Weeks blurred into months as the wedding preparations flew by. Photoshoots were completed, the venue was booked, caterers were selected, and the invitations were sent. All that was left was the wedding day.

  In an ironic twist of fate, Jun and Mei had begun to hang out regurly, often meeting up for coffee trips at the cafe. Occasionally, Xavier and Liam would join them, browsing through files while sipping their cups of hot coffee.

  At first, Liam was displeased, struggling to accept Jun’s decision to stop dying her hair and wearing contacts for him, but he eventually learnt to accept it, realising her choices were more important than his preferences. However, every now and then, he would zone out, staring at Mei in a way that didn’t go unnoticed by Jun and the others.

  Meanwhile, Lily’s health has been improving, and on good days, she’s well enough to enjoy a walk in the park. She also met the person who had been sending her the heartfelt letters all this time, and it turned out to be Mei. After all, Mei had once volunteered at a nursing home for a school project.

  As for JAX, Jun’s colboration helped them to secure more funding for the game, speeding up its development process even further. After going through more extensive beta testing, the game should be allowed for release by the end of this year.

  Even Xavier was amazed by its unprecedented speed.

  At this moment, Jun was shopping for a dress with Mei for Liam’s birthday celebration. They had been pnning for weeks for his birthday, and they decided on a masquerade party. To celebrate their growing friendship, Mei suggested they wore matching dresses and masks, and Jun agreed. In addition, the party would be held at a luxurious hotel, with almost everyone from their college and high school invited.

  After trying on the dresses and paying for it, Jun and Mei parted ways, looking forward to seeing each other again ter that evening.

  …

  At the party, a constant stream of people flowed in and out, a sea of faces chattering and ughing as they greeted one another. Beautiful melodies filled the air while the crowd enjoyed their wine, their gentle clinking of gsses blending all together.

  Jun and Mei walked into the hall, capturing everyone’s attention. With their simir dresses, hairstyle, build, and height, it made them almost indistinguishable. Their hair and eye colours were the only differences.

  Spotting them, Liam and Xavier broke free from the enthusiastic crowd and made their way towards them together. Reaching Jun’s side, Liam naturally took her hand and kissed.

  As the party progressed deeper into the night, more and more people became intoxicated, and they lost themselves in the pulsing music and the moment, the air thick with the smell of perfume and sweat.

  Just as Mei was about to reach for another gss of wine offered by a smiling cssmate, Xavier finally intervened. Holding the gss, his lips pressed into a thin line.

  “Mei, that’s enough. You’ll hurt your stomach.”

  Stopped by Xavier, Mei snorted. She then snatched the gss and emptied it all. The burning sensation of the wine muddled her thoughts, but the bitter taste of her jealousy lingered. Jun was with Liam all night, making her unable to get close. All she could do was watch.

  Before Mei could savour another gss of wine, Xavier took it away. Furious, she gred at him as she lunged for the gss in his hand, but she couldn’t reach it. “Don’t stop me!”

  But Xavier wouldn’t listen.

  As a server approached them, Xavier quickly moved back, pcing the gss back on the tray. Then he seized Mei’s wrist, preventing her from grabbing another. She struggled, but to no avail. In the end, she gave up.

  “Why? Why are you stopping me?” Mei said. “You first made a promise to help me. Then you broke it. Now you’re trying to meddle in my decisions. What’s your problem?”

  Xavier remained silent, but a gentle furrow appeared between his brows, softening his usual stern expression. Even though his feelings had faded, he couldn’t deny that he remained concerned for her well-being. Although he didn’t view her as a woman, he still cherished her as he would a sibling. He knew Mei actually possessed a kind heart, but her fixation on Liam worried him. He didn’t want her and Jun to end up like bitter rivals fighting desperately over Liam.

  “Mei, for him, is it worth it? Is he really worth all this? If he’s single, it wouldn’t matter, but he’s not. Why do you still want to—”

  “Shut up, shut up!” Mei shouted, cutting him off before he could continue lecturing her. “You don’t understand.”

  “I’m different from you.”

  “Unless you know what it’s like being in love, you will never understand how I feel. In this world, there is no one, no one who loves him as much as I do,” Mei said as her brown eyes burned with an intense, almost insane obsession.

  Xavier became stunned.

  At this point, a crowd had already gathered around them, drawn in by their commotion. Before Xavier could think of an excuse to diffuse the situation, the lights went out, plunging the room into immediate darkness. Instantly, he sensed something was wrong and yelled for Mei, but she didn’t respond. The murmuring grew louder and louder until, unexpectedly; the lights came back on.

  But Mei was no longer by his side.

  Xavier immediately searched the area, but she was nowhere to be found. And yet, somehow his gaze fell upon Jun, standing all alone, her solitude a stark contrast to the lively crowd around her.

  With a distant look in her eyes, Jun held the delicate wine gss, a sad smile hanging on her lips, looking pitiful. He couldn't make out her expression behind the mask, but when a tear rolled down her cheek, in an instant, his heart broke.

  Worried, he approached her, only to notice her gaze had fallen somewhere else — in a dim corner where a man and a woman were lost in a heated, almost desperate kiss.

