Just as Clarissa reached out to take his hand, Elian let go of the hug.

The air felt a bit tense, so she spoke up first, "Which room do I stay in?"

Hearing that, Elian's dark eyes locked onto her with a look she couldn't quite read. His fingers twirled a strand of her hair, like he was playing with a kitten, and reminded her with a hint of teasing, "Mrs. Langley, did you already forget what I said?"

Clarissa blinked, her throat tightening slightly as she remembered what he'd told her earlier:

"I married you because I want a real partner-a shared bed, a shared life."

So yeah, that meant the master bedroom.

She muttered to herself, "Got it."

Anyway, he'd said she had a week to adjust.

Dragging her suitcase along, she walked into the master bedroom. Elian noticed she went to the right room and curved his lips into a subtle smile before turning back toward the kitchen.

Once she was alone in the bedroom, Clarissa finally took out her phone. It had been buzzing like crazy in the car earlier. A quick glance at her messages showed a long stream from Natalie.

There was that photo Natalie sent - still unanswered - and then a barrage of rants.

[Still can't let go?]

[I honestly wanna crack your head open and see if it's just Sebastian in there.]

[Back then, sure, he was great. But ever since Aria showed up, the man changed! How do you still not get that?]

[Are you stupid or what?]

[Still ignoring me? Thinking of doing something dumb?]

[If you seriously go off the rails over him, I swear-when I bury you, the glow from his cheating ass will light up the entire damn country.]

[They booked a hotel room! Do you get what that means?]

...

The rants went on, with the most recent one being from about half an hour ago.

[Ughhhh Clarissa baby, should I just fly back to be with you?]

Clarissa sighed. Typical Natalie - sharp tongue, but always shows up when it counts.

She typed several simple words: [I'm fine.]

Compared to Natalie's passionate paragraphs, her reply looked ice-cold.

The next second her phone lit up - Natalie was calling.

"Babe! Finally! I was this close to heading to the airport."

Face in her hand, Clarissa let out a small sigh. She wasn't sure why-maybe it was Elian being around-but she didn't feel as awful now.

"I'm okay," she said.

"No way you're okay. Wait, you didn't go to the Marriage Registration Center looking for him, did you?"

Of course she guessed it right.

"I did, but Natalie, we broke up. Deleted everything - no contact."

"Huh?" There was a pause on the line, then Natalie's voice shot up a notch.

"Whoa, hold on, how'd you come around? When he flew abroad you never even flinched!"

Clarissa gave a small laugh, asking back, "You don't think I did the right thing?"

"Are you kidding? I'm about to light fireworks on this side of the ocean. Hope the bangs echo into your dreams."

Clarissa chuckled out loud, then added, "Hey, do you remember Elian?"

"Elian? Of course! The guy's living the dream now, all over the international business news. Dunno if he even remembers us old classmates."

Old classmates...

Yeah, to him, maybe that's all she was - just someone from the past.

"Why'd you suddenly bring him up?"

Natalie was curious now. She could sense there was more to it.

"I married him." As she said it, she sent over a photo of their marriage certificate.

Natalie was quiet for a few minutes on the phone. She was probably zooming in on the marriage certificate, trying to figure out if it was photoshopped-or maybe just mentally calculating how much it'd cost if ZephyrTech actually sued her for defamation.

A few minutes later, her voice echoed loudly through the room.

"Clarissa, how did your taste level up this hard after breaking up with Sebastian? Back in school, I totally didn't realize Elian was this hot!"

"Level up," huh?

Clarissa glanced at the marriage certificate again. In the photo, Elian no longer had that wild, rebellious look from his teen days.

Less reckless now, more composed.

But under that calm surface, the rebellious streak was still there. And that smug attitude-definitely still alive and well.

She didn't even notice the small smile tugging at the corners of her mouth.

Natalie asked again, "So, Clarissa, did you marry him just to make Sebastian jealous?"

"No," Clarissa replied. That idea had flashed through her mind for about two seconds. Mostly, she just felt that Elian... seemed reliable.

