It's been months since I got back to the city after that hike, and until now, he still hasn't left my mind.
That grumpy, sarcastic, frustratingly hot stranger who helped me. We only met once, but it felt like something inside me was unlocked. He wasn't like the kind of man I could easily read—and I hated it.
And yet… I couldn't stop thinking about him.
I didn't even think of Oliver that much anymore, all because of him—the very reason I found my way back to who I used to be.
That man is slowly driving me crazy with every passing month. So, I did what any slightly obsessed woman would do—I hired a private investigator.
And oh, the information I got? Juicy.
Lorenzo Y. Lim, a licensed civil engineer. He comes from a wealthy family that owns a construction firm. He looks like a well-behaved man, but inside, he's wild. He's a partygoer and a womanizer. Based on his history, he was seen with at least five different women in a week.
A fuck boy.
I honestly didn't think he was like that. I still remember how grumpy he was with me when he helped me, not knowing he was actually fond of girls. Or maybe he just didn't like me, that's why?
I shook my head. That's impossible. I'm too beautiful and sexy for him not to like me. He probably just has no taste.
Because if Enzo is that type of guy—then I have a real shot. I mean, hello? I'm Sereia Jaze Gozon. I'm not a supermodel for nothing. No man is immune to me.
That's why I began executing my plan.
I started showing up at the clubs he went to. I wore my best dresses and the most flawless makeup. I always made sure to stand out. I even walked past his table twice, dropped a napkin once, and tossed my hair more times than I could count.
And guess what? He didn't even glance at me, as if we had never spoken once.
But I didn't give up.
Then one day, as if heaven finally answered my prayers—I found out something even better than luck.
I was just at my condo, freshly woken up from a nap, when my mom suddenly called.
"Eya, drop by the house later. Just a dinner with some business friends. I want you to say hi."
I almost said no. I didn't really do family dinners anymore, especially if it was all about business talk. But something in my mom's tone told me not to argue. And since I had nothing to do, I agreed.
By 7 PM, I was already at the house. The moment I stepped into the living room, I could hear the laughter coming from the dining area. When I walked in, I saw the last person I ever expected to see.
"Oh my God…"
There he was.
Enzo.
He was seated right across from Dad, calmly sipping his wine. He wore a navy blue polo shirt that fit tightly around his biceps.
"Sweetheart, this is Lorenzo—" Mom began.
"Lim," I finished. "I know."
Enzo stood up out of politeness. He looked at me, and for a split second, I swear, he looked just as shocked as I was.
"You again?" he asked.
The surprise on his face quickly turned into irritation. His brows drew together, and his lips pressed into a tight line.
"Small world," I said with a smile, trying to calm the storm inside me.
Looks like this dinner wasn't such a waste after all.
"Oh, so you already know each other?" Dad asked.
Enzo didn't answer, but I nodded.
"That's good, then. No need for introductions. His parents and I are long-time business friends. His dad's firm is working on a joint project with one of our partners."
Business friends?
I looked at Enzo again. How come I never saw him at all those boring brunches and networking events?
But none of that mattered now. What mattered was the fact that he was connected to my family.
The universe just handed me a backdoor into his world.
So right after dinner, when they had already left, I immediately talked to Mom.
"Mom," I called out. She was in the living room, sipping her nightly tea.
"Hmm?"
I sat beside her.
"Can I talk to you about something serious?"
She looked at me right away.
"Sure, sweetheart. This isn't about another photoshoot or modeling trip, is it?" She laughed.
I shook my head. "No. This is more important."
She raised her brow. "Okay, I'm listening."
I took a deep breath. "I want you to arrange a marriage."
She choked on her tea. She stared at me, shocked, unable to believe what she had just heard.
"Come again?"
"Ma! I know you heard me. I don't need to repeat it."
She shook her head as if she couldn't believe what I was saying.
"You must be joking, Eya. Is this because Oliver left you? How can you talk about marriage when you already broke up with him?"
I quickly looked away when she mentioned Oliver's name. It's been almost six months since we broke up, and the good thing was—I barely thought about him anymore unless someone in the family or my friends brought him up.
Maybe it was because I forced myself to bury everything I felt for him under bitterness and anger.
"I'm not marrying Oliver."
"Then who? Don't tell me you already have someone new. Your standards are too high for that."
"It's Enzo, Ma. I want you to talk to his parents. Set us up," I said casually.
"Are you insane?!" she gasped. "You just saw him again tonight! You've barely spoken, and now you want to marry him?"
I took a deep breath and stood up. I already knew this would be her reaction.
"I'm serious, Ma. I've been thinking about this for a while. I didn't tell you before, but I met him months ago. Not just once—we've crossed paths a few times already, but he never really paid attention to me."