  Xavier’s eyes widened in shock.

  It was none other than Liam and Mei.

  Before Xavier could catch a glimpse of her troubled gaze, Jun had already turned and walked away, leaving him behind. Without a choice, he chased after her.

  But Xavier didn’t know that as they left, Mei watched them with a sly grin, her eyes gleaming wickedly.

  …

  In the quiet hallway, the plush carpet muffled Jun’s quick steps as she made her way for the hotel exit. Xavier ran, following closely behind her trail. Seeing Jun outside the hotel, he rushed out, catching sight of her nearly getting hit by a car.

  “Jun!”

  Without hesitation, Xavier dashed towards Jun, pulling her back just in time.

  Jun gasped, her eyes wide with surprise as she struggled against Xavier’s strong grip. With a serious, almost stern gaze, he looked at her deeply as he uttered, “Don’t be foolish, Jun. It’s not worth ending your life over a heartbreak.” His voice, low and tight with warning.

  Unamused by his words, Jun dropped her smile in an instant.

  “That’s not something you need to worry about. Please leave me alone.”

  With those words, Jun looked up, her fiery blue eyes locking with his intense gaze as a silent tension filled the air.

  But all Xavier could notice were the tears glistening at the corner of her eyes, threatening to spill. He pursed his lips, his frown deepening into a furrow as his grip tightened, holding her with a gentle yet firm force, his hand slightly trembling against her skin.

  “I’m not leaving you until you’re fine.”

  Jun trembled, hot tears streaming down her face, blurring her vision. After a long while, she leaned in and asked, “Why?”

  “Why do you care about me?”

  “I…” Xavier hesitated, his heart a frantic drum against his chest.

  Since he didn’t reply, Jun looked away and wiped her tears at his silence. Then she turned and walked off, deciding to leave him behind without waiting for an answer.

  Xavier suddenly felt a sharp stab of pain in his heart.

  Just as Jun thought everything would be over, Xavier suddenly grasped her hand and gently pulled her back, colliding her against his warm chest. He inhaled deeply, his voice tight with nervousness, and confessed, “I like you, Jun.”

  “I don’t know when it began, but Jun, I like you. I know you can’t be with me, but it’s fine. I would be content with liking you from afar.”

  This time, Jun couldn’t even mask her surprise. In fact, his blunt confession was so unexpected that it left her genuinely stunned, her mind reeling from the weight of his words.

  Based on her assessment of him, she knew Xavier was a patient man, full of self-control, who would choose to silently endure, concealing his affections even at the cost of his own emotions. That’s why she took a gamble to get his attention and changed his opinion of her so that he wouldn’t get in the way of her pn to split Liam and Mei up.

  But now? He unexpectedly confessed to her, disregarding everything.

  His decade of unrequited love for Mei and friendship with Liam was now irrelevant.

  But if Jun continued to give him hope, she would be no better than Liam. Even if she enjoyed teasing people, she didn’t like to string people along.

  “Sorry,” Jun decisively rejected him.

  Understanding her love for Liam would never waver, Xavier felt a crushing weight settled in his chest, almost making it hard to breathe. For a moment, he felt a surge of anger and loathing, hating the unfairness of the world. He knew rejection was inevitable when he confessed to her, but… why didn’t he meet her earlier? If he had, he would find her first and love her, cherishing her carefully in his palms, never letting her suffer a grievance.

  As the silence stretched on, Jun sighed, noticing Xavier looking even more distraught than she had been when she caught someone cheating. For a moment, she wanted to chuckle, but Xavier looked at her, interrupting her with a question.

  “…May I hug you? Just this once, please.”

  Jun was about to turn Xavier down again, but the sight of his teary eyes and dejected smile stopped her. Seeing the tall, rge man acting like a sad little puppy, she felt some compassion stirred in her heart. In the end, she sighed again and pulled him for a quick hug before pushing him off.

  “I just thought you needed this.”

  Before Xavier could react, Jun turned and left, not waiting for him to catch up.

  Little did they know, Liam and Mei saw it all. A triumphant grin spread across Mei’s face. Though they couldn’t hear what was being said in the distance, Jun’s final hug aroused suspicions. Her action made her believe Liam would soon misunderstand the situation and eventually stand by her side, even if he was initially in the wrong for kissing her.

  Once the thought of him returning to her appeared, a shiver ran down her spine as she felt growing excitement and anticipation for their future.

  Mei stared affectionately at Liam, a tender smile on her lips, her gaze full of adoration. She leaned into his arms, her head nestled on his chest, listening to the steady rhythm of his heartbeat.

  “See Liam, I told you, didn’t I? Xavier has always coveted what belongs to you. At first, it was me. Now, it’s her. Are you going to keep letting him have his way?”

  Gritting his teeth, Liam’s eyes fshed darkly, filled with barely suppressed rage. Without a word, he encircled Mei’s waist tightly before lifting her into a hug and strode away.

  Mei looked back at the spot where Xavier and Jun had disappeared before she revealed a chilling smile.

  Soon, Liam would be hers.