"Natalie, marrying Elian wasn't for show. I actually see a future with him."

Natalie asked, "Do you like him?"

"Not quite there yet, but I don't dislike him. And he's... good."

Natalie chuckled softly, her voice calm. "Then I hope you'll fall for him soon."

Clarissa let out a soft "mm." Before hanging up, she reminded Natalie not to tell anyone yet. She'd go public when the time felt right.

*****

After hanging up, it suddenly hit her-why didn't Natalie wish for Elian to fall for her too?

Just as the thought crossed her mind, someone knocked on the door.

She opened it to find Elian standing there, the savory, spicy scent of her favorite boiled fish wafting through the air.

She brushed past him and practically jogged to the dining table, her eyes wide-not with shock, but surprise and delight.

"You made this? For real? You're amazing!"

Elian opened his mouth to reply, but Clarissa had already tossed him a "Don't just stand there, come eat!"

She rushed into her seat and, without waiting for him, picked up a piece of fish soaked in red chili oil and popped it in her mouth.

A numbing heat spread across her tongue.

"This-this is exactly the flavor I love!"

Elian didn't say anything, but the corners of his mouth curved slightly.

Just as he reached out to grab some food, Clarissa blocked his fork.

"I cooked this, and I don't get to eat any?" he asked, raising an eyebrow.

Still chewing, Clarissa blinked at him and replied slowly, "I heard that nine out of ten CEOs have stomach problems. You sure your stomach can handle this level of spice?"

Elian sighed, put down his fork, and rubbed his eyebrows. "Where do you even hear this stuff? I'm perfectly healthy. Not a single issue."

Clarissa narrowed her eyes. "Swear it?"

"If I wasn't, how could I have made all this and not dropped dead?" he deadpanned.

She thought about it. Come to think of it, out of the four dishes, three were spicy...

Weirdly, they were exactly what she liked. And... turns out, his tastes matched hers to a T.

If meals like this were part of the deal, maybe "settling down" with him wasn't so bad after all.

Elian noticed her zoning out. He tapped her lightly on the head with his fork.

"Stop absorbing trashy internet nonsense. Do you want a violin room? If you do, I'll get someone to set it up."

Of course she wanted one...

After her parents passed, she'd moved in with her grandpa. She never played the violin at home, worried it would bother him.

Quietly, she said, "Yeah... I'd like that. Go ahead and arrange it."

Sensing her mood shift, Elian smoothly changed the topic. "Wanna head out for a bit this afternoon?"

She shook her head. "I'd rather rest."

He didn't press.

After they finished eating, Clarissa cleared the table and went back to her room.

Elian lounged on the couch, phone in hand, scrolling through his gallery.

He picked out two photos-one of their marriage certificate, the other of their fingers laced together.

He added a caption:

[From promises to paper to forever.]

Elian had been glued to his study until well past three, maybe even four in the morning, before he finally stepped out to whip up a late meal. Once everything was done, Clarissa was still fast asleep.

The bedroom was pitch dark, clearly showing she'd been out cold for a while. He quietly flicked on the bedside lamp.

Under the soft, warm light, her petite face looked hazy, almost fragile.

He sat gently down beside her and called softly, "Clarissa, hey, wake up."

She stirred, clearly annoyed at being disturbed. Her brows furrowed, and her small hand patted the blanket aimlessly, mumbling something incoherent.

Elian leaned closer, trying to catch what she was murmuring.

But instead, she suddenly rolled over, and her lips brushed lightly against his cheek.

Time just... stopped. The silence was so thick, he could hear his own heartbeat pounding in his chest.

He was thrilled-but nervous too.

It felt fragile, like reaching for the moon's reflection in water; too beautiful to last.

After a beat, he swallowed hard, then leaned in and placed a soft kiss on her cheek.

Clarissa scratched her cheek with the back of her hand.

Elian called her name again, closer this time.

"Clarissa, wake up."

