Kian Reynolds had come specifically to deliver Dulce Lopez's medical report. It was purely by chance that he stumbled upon Thea Gonzales and Xavier Ford in the middle of a heated argument. Offering his help was just a spontaneous gesture of goodwill. Yet, he cheekily insisted that Thea owed him dinner in return.

As they got stuck in traffic and boredom set in, Kian casually asked her, "So, what's your plan for the future? Going to live by yourself?"

Thea just shrugged and replied, "No real plan. Just going with the flow."

"And what about you?" she countered. "You're not exactly getting any younger. No serious dating prospects?"

With a teasing grin, Kian nodded toward Thea, "Aren't we on a date right now?"

Thea rolled her eyes dramatically, "Yeah, right. I can't handle someone as high-maintenance as you. But there are some nice young women at my company. Maybe I'll set you up with one of them sometime."

He gave a slight smile, "Sounds good."

During the dinner rush, every restaurant seemed to have at least an hour-long wait.

Just as it was almost their turn, Thea Gonzales got a call from her department director, Amanda Harrison. "Thea, there's an issue with the financial report you turned in this afternoon. It's needed for the company meeting first thing tomorrow. You'll have to come back and work on it tonight."

When Thea arrived at the office, she quickly figured out it was all orchestrated by Xavier Ford. The entire building was dark, except for the light spilling from his office, lighting up the otherwise empty space.

Amanda instructed her, "Thea, take your laptop to Mr. Ford's office and make the corrections there. Once you're done, show it to him directly."

It was already past ten in the evening.

Thea Gonzales sat on the couch in Xavier Ford's office, her laptop perched on her knees as she organized the financial statements. The expansive floor-to-ceiling windows behind her reflected the city lights, casting shimmering glimmers across the glass facades of the skyscrapers—like countless eyes silently observing the bustling world below.

Xavier sat quietly at his desk, his eyes occasionally darting over to Thea. Eventually, unable to hold back, he said, "That guy isn't the right fit for you."

Thea paused her typing. "Why do you think that?"

"He's too young," Xavier replied, his gaze unwavering.

"Addilyn is younger," Thea countered.

"Men and women aren't the same," Xavier shot back.

"What do you mean? Isn't it all just about compatibility?" Thea smirked. "Younger folks have more energy, and sometimes even more experience—who wouldn't appreciate that?"

Xavier's grip on the stack of papers tightened, creasing them. His eyes grew sharper and more intense. "Have you been with him?"

Thea closed her laptop with a click. "I've sent the report to your email, Mr. Ford. Take a look at your convenience. If there's nothing else, I'll be heading out."

As she left the office, Thea caught sight of a figure in a pink coat disappearing around the corner of the hallway.

It was Addilyn Freeman.

Thea recognized that pink coat from photos on Addilyn's Instagram, which meant...

Their entire conversation had been overheard from the doorway.