I never expected such an awkward misunderstanding to happen.

Seeing the grievance in Cecily's eyes, I quickly stepped in to smooth things over.

"Zion, this is Miss Linwood," I said.

Zion, quick on the uptake, immediately turned around and handed the coffee to Cecily.

Cecily glanced at it and softly said, "I don't drink black coffee."

Black coffee was Lucius's preference.

In the past, to accommodate him, I drank it often. Now, it had become a habit.

Zion smacked his forehead and said, "Ah, my bad memory! Miss Linwood, please don't hold it against me."

Cecily didn’t hold it against him, but after returning to the office, she didn’t come out for the rest of the afternoon.

She stayed seated until the end of the workday.

As everyone left one after another, the once-busy workspace became quiet, leaving just the two of us.

I kept working with a calm expression until the sound of the door opening broke the silence.

I looked up, and to my surprise, it was Lucius.

Dust clung to him as if he’d just wrapped up something urgent.

Our eyes met. My gaze instinctively landed on the dried blood on his thin lips, which made my mood sour.

"Where’s Cecily?"

His voice filled the room, casual, as if the kiss from last night had never happened.

Conveniently forgotten.

I gave him a composed look and replied, "She hasn’t left yet."

Lucius said nothing more and walked straight toward the tech department office.

Not a single extra word.

Moments later, Cecily’s sweet, soft voice floated out from inside.

"Lu, why are you here all of a sudden?"

Her tone was sugary with a hint of grievance.

"Zion said you didn’t look well. Are you feeling unwell?"

Cecily’s voice dropped, quieter and even more delicate.

"No… Did you come because you were worried about me, Lu?"

Lucius must have replied something, and Cecily immediately went from pouty to delighted.

The atmosphere seemed harmonious enough.

But then, the next moment, the girl noticed something.

"Lu, what happened to your lip?"

My hand froze on the mouse, and I heard Lucius’s composed reply.

"Nothing, just bumped it."

Cecily, obedient as ever, didn’t press further.

The two of them left the office together, side by side.

Cecily headed to the restroom, while Lucius patiently waited nearby.

Noticing I was still typing away at the keyboard, he took a couple of steps closer and, unusually, asked, "How’s it going?"

"Not bad," I answered.

"No need to rush. You’re not a machine," he said, glancing at the calendar on my desk.

My work schedule was clearly marked on it.

I kept typing, not responding further.

I had a feeling he wasn’t done.

Sure enough, moments later, the sound of flushing came from the restroom, and I heard Lucius’s voice again.

"Don’t tell Cecily about last night."

My chest tightened. It became clear that this was what he’d wanted to say all along.

So, he hadn’t forgotten.

He just wanted to make sure I understood—it was nothing but an accident.

I’d expected it, but hearing it from his lips still made my heart ache just a little.

I suppressed my emotions, met Lucius's gaze, and smiled as I asked,

"And what might Mr. Albrecht be referring to?"

A flash of surprise crossed his dark eyes.

He probably hadn’t expected me to say that.

Cecily happened to walk over at that moment. Seeing us talking, she lowered her gaze and stood silently by.

"Don’t worry, Mr. Albrecht," I said, not wanting to invite trouble. "It won’t delay the project timeline."

At those words, Cecily’s expression eased noticeably.

After they left, I stayed late, finishing up some work. By the time I arrived back at my apartment complex, Lynne’s call came through.

"That Grant Mitchell is such a pain," Lynne grumbled. "I’m offering such a high annual salary, and he’s still playing hard to get."

She was talking about the marketing manager she’d been trying to recruit for ages, planning to have him lead the promotional efforts for our game.

Half-jokingly, I said, "If worse comes to worst, why don’t you seduce him?"

"Ugh, stop it," Lynne replied with a playful groan. Then, with a mischievous lilt, she added, "Though, to be honest, he’s kind of my type."

Was she heading into work or a romantic escapade?

Better keep that under wraps from the investors.

Lynne’s laugh tinkled through the phone before she shifted topics.

"What about you? How have you been? I’ve only been gone a few days. They haven’t been running you ragged, have they?"

Calmly, I replied, "Not at all. If Lucius is willing to throw in another five million dollars, I’d gladly take care of even his fragile little heart."

What could be more practical than money?

Just as I was about to end the call, I looked up and froze.

Standing not far away were Lucius and Cecily.

What a coincidence.

Cecily blinked her pretty eyes and exclaimed in surprise,

"Sylvie, you live here too?"

Lucius and Cecily weren’t far apart.

I couldn’t tell if they had overheard my conversation with Lynne.

Caught in a mix of awkwardness and guilt, I tried to keep my cool.

After all, no investor likes the idea of someone constantly eyeing their pocketbook.

Feigning composure, I replied, "I’ve been here for a few months now."

"Me too," Cecily’s tone was lively. "But Sylvie, I rarely run into you."

"My schedule’s erratic," I explained.

Programmers have unpredictable hours, often working overtime. Add to that my poor sleep habits, sometimes being up all night and sleeping by day. Running into me would take sheer luck.

Like today.

The three of us stepped into the elevator together.

Cecily and I were separated by just one floor—nine and ten.

When I pressed the button for my floor, Cecily’s expression visibly stiffened.

I figured if I hadn’t moved in first, she might’ve labeled me as scheming.

Blame it on Lucius for not planning better.

I had warned him.

Her gaze flickered over me, eventually landing on my handbag.

"Is that the new DavidLiu design, Sylvie?" Cecily asked, her tone envious. "It hasn’t even launched in China yet. How did you get your hands on it?"

She was talking about the bag Michael had given me.

When I received it, I thought it just had a nice texture—I hadn’t realized it was a DavidLiu.

But judging by Cecily’s reaction, it must be well-known.

I answered honestly, "A friend gave it to me."

Cecily blinked, a teasing smile on her lips.

"Your friend’s got excellent taste. This bag is a limited edition—only a hundred in the world. It’s quite collectible."

That left me speechless.

I had no idea it was a limited edition.

Lucius’s soft scoff cut through the air, utterly out of place.

I heard him ask Cecily, "It’s just a bag. Do you like it?"

"No," Cecily quickly dismissed, tucking away her envy. "I just think Sylvie has great taste."

When the elevator doors opened, I nodded slightly and stepped out in silence.

As I walked away, I faintly heard Lucius say,

"Your understanding of taste isn’t great."

He wasn’t wrong.

Not only was my taste in bags lacking, but my choice in men wasn’t stellar either.

Thinking about the bag, I checked its logo online to find out the price.

What I found left me stunned.

This small, unassuming brand with its modest design turned out to cost five figures.

Suddenly, carrying it on the subway felt like a crime against it.

I thought about the website I’d built for Michael. Even with a clear price tag, it didn’t come close to the bag’s value.

The guilt gnawed at me.

Pulling up Michael’s contact info, I struggled to think of a suitable message.

Just as I was about to put my phone down, a friend request popped up.

I opened it, and my heart skipped a beat.

The profile picture was of a sunset—a photo Lucius had taken long ago at NYU’s artificial lake.

That day marked the 1,460th day I’d been chasing him. We sat on the grass away from the crowd, bathed in warm sunlight and a gentle breeze.

He read a book, while I watched him.

Even as the sun dipped below the horizon, the distance between us stayed the same—not too close, not too far.

Frustrated, I packed my things. My hand accidentally brushed against his knuckles.

Just as I was about to pull back, he grabbed it.

That was the first time Lucius had ever held my hand.

Before the twilight faded, he snapped that picture.

I never thought, two years later, the contact I had deleted would reappear in my friend requests.