He gently brushed aside the messy strands of hair sticking to her face. Slowly, Clarissa started to stir, eyes fluttering open, and the first thing she saw was a ridiculously handsome face.

Wait... was she dreaming? Why was there a hot guy sitting by her bed?

"You look just like someone I know..." she mumbled drowsily, a goofy smile spreading across her face like someone deep in a fangirl fantasy.

Elian couldn't help but smile. She looked adorably ridiculous right now.

Still, he quipped, "Clarissa, I get it-you're a sucker for a pretty face. But no need to be shy about it. We're married, after all."

That snapped her right out of her daze.

She shot up in bed, smacked her own cheeks like she was trying to wake up properly.

"What are you doing in here?"

Elian chuckled. "Came to check on a certain someone who's dead to the world. If I didn't wake you now, you'd be starving later."

Clarissa fumbled for her phone at the edge of the bed. One glance, and her eyes widened-it was already past six.

"Fine, I'm getting up."

But, of course, she made no move to actually get out of bed. Still lying there, unmoved.

From the doorway, Elian turned to glance outside. The sky hadn't lit up just yet.

He asked, "Hey Clarissa, what time is it now?"

"Six twenty-five."

"You've got five minutes."

"What do you mean, five minutes?"

Clarissa finally looked up from her phone and saw Elian casually leaning against the doorframe.

He stretched a bit and said, "Four minutes now. The city lights'll flick on outside soon."

Clarissa blinked, then suddenly threw off her blanket and ran to find something to wear-she was only in a camisole dress, and it was chilly out of bed.

She hustled to the floor-to-ceiling window, sat cross-legged on the carpet, eyes fixed on the clock on her phone.

Elian silently walked over and knelt behind her, his hand tightening slightly in his pocket.

She started counting down, voice soft but excited: "Five... four... three... two... one!"

When she looked up, it wasn't just the city skyline and bridge lights that caught her eye.

A delicate pink necklace, sparkling with tiny diamonds, slipped from Elian's palm into view.

She froze.

Her heart began thudding wildly-not sure if it was the surprise or the man who gave it.

The room, though empty, was suddenly full of something she couldn't quite name.

She whispered, "What's this?"

Turning to Elian, clearly curious, but making no move to take the necklace from him.

It was literally their first day seeing each other again-where would he even find time to prep a gift?

Could it be something he bought for another woman before and just never gave her?

Seeing Elian's hesitant face only reinforced Clarissa's suspicions. She was just about to speak when he interrupted.

Elian leaned in and clasped the necklace around her neck. A sudden cool touch brushed her collarbone, making her start just a little.

The design was nothing flashy-definitely not the latest style-and it wasn't worth that much either, not even close to any of the fancy jewelry Sebastian had used to throw her way during those half-hearted attempts.

Still... for some reason, she felt it was beautiful. Special, even. Way more meaningful than anything she'd gotten before.

"Seriously though, when did you even have time to buy this?"

His fingers paused just slightly after fastening the clasp. He took a moment to smooth her hair back down, voice quiet.

"Got it a long time ago. It was supposed to be your birthday gift that year. Dropped it on the way, found it again going home, but never got the chance to give it to you."

Clarissa had run through a dozen different scenarios in her head, but she never thought... this.

A gift he'd kept all these years-how do you not forget something like that?

Wait-what year was that even?

"You mean that time you came by to bring me Plumie? You're telling me you've held onto this necklace since then? That's seriously petty," she teased, raising a brow.

Elian gave a soft smile. Back then, the necklace had cost him a decent sum.

But more than the price, it had been tied up with disappointment.

Not that she'd ever really know.

Hearing her name, their cat, Plumie, shuffled lazily into view and rubbed up against Elian's leg affectionately.

Clarissa smirked, half-laughing as she teased the cat. "Traitor. You were mine first."

A calm moment passed before Elian finally spoke again.

"Clarissa, I'm serious. I really am petty. You promised that year-you said if I gave you a birthday gift, you'd owe me one for mine. I've been keeping that receipt this whole time. You still owe me."

