Kian reacted fast.

He strode toward me, grabbed my wrist, and dragged me into the office.

The door slammed shut behind us, then he locked it.

By the time he turned back around, the panic on his face had already been replaced with forced composure.

"What are you doing here?" He loosened his tie slightly, avoiding my eyes. "Weren’t you supposed to be heading back to Cedar Hollow?"

I didn't say a word. I only looked at him quietly.

"What you saw just now… it was a misunderstanding."

Just like that, the performance began.

"Isabel still doesn’t understand a lot of things. I was just teaching her client-facing etiquette.

"You know how new hires are. She’s a little clumsy sometimes. She was joking around just now. I’ve already talked to her about being inappropriate."

I watched his terrible acting, and a laugh threatened to escape me.

How had I never noticed before that whenever he lied, his eyes drifted unconsciously toward the lower right?

By now, Isabel had fixed her dress and walked over. She smiled sweetly at me.

"That’s right, Lane. Mr. Newman is always very hands-on when he teaches me.

"I’m kind of slow, so there are a lot of things he has to demonstrate personally before I understand.

"We were just discussing details from last night’s project. Don’t misunderstand."

Kian shot her a warning look, signaling for her to stop talking. Then he turned back toward me cautiously, studying my reaction.

If this had happened before, I probably would’ve rushed forward, slapped Isabel across the face, and started screaming at Kian.

But now, I was just exhausted.

I looked at the two of them and flashed them a smile.

"Oh. I see," I continued, "That does sound exhausting. Work should be taken seriously, after all. I’m not blaming you."

The moment those words left my mouth, Kian froze. All the explanations and excuses they’d prepared seemed to jam in their throats at once.

Kian stared at me in disbelief. "You… you’re not angry?"

"Why would I be?" I adjusted my sleeve calmly. "You were working, not cheating. I trust you."

The panic in Kian’s eyes disappeared instantly. In its place came visible relief… and a trace of smug satisfaction.

He probably thought he’d fooled me again and that I was still the same obedient idiot who revolved around him.

"I knew you’d understand." Kian walked toward me, reaching for my hand.

I stepped aside to avoid him.

Kian didn't seem to be bothered by that. He smiled and said, "Since you didn’t go back to your hometown, why don’t we cook dinner together tonight?"

Seeing I hadn't responded, Isabel's eyes darted toward me and interjected.

"Well, since Lane’s so understanding, why don’t you both come over to my place for dinner tonight? Mr. Newman spent all night teaching me how to cook yesterday. I’m actually pretty good now.

"Lane, you really should come over and try some. Even Mr. Newman said my cooking was delicious."

Kian jumped at the suggestion immediately. "Yeah, Isabel’s actually a pretty good cook. Lane, you shouldn’t stay cooped up at home all the time.

"Isabel just moved into a new place. We can treat it like a housewarming."

Whether he was truly oblivious to the subtext of Isabel’s invitation or simply indifferent didn’t matter. It was clear he believed that as long as I remained composed, he could continue to balance both of us in his life, enjoying the best of both worlds.

I looked at Isabel and said with a nod, "Alright then. Since you’re both inviting me so warmly, I’d love to try it. I’m curious to see how good the student Mr. Newman personally trained really is."

The smile on Isabel’s face stiffened slightly. My compliance had caught her off guard.

Kian, while equally taken aback, seemed largely pleased.

"Great! Then it’s settled! We’ll leave together after work."

I looked at the two people standing in front of me, each hiding their own agenda, and sneered inside.

If they were so intent on this charade, I'll go along with it until the final curtain falls.

After all, I knew this would serve as their final performance.

After work, Kian didn’t drive to Isabel’s apartment immediately. Instead, he parked outside a mall.

"Come on," he said casually. "I’ll buy you a New Year’s gift."

He led me into a jewelry store.

It was not a luxury brand, just one of those chain jewelry stores you could find in any mall.

He browsed the display cases for a while before finally picking up a silver necklace with a tiny pendant attached.

"What do you think?" he asked, holding it against my neck. "It suits your skin tone."

The price tag caught my eye: $299.

I chose to remain silent and stared at Kian.

A few days ago, Isabel posted a photo of a solid gold bracelet on social media.

It was one of the latest designs. The bracelet weighed a full troy ounce.

The caption read: "A New Year's gift from the boss! Isn't love supposed to have some weight to it?"

Kian mistook my silence for disappointment. He laughed awkwardly. "Money’s a little tight lately, and gold prices are through the roof right now.

"I promise to get you something more substantial once my finances improve. This necklace might be modest, but it truly comes from the heart."

I accepted the necklace and gave him a smile. "It’s pretty. Thank you."

Kian visibly relaxed after paying for it, as though he’d finally completed some difficult obligation.

When we arrived at Isabel’s apartment, the moment I stepped inside, I noticed two pairs of matching couple slippers by the entrance. One was pink, and the other was blue.

Kian naturally slipped his feet into the blue pair. Only after changing shoes did he seem to realize I was watching him. He froze awkwardly and immediately tried pulling them back off. "Oh, wrong pair. I thought these were the guest ones."

"It’s fine," I said calmly. "They seem to fit you pretty well."

I didn’t bother changing shoes before walking farther inside.

Two sets of pajamas were tossed casually across the living room sofa. Just like the shoes, they were a matching set.

Kian had just started rushing over to clean them up when Isabel walked out from the kitchen carrying dishes.

"Oh, sorry about the mess, Lane," she said brightly. She placed the food on the table, smiling with the ease of a hostess welcoming guests into her home.

"I just bought this place recently. Luckily, I have Mr. Newman to thank for it. If he hadn’t arranged work for me and given me those generous annual bonuses, there’s no way I could’ve afforded a place in this neighborhood."

Generous bonuses?

I looked sharply toward Kian.

For years, his story had always been the same. Every holiday, he claimed the business was struggling and there was simply no money left for me.

Even when I’d been hospitalized, I covered every cent of my own medical expenses.

In truth, he funneled his money here. That was the so-called "bad investments".

Kian avoided my gaze entirely, lowering his head and focusing intently on his glass of water.

Throughout dinner, Isabel constantly piled food onto his plate. "You must try this, Mr. Newman. I know it's your favorite," she cooed, following up with, "I spent hours simmering this soup just for you. It's known to be excellent for a man's health."

The two of them exchanged glances openly across the table, acting as if I didn’t even exist.

After dinner, Isabel stood and began clearing the dishes. She carried a black garbage bag toward the door, but just as she passed me, she suddenly stumbled.

"Oh!" The trash bag slipped from her hand and burst open across the floor, its contents spilling out. There were used condoms, a pile of sex toys, and several pieces of lingerie that barely counted as clothing.

Immediately, the air froze.

Isabel covered her mouth dramatically and said, "Oh my God, I’m so sorry! I didn’t mean to spill everything.

"Lane, don’t misunderstand. Th-Those belonged to my ex-boyfriend."

Kian’s face turned beet red.

He shot to his feet, trying desperately to cover the mess, only to realize there was no way to hide any of it.

Right then, my phone screen lit up, and a new message popped up.

It was from my boss, Sophia Larsen: "Lane, your transfer to overseas photography studio was approved. Have you booked your flight yet?"

Before I could grab my phone, Kian snatched it first.

The moment he read the message, his expression darkened instantly.

"Overseas transfer?"

He looked up sharply, staring at me. "Since when were you leaving the country? Why didn’t I know about this?"

I reached for my phone, but he gripped it tightly instead.

He demanded, "Lane, you'd better explain this."