I didn't bother going into detail about the ridiculous things I did just to get him to notice me. I knew she'd overreact all over again.
"Sereia, let's not kid ourselves. You know yourself. You don't develop feelings that fast. You didn't even date men seriously until Oliver came into your life. He courted you for two years before you said yes. And now you want to marry a guy you only met a few months ago?"
"This isn't about Oliver anymore, Ma. I really like him. I want him to be mine… legally."
"He's not something you can just buy just because you like him. And besides, you told me earlier he's been ignoring you. Isn't that enough of a reason for you to stop? Sorry to burst your bubble, but his actions clearly show that he doesn't want you."
"I don't care if he likes me or not, Mom. What matters is that I like him," I said with finality.
Mom sighed, placing her cup down. "And what makes you think he'll agree?"
"I know he won't. Not on his own."
She raised an eyebrow. "So what exactly do you want me to do?"
"Use the connection," I said without shame. "You and Dad—leverage it. I know they need something from us right now, don't they? They need help securing permits for their major construction project."
"Sereia, we are not that kind of people."
I smiled sweetly. "We are when we want something done."
Mom looked at me, disbelief written all over her face. "So this is serious. You're really willing to use our family's influence just to get him?"
"Not just to get him, Mom. I want to marry him. What's the point of having wealth and connections if we can't use them for ourselves, right?"
"What if he resents you? What if this backfires?"
"It won't," I said firmly.
She shook her head. "Fine. I'll talk to your father about this. But if this fails, don't come crying to me."
"I won't, Mom, because this won't fail," I said with confidence.
Just as we talked, Mom spoke to Dad, and he agreed. Dad then reached out to Enzo's parents about the proposal and they agreed too. Maybe it was because of the permit issues in their project, or maybe it was because they've been friends with our family for a long time.
I don't care what their reason is for saying yes—what matters is that they agreed.
So I wasn't surprised at all when Enzo came to our house again. But this time, he had a look of quiet rage in his eyes.
He walked straight to the garden, where I was casually reading a magazine as if I had no idea what was going on.
"What brings you here, Enzo?" I asked, flipping a page and pretending to be clueless.
"Cut the act," he snapped.
I looked up, feigning surprise. "Excuse me?"
"Don't play dumb, Sereia. You know exactly why I'm here."
"Okay, fine. You're here because our parents talked, and your parents agreed."
His jaw clenched. "You mean you manipulated the entire thing!"
I didn't even flinch. "I used what I had."
"You used your selfishness! You trapped me into this!"
"Trapped?" I tilted my head. "I didn't force you to say yes."
"You think I had a choice? My father needs this project to push through. You knew that. You were listening during dinner! You knew I'd be pressured into agreeing."
"Well, I took a chance, and it worked."
He laughed bitterly, shaking his head. "Unbelievable."
"Don't be so dramatic." I stood up and walked past him toward the patio. "It's not like we're strangers."
He followed. "We are."
"We are not," I insisted.
"Why? Just because we met on a mountain? That's it?"
"Perhaps, yes?"
"You're crazy."
I nodded, agreeing without hesitation. "I am."
"Then I should've never helped you. I should've left you there even if you died, if only I knew this is how you were going to repay me!"
"Unfortunately, you did save me."
"You're being unreasonable."
I turned to face him.
"You can say that."
His jaw clenched. I could tell he was furious, but I acted like it didn't bother me at all.
"Cancel the wedding. Tell your parents you don't want it anymore. I'll talk to mine too, so we can end this right away."
"No."
"No?" He blinked in disbelief. "Are you serious?"
"I want this," I said firmly.
"Why? Why the hell are you doing this?"
"Because I want you. I like you, Enzo."
"Are you even fucking for real? We barely know each other!"
"You know nothing about me, but I know everything about you," I said confidently.
"You don't! You only know a version of me in your head. But the real me? You don't know the first damn thing about who I am," he growled.
"Then let me. Let me get to know you. Give me a chance."
"I don't want to."
I walked closer to him until there was barely a step between us. He didn't move, nor did he look away from me.
"Why? Do you have a girlfriend?" I asked.
He stared at me for a while. "If I said yes, would you stop this?"
"Hmm… depends," I replied.
"I have," he said quickly.
I smirked. "Liar."
"I'm telling the truth."
I closed the gap between us completely. I placed my hand on his chest and gently caressed it. I heard the faint hitch in his breath and the heaviness of his breathing.
"I had you investigated, so I know you don't have a girlfriend. You just love to flirt around and sleep with girls you find sexy. And if you agree to marry me, I promise to give you everything I have. I'll be exclusively yours: my money, my name, and even my body… You can own me, Enzo, and I won't complain."