Her hand paused mid-air over Plumie's head. Was he for real?

Small-minded much?

She tried to remember-had she really said that?

Before she could sort through her thoughts, Elian cut in: "Stop playing, go wash up. Food's gonna get cold."

Clarissa set down the toy and dusted herself off before hurrying into the bathroom.

Over dinner, she showered Elian with praise about his cooking while her mind drifted back.

It was during senior year, some random elective where they had to jot down wishes on slips of paper.

Most classmates scribbled stuff like getting into college, making money.

Clarissa had written: [I want to get a birthday gift that actually comes from the heart.]

Her parents loved her, truly. But birthdays were always rushed affairs, the gifts too predictable, like they didn't even bother thinking about them.

She could close her eyes and guess what she'd get every time.

That's why she made that wish.

And Elian, being the most mischievous boy at the time, had peeked at her paper when she wasn't looking.

He joked, "Hey Clarissa, I'll get you a gift this year. And when it's my birthday, you better get me something too, deal?"

She hadn't taken it seriously. His birthday came after hers, anyway-if he really followed through, she'd just return the favor.

Seemed fair.

She honestly thought it was just a joke. Never figured 18-year-old Elian would mean it.

But here he was at 25, still holding on to it.

And 25-year-old Elian... had finally gotten the girl his 19-year-old self couldn't stop dreaming of.

Problem was, 18-year-old Clarissa never got that birthday present.

And 19-year-old Elian had crossed an ocean before he could give it to her.

Clarissa had seriously never imagined her sleeping posture could be this... tragic.

The sky was just starting to brighten when she stirred, and right as she shifted a little, she realized-her arms and legs were wrapped tightly around Elian.

Honestly, the whole scene screamed desperate clinginess.

She recalled how before bed last night, Elian had said, "I won't do anything, can I at least give you a hug?"

Awkwardly scooting a bit closer to him, she mumbled, "Why is your mind always in the gutter lately?"

He chuckled lowly, pulling her into his arms. "Well, twenty-something years without a girl, finally got a wife-I mean, can't I cut loose a little?"

It did sound reasonable... if not for the awkward situation between them.

But somehow, when she fell asleep, it was him hugging her. And now? The roles had totally reversed.

She carefully tried to extract herself, cautiously sliding her leg off him. Curious, she ducked under the blanket for a quick peek-only to discover that this man was...

Wearing nothing but pants.

Her face instantly turned tomato red as she ducked her head back out, holding her breath like even the slightest noise might wake him.

Unfortunately, her efforts were pointless.

Even before she made a sound, he was already stifling laughter, eyes still closed, lips curled up as if he couldn't hold it in anymore. His whole body was trembling from choking it back.

Clarissa instantly felt like she was lying to herself-classic ostrich approach.

"Don't hold it in too hard... you might explode or something."

Sure, she realized how ridiculous the whole thing looked. But honestly? If he was gonna laugh, might as well do it to her face.

Elian finally opened his eyes, propped himself up on one arm, and just watched her silently.

There was this oddly serene vibe in the air.

But to her, that gaze was nothing but teasing.

Blushing harder, Clarissa edged back to get up, only to lose her balance the moment her foot missed the edge of the bed.

Panicking, she instinctively grabbed onto something random-turned out to be Elian's arm.

He reached out with one hand, holding her by the waist just in time to stop her from falling.

The blanket that had been covering his chest slipped off when he moved, revealing his bare torso.

Clarissa's eyes had no idea where to look. With the heat of his breath brushing her skin and their faces this close, she was about to short-circuit.

She thought-wait-was he planning to do something?!

Then suddenly, his arm around her back tugged, pulling her toward the center of the bed.

And then he just let go.

Just. Let. Go.

Her brain instantly went into overdrive, trying and failing to decode his motive.

He let out a silent chuckle and said casually, "Don't worry, I won't touch you without your permission. No need to be so..."

His eyes flicked downward meaningfully, and Clarissa realized there was a breeze-on her shoulder.

