I quickly snapped out of it and switched the camera view.

From the other end of the line, Helena’s voice carried a faint trace of surprise and apology. “I’m so sorry, Sisi. I got carried away rambling like an old lady. Let’s chat again when we have more time.”

Before I could respond, she had already hung up.

Feeling awkward, I turned to Michael and started to explain, “Sorry about that. Lucius’s mom might have misunderstood—”

“You must be exhausted, huh?”

Michael’s sudden remark caught me off guard, his tone tinged with concern.

I looked up at him, unsure of what he meant. Was he referring to work? Or dealing with an ex-boyfriend’s mother?

Seeing that I remained silent, Michael handed me another blueberry. “These help with eye strain. Eat more.”

A pang of discomfort stirred in me, so I changed the subject. “It’s about time. Let’s grab dinner.”

Michael, perceptive as always, didn’t press further.

---

At the sushi restaurant, I stared at the towering stack of plates in front of him and joked, “Class rep, I don’t often treat people, so eat up!”

With that, I politely pushed the plate of salmon sashimi toward him.

Michael glanced at me and said, “Sylvie, you’re too thin. Your health is the foundation of everything. If you want to excel in your career, you can’t let your body fall behind.”

The salmon plate found its way back to me.

Unable to argue, I gave in. “Fine, let’s share.”

Dinner turned out to be quite enjoyable.

But when it was time to settle the bill, the server informed me with a polite smile that Michael had already paid.

“Next time, you have to let me treat, okay?”

Michael, ever gracious, returned the money I tried to transfer back to him, right in front of me.

When I suggested we split the bill instead, he smiled, as if catching me in a playful trap. “If I treat this time and you treat next time, isn’t that technically splitting it?”

I had no comeback.

---

By the time we wrapped up, it was already nine at night. Michael insisted on walking me to my building.

Under the streetlamp, his shadow stretched long and slender, but he didn’t seem in a hurry to leave.

After a pause, he adjusted his silver-rimmed glasses and said, “See? There’s more to life than just writing code, don’t you think?”

He was referring to the short detour we took after dinner to explore the nearby area.

Not wanting to dampen his mood, I’d gone along, and from the look on his face, he’d really enjoyed himself.

I wasn’t used to this kind of attentiveness. In a soft voice, I said, “Thank you for today. Get home safe.”

Michael, as always, knew where to draw the line. He wished me a good night and drove off.

I returned to my place in silence and, for once, decided to go to bed early. But no matter how tightly I shut my eyes, sleep wouldn’t come.

Helena’s words echoed in my mind.

If my guess was right, tonight was the night Lucius would officially introduce Cecily to the Albrecht family.

And me? After six years of trailing behind him like a shadow, I didn’t even know which way the Albrecht estate’s gates faced.

The contrast was painfully clear.

It was true—since two years ago, Lucius and I had been on completely different paths.

But right now, there was something else that mattered more.

A knock at the door interrupted my thoughts.

“Who is it?” I asked, puzzled.

“It’s me.”

The deep voice seeped through the door crack, leaving me stunned.

It was unmistakably Lucius’s voice.

But wasn’t he supposed to be at the family banquet with Cecily tonight? Why would he show up at my place at this hour?

As suspicion crept in, the voice came again, this time more assertive. “Open the door.”

The commanding tone irritated me.

Why should I? Even if he was an investor, that didn’t give him the right to show up at my door in the middle of the night.

I stayed frozen in place, expressionless, until the knocking escalated into loud, impatient banging.

Not wanting to disturb the neighbors, I reluctantly cracked the door open and asked, “Mr. Albrecht, is there something you need?”

The moment I looked up, I was met with his dazed eyes.

The strong smell of alcohol hit me before I could shut the door. Lucius shoved it open and stumbled inside, collapsing onto my shoulder.

“Babe, you’re so cruel. Why didn’t you leave the door open for me?”

His voice was muffled as his face buried into my shoulder, his tone carrying a childish grievance.

He was clearly drunk.

Leave the door open? Did he really think there was still a place for him in my life?

