I rolled my eyes. “He’s my boyfriend now. Isn’t it normal for us to be close?”


    Ryan didn’t say a word, but I could hear his breath growing ragged on the other end. ‘Yeah. I get it.‘


    And just like that, he hung up.


    blinked, shrugged it off, and went back to sleep.


    As night fell, I still had a mountain of work on my te. When Nathan asked me out for dinner, I just couldn’t get away from the


    office.


    He said he’d swing byter and bring some food for me.


    Right after my meeting ended, I walked into my office and saw Nathan waiting in the lounge area next door.


    He was holding a few takeout bags. When he spotted me, he got up with a grin. “Victoria, burning the midnight oil again?”


    I let out a helpless sigh. “I was a housewife for seven years. Now that I’m back at work, I have to put in twice the effort just to catch


    up.”


    Nathan looked at me and suddenlyughed. “Yeah, when you don’t have an umbre, you gotta run faster. I’ve been there.”


    I paused, looking at him. “You know, I don’t think I’ve ever asked you–how did you get yourpany off the ground? Weren’t you in debt back then?”


    Nathan’s expression stiffened, like he was reliving those tough startup days. “I guess I got lucky. I had a benefactor who really helped me out.”


    “Oh? So, someone saw your talent and decided to invest in your business?” I asked, intrigued.


    “Yeah, pretty much.” Nathan dodged my gaze and switched topics. “Come on, let’s eat before it gets cold.”


    I opened up the food Nathan brought over–everything was crafted by a famous chef, super fancy and absolutely delicious. Nathan sat beside me, but he looked totally spaced out.


    Once I was about seventy percent full, I set down my fork and nced at Nathan. He was still just staring at the table, lost in his own world.


    “All done. So, what’s the n now?” I wiggled my fingers in front of his face.


    Nathan snapped back to reality and gave me a smile. “How about I take you for a spin? Let’s cruise around and soak in Shaville’s dazzling night lights.”


    “I’m down for that,” I said, thinking it sounded pretty awesome.


    Thete summer breeze was turning cool, drifting in through the open car window and lifting my hair as we drove.


    Nathan lounged behind the wheel, steering with one hand while we chatted and took in the city lights. The roads were pretty clear, just a few slowdowns here and there, and before we realized it, we’d made our way to the Bund.


    Nathan parked the car, and we walked side by side toward the Bund.


    09:18 Mon, 25 At


    This was one of Shaville’s must–see spots–at night, it was always buzzing with people out to catch the view. Tons of folks were snapping pics for their socials. Nathanced his fingers through mine, and we wandered through the crowd together.


    There was something about this easy, carefree moment that made me want to just get lost in it forever.


    As we walked, the crowd got thicker, and Nathan suddenly wrapped his arm around my waist, pulling me a little closer.


    Just then, a young couple walked by with a cute little one–year–old perched on the guy’s broad shoulders. The kid was all smiles, giggling away, and the woman was snuggled up next to them. They looked like the picture–perfect family, all happy and content.


    Nathan kept ncing over at them, his eyes filled with something I couldn’t quite read. Then he turned to me.


    It felt like he was about to bring up the topic of kids again, but just then, a sweet voice called out from behind us, “Big bro!”


    Nathan froze, and we both turned around to see a mixed–race girl in her early twenties running toward us. She started chatting with Nathan in Englysian.


    Nathan responded in Englysian, and when the girl noticed his arm around me, her expression shifted a little. “Big bro, who’s she?”