Lucca's POV
"Lucca, why did you only come now? Didn't I tell you to come regularly?" Dr. Keith reprimanded me as I entered his clinic.
I frowned, not because of his nagging, but because I had to come back to his clinic again, something that annoyed me deeply. Dr. Keith is a psychiatrist. I met him last year when I could no longer control myself. No one knew about my visits except my master, whom I couldn't hide the secret from. Last year was an emotional roller coaster, and day by day, I could honestly feel my strength weakening.
"You know I hate coming to your clinic," I told him.
"I know. But you're here because you need another prescription," he said confidently.
"Just give me a higher dosage. I can't even sleep at night."
"Medicine isn't always the answer, Lucca. Sometimes, it's the people. Why not try opening up to me instead of asking for a higher dosage that doesn't even help you?"
I frowned even more. Taking medicine was easier than opening up to people. That was the least I could do.
The doctor sighed at my expression. He couldn't force me no one could. Even with my master, though I opened up at times, I was still trying to suppress my emotions.
"This is the last time I'm giving this to you. Next time you come here, whether you like it or not, we'll have a proper talking session," Dr. Keith said as he prescribed me a medicine.
"Here." He handed me the prescription. I checked it before standing up. I was wearing a black hoodie jacket paired with my favorite gray jogging pants and white sneakers. I put my black mask on and didn't even bother to thank him. I knew he would understand. I wasn't comfortable around people.
As I walked out of his room, I noticed someone staring at me. I didn't bother to look back, but I knew the girl was also one of Dr. Keith's patients.
After leaving the psychiatrist's clinic, I headed straight to the pharmacy and bought all the medicines he prescribed. It had been days since I last slept. Resting was difficult because my mind kept spinning like a whirlwind. It wouldn't stop. It kept bothering me.
Inside the pharmacy, I handed the prescription to the attendant and waited patiently while she prepared my medicines.
"Here, sir," she said. I handed her my debit card, and she swiped it for the amount I needed to pay.
Afterward, I returned to my car and immediately took the medicine, gulping it down with a 500 ml bottle of water. I gripped the steering wheel as I waited for the effects to kick in. Patience was never part of my vocabulary, but in moments like this, I had no choice but to have it.
***
Seraphina's POV
After leaving the clinic, I went straight to the cemetery to visit my grandmother's tomb. The doctor hadn't prescribed any medicine yet, saying that therapy might be a possible solution for me. I rode a Grab car since buses weren't available at that time, then walked inside the cemetery. As I walked, I reminisced about the days when my grandmother and I were still together. Every time I visited her tomb, I couldn't help but become emotional. Emotionally, because even now, I still couldn't accept that I