"The Unexpected Guest and Hidden Motives"
Adrian said softly, sliding into the seat beside me..
My entire body froze.
"Missed me… mi aroma??"
His voice was smooth,, delicate as silk—and far too intimate for this situation. That nickname. The way he said it... Like it still meant something. Like I still meant something to him.
Everything else melted away in that moment—until I heard a sharp intake of breath...
Luka and Oliver.
Both their voices overlapped in stunned surprise. "What the hell…??"
Luka's tone was low and suspicious. Oliver's was sharper, laced with barely concealed frustration.
I didn't have time to react to Adrian's closeness before Luna leaned in and whispered in my ear,, "What is he doing here??"
I looked at Aiko, who had calmly taken the seat across from Adrian and me, as if this was all part of some master plan. The tension around the table was suffocating...
"You were supposed to come alone," I said,, staring at Aiko.
Aiko smirked slightly. "I said we needed to meet. I didn't say I'd come alone. Besides,," he looked at Adrian briefly,, "he insisted."
Adrian kept his eyes on me. That smile still lingered on his lips,, unreadable and gentle. But I wasn't fooled. Not this time.
I forced myself to focus. I opened my phone and swiped through the gallery, then placed it on the table in front of Aiko,, turning it slightly so everyone could see. Luka leaned forward,, as did Oliver.
"I received these," I said. "From him."
Luka's brows furrowed. "What are we looking at—"
But the moment he saw the photo of Ji-hoon,, hand on the waist of his secretary,, lips grazing her cheek… his words stopped.
Then came the final image. The one where Ji-hoon was kneeling... Holding out a ring box. Proposing. To his secretary.
Oliver stood halfway up from his seat. "He what??"
Luka's hands clenched into fists on the table. His jaw was locked. "That bastard… he proposed?"
"Yes,," I said, barely able to keep the disgust from my voice. "To his secretary. All while Clara has been daydreaming about her wedding and planning everything like she's living in a fairytale."
Luna folded her arms,, her voice shaking with anger. "He made her believe she was the only one. That's… disgusting."
Luka exhaled slowly, trying to control the rising fury in his chest. "I knew he cheated on her once. I kept tabs on him... I followed him for a while when she told me she forgave him. But I thought he ended it. I didn't know he took it this far."
Oliver was pacing now beside the table. "And Clara doesn't know anything??"
"No,," I whispered. "Not yet. She's still picking floral arrangements and imagining the walk down the aisle."
Aiko,, calm as ever, simply said, "That's why I sent the photos."
Oliver narrowed his eyes. "And how did you get them??"
Aiko leaned back, unfazed. "Let's just say I have connections in Ji-hoon's office."
Luka's stare hardened. "You mean you've been keeping an eye on him too?"
Aiko paused, then said with cool honesty,, "Clara doesn't deserve to be betrayed again. Someone had to look out for her."
There was something personal in his voice. Something more than just concern. It made Luka's eyes narrow even more...
"You've been watching Ji-hoon for how long??" Luka asked.
"Long enough," Aiko replied simply. "Long enough to know this wasn't an accident..."
I watched Luka—his jaw was tight, his fingers trembling just slightly. "So you're telling me, not only did he cheat again, but he proposed to someone else,, knowing Clara still believed she was the one??"
Aiko nodded once...
Adrian stayed silent,, but his eyes were now watching everyone. Especially Oliver.
Oliver, who hadn't sat back down,, was glaring at Adrian with barely masked contempt. Every time Adrian's shoulder brushed mine, Oliver's expression twisted.
Luna noticed it all. Her gaze flicked from Oliver to Luka, then to Aiko... She leaned in toward me again. "This table is one spark away from exploding..."
I knew she was right.
"Then what do we do??" Luna asked aloud, breaking the silence. "Just keep it from Clara and hope it goes away??"
"No," Luka said firmly. "We have to tell her..."
Oliver finally sat back down but still glared at Aiko. "Why didn't you just come to us first instead of sending Rimi those photos out of nowhere?"
Aiko shrugged. "Because Rimi would care the most. I knew she'd do something about it. And frankly, I didn't trust anyone else to react calmly."
Oliver snorted. "So you gave her trauma instead..."
"She deserved the truth,," Aiko replied coolly.
But Luka didn't look away. His brows furrowed deeper. "But how did you know about the proposal?? Not even I knew that—and I was watching him."
Aiko hesitated. "I have my ways."
"Your ways sound too personal," Luka snapped. "How do you know so much about my sister's private life??"
Aiko didn't answer.
A beat of silence fell over the table. Tense. Charged. And very,, very suspicious.
Luna gave Aiko a long, thoughtful look.
No one said the words aloud. But we were all thinking it—
Did Aiko… love Clara??
I looked at Adrian, hoping to anchor myself.
But he was still staring at me... Not even pretending to be interested in the rest of the conversation.
"You really just came to see me, didn't you??" I asked quietly.
He gave a soft smile. "Guilty."
I sighed. "Adrian, this isn't the time—"
"But it's the right time,," he said, eyes never leaving mine. "Because every time I see you,, I remember why I keep coming back."
I turned my face away,, not knowing what to feel anymore.
Luna stared at Aiko. "I swear,, if you're keeping more secrets from us,, I'll throw this coffee at you."
Aiko raised both hands,, amused. "I'm clean—for now."
But Luka wasn't amused. He stood up abruptly. "We need to tell Clara. She deserves the truth... And she deserves it tonight."
Everyone slowly nodded.
Even Adrian, though his hand gently brushed mine under the table.
And again, softly, with that maddening smile, he whispered,,
"Missed me… mi aroma??"