"I've already made the reservation. All you have to do is show up. Try to win Kelly's heart. She's perfect for you," Mr. Shine continued, his tone softer but still demanding.
"If there's nothing else important, I'll hang up. I have a meeting soon," Adrian said, clearly wanting to end the conversation.
With a deep sigh and a frustrated expression, Mr. Shine ended the call without waiting for a response. In his heart, he was boiling. Why was his grandson so stubborn? Everything he was doing was for Adrian's future—and for the Shine family name.
Meanwhile, Adrian just sat in silence. One big question kept circling in his mind:
"How can I make Grandpa understand that a marriage without love, one based solely on gain, will never bring happiness?"
If there's no happiness in it, what's the point of getting married?
Knock... Knock... Knock...
"Sir, the meeting is about to begin," his secretary said.
Adrian nodded. He stood up, adjusted his suit, and walked toward the meeting room while saying in his heart,
"Time to get back to work and stop thinking about unimportant things like marriage."
__________________
Elsewhere...
"So… how's your relationship with Ren now?" Iril asked, curious about her best friend's love life.
Iril and Serena were sitting in one of Iril's favorite cafés. The place was cozy, quiet, and private—plus the food was always satisfying.
"We're doing fine," Serena answered innocently.
Iril gave her a blank look. Serena frowned, confused by her friend's reaction. Did her answer sound strange?
"I mean," Iril clarified, "are you guys officially dating or still in the trial phase? If you are dating, how far have you two gone?"
Sometimes Iril felt like Serena was too naive when it came to relationships and emotions.
"Ah…" Serena finally understood. "Hmm… we're in a phase that's closer than friends, but not quite dating."
"You mean… you're not officially together?" Iril could barely believe it.
From the way they acted, Iril had been sure that Ren and Serena were already a couple. They often held hands, and during double dates with Iril and Frau, Ren treated Serena almost the same way Frau treated Iril—only Ren and Serena weren't official.
Plus… Iril had often caught Ren's eyes following Serena wherever she went. Wherever Serena was, Ren's gaze would follow. And more than that, Ren's acts of service for Serena were top-tier—he always gave her favorite dishes first, handed her tissues, carried her stuff… basically, he did everything like it was second nature. And Serena accepted it so naturally, without a hint of awkwardness, as if Ren had done it a thousand times before. No wonder Iril was truly shocked to find out they weren't officially a couple.
If that's how they were when they weren't official, what would it be like if they were?
"Is it weird that we're not together yet?" Serena asked, still not understanding why Iril was so surprised.
"Of course it's weird!" Iril exclaimed. "You two act like a couple that's been together for years."
"Really?" Serena looked uncertain. "But we've only held hands."
"WHAT??" Iril practically screamed, drawing a few glances from nearby tables.
She looked at her friend with a mix of disbelief and admiration.
"How the heck has Ren managed not to kiss Serena…?" Iril thought.
"Back when you and Frau were getting to know each other, did he kiss you first?" Serena asked curiously.
Iril went quiet.
Now that she thought about it, it was actually her who kissed Frau first during their early days. Her face turned red at the memory. She cleared her throat to hide her embarrassment.
"What amazes me is how Ren's been holding back. Your lips… they're so kissable. How does he resist?" Iril teased with a playful tone.
"IRIL!!" Serena shrieked, her cheeks flaming red.
Seeing her friend's innocent reaction, Iril burst out laughing.
"Ah… it's really fun teasing your best friend, especially when she's an adult but still reacts this adorably," Iril thought with a mischievous smile.
But suddenly, that smile faded in seconds.
"What's wrong?" Serena asked, noticing the change in her friend's expression.
"Hmm... nothing. I just remembered something," Iril replied, trying to stay calm.
Serena knew Iril was hiding something, but she chose to stay quiet. She trusted that when Iril was ready, she'd talk.
____________________
That night...
When Frau came home from work, he found Iril sitting quietly on the sofa. His brows furrowed—she was clearly deep in thought.
"What's wrong?" he asked, sitting beside her and kissing her forehead.
"Oh, you're home already," Iril said, surprised. She immediately hugged him tightly—
a small habit they shared every day.
"What's wrong? What's got you thinking so hard?" Frau asked again, now with a worried look.
Iril pulled away from the hug and looked at her husband with love.
"I'm really lucky to be married to you," she said softly.
Frau smiled and kissed her lips. After a moment, he looked at her again.
"I'm the luckier one, because you agreed to be my wife," he replied warmly.
Iril chuckled. Frau always wanted to win in love.
"So… can you tell me what had you looking so deep in thought earlier?" Frau asked for the third time.
Iril took a deep breath.
"I thought… I was a good friend to Serena," she said quietly.
Frau frowned.
"You are her best friend. Who said otherwise? Tell me their name, I'll teach them a lesson," he said, slightly agitated, refusing to let anyone bully his wife.
"Babe… relax. No one said that," Iril said, calming her protective husband.
"Then what is it?" he asked again, now in a gentler tone.
"This afternoon, I went shopping with Serena. Then I brought up her relationship with Ren. And you know what… I realized something while teasing her," Iril said with a distant look.
"What did you realize?" Frau asked, curious