Her spaghetti strap dress...

"AHHHHHH! Elian, you freaking creep!!"

She spun around and scrambled to fix her dress.

But Elian braced himself with both arms beside her, leaned his chin on her shoulder, and said in an even voice, "Morning, babe."

Clarissa went stiff on the spot. Her ears flushed bright red and the color crept all the way up to her cheeks, giving her a surprisingly radiant glow.

She had no idea when he'd left, only that her heart was beating way too fast.

And it's not like she was some shallow girl who'd fall for a guy just for his looks or voice.

She was convinced he just scared the hell out of her.

Yeah. Just biology freaking out. That's it.

Otherwise, why did it kinda feel like Elian actually liked her?

*****

Clarissa had just finished her morning routine when she stepped out and saw the table filled with breakfast.

There it was-a crisp breakfast wrap with carrot.

It'd been forever since she last had one of those. She picked up her fork and took a bite.

Yup, still tasted just as good.

She looked at Elian and asked, "How do you know how to make this?"

This used to be her go-to breakfast back in high school. After getting to college, she couldn't find it anywhere and gradually gave up eating breakfast altogether.

Elian paused briefly, his voice low and calm. "I just do."

He'd always known how.

Clarissa chuckled, not thinking much of it. "So you learned from that lady near school or what? Tastes exactly the same."

Elian didn't respond-just kept eating.

After breakfast, he was about to head to the office. Right as he turned to ask about her plans for the day, her phone buzzed.

The screen clearly showed: Margaret Hamilton.

Sebastian's mom?

Elian's gaze lingered on the screen, his thoughts momentarily drifting.

Clarissa blinked when she saw the caller ID too, then walked off to take the call in private.

Elian was heading out, but his fingers trembled a little on the doorknob. He glanced back-she was looking down, messing with her slippers.

It was his place, yet somehow it still felt a bit unreal to him.

About half an hour later, he came back in.

As soon as he opened the door, he saw Clarissa already dressed up, standing at the door putting on her shoes.

She glanced at the clock, eyes widening. "You haven't left yet? Aren't you gonna be late?"

"Forgot something," he answered.

She nodded slightly. "Then go on."

She was just about to step out when he grabbed her wrist. Brow slightly furrowed, he asked directly, "Where are you headed?"

Clarissa wasn't sure what was up with him-he seemed kind of off.

"Uh... Mrs. Hamilton asked me to come over for a bit," she replied.

Only after saying it out loud did she remember-the whole thing with Sebastian.

"But it's nothing to do with Sebastian, he's still in Hawaii with Aria. I'm just going to see his mom, nothing else."

Worried he might overthink it, she added that last part.

Elian knew she and the Hamiltons were close. The families had ties too, and cutting things off completely wouldn't be easy.

Plus, Sebastian was one thing; Margaret was another. She'd always treated Clarissa kindly.

He nodded. "I'll drive you."

"Huh?" She clearly didn't expect that. "Don't you need to get to work?"

"I don't draw a paycheck. I'm the boss," Elian replied smoothly.

So basically, go when he wants, stay when he wants.

Alright dude, you win.

She hadn't even told him where the Hamilton place was, but Elian didn't pull up GPS or anything-just drove as if he already knew.

She almost asked but let it go.

If she did, he'd probably just say, "Good memory."

When they reached the Hamilton residence, Clarissa unbuckled her seatbelt, gearing up to say goodbye, but Elian beat her to it.

"You coming home tonight?" he asked.

Huh?

"Yeah... I mean, it's my home too, y'know?"

Her voice trailed off toward the end, carefully watching his reaction.

When he heard "my home," he couldn't help a faint smile tug at the corners of his mouth.

It was gone in a flash, but Clarissa caught it.

She smiled to herself too.

"I'll swing by to pick you up later," he added.

Clarissa nodded-she actually liked the idea.

The area wasn't exactly central; having him come get her felt safer.

Before closing the door, she even waved at him with a grin.