A flicker of anger flared within me, but I quickly realized what this was—one big misunderstanding.

Calling me “babe” might have been genuine, but it wasn’t meant for me.

I pieced together what Helena had mentioned earlier about the family banquet. Lucius and Cecily must’ve had a falling-out tonight.

Who else but Cecily could cause Lucius, the untouchable Albrecht, to come seeking reconciliation at this hour?

Certainly not me.

Calming myself, I said, “Mr. Albrecht, 'your babe' is upstairs.”

I tried to push him off me as I spoke.

But instead of letting go, Lucius held me tighter. “Babe, you’re still mad at me, aren’t you?”

His cajoling tone and possessive grip reignited the fire in my chest.

Grinding my teeth, I said firmly, “Lucius, you’ve got the wrong person.”

He didn’t back down. “That’s harsh. Last night, you called me ‘babe,’ but tonight it’s just my name?”

Clearly, he was wasted.

I took a deep breath and said, “Lucius, look up and see who I really am.”

He lifted his head slowly, his gaze meeting mine. For a moment, I caught a glimpse of red in his eyes.

I froze, my chest tightening as if something had lightly scratched at my heart. The words I had prepared to say got stuck in my throat.

This was the first time I’d ever seen Lucius so unguarded.

In the next instant, it was as if something had snapped within him. He leaned in, pressing me against the entryway wall.

When his lips met mine, I saw the raw desire surging in his eyes.

My breathing faltered. Everything felt chaotic.

My chest felt hollow, as if the wind had swept through it. The deeper Lucius kissed me, the colder my heart grew.

I couldn’t take it anymore and bit down hard on his lip.

“Ah—”

Lucius gasped, recoiling in pain as he stared at me in shock.

My breathing was uneven as I met his gaze. “Are you sober now?”

He didn’t reply immediately, as though he were still caught in the haze of what had just happened. After a few seconds, he licked the blood off his lip, yanked the door open, and stormed out.

The sound of the door slamming shut echoed in the silence. I slumped against the wall, feeling like a deflated balloon.

---

Monday morning, I went to work as usual, only to run into Cecily by the elevator.

She was wearing her hair in a cute bun, her head tilted down as she typed on her phone, looking cheerful.

When she saw me, she greeted me brightly. “Good morning, Sylvie!”

Her almond-shaped eyes sparkled with happiness, completely devoid of any signs of distress from the Albrecht family banquet.

Thinking of Lucius’s disheveled state last night, I felt a flicker of doubt.

Just then, Cecily’s phone suddenly blared with a man’s voice. “You worked hard last night too. Don’t worry; I’ll handle things with the family.”

The deep, raspy tone sounded like he had just woken up.

Lucius’s voice.

Cecily didn’t seem to notice she’d accidentally turned on speakerphone. After locking her screen, she snuck a glance at me before stepping aside to reply to her messages.

As the elevator doors closed, I overheard her saying, “Lu, hearing that makes me really happy.”

And just like that, everything made sense.

Lucius, consumed by love, was silently enduring whatever it took to protect Cecily.

No wonder the girl looked so carefree and unbothered.

Unlike me.

---

I spent the entire morning buried in code.

During lunch break, the office doors suddenly swung open, and a man in a sharp suit walked in, holding a tray of coffee. “Good afternoon, everyone. I’m Zion Bennett, Mr. Albrecht’s assistant. I’m here to deliver afternoon tea for Mrs. Albrecht.”

The voice was oddly familiar. When I looked up, it all clicked.

Zion had been Lucius’s junior in the finance department, always idolizing him during school. It seemed he’d graduated only to continue being Lucius’s errand boy.

Afternoon tea delivery.

Clearly, Cecily had awakened some romantic side of Lucius.

I let out a self-deprecating chuckle and lowered my gaze.

But Zion strode toward me, and when our eyes met, he smiled and said, “Mrs. Albrecht, here’s your coffee.”

As he said it, Cecily stepped out of her office. Upon hearing his words, her head dipped low, her face flushing red and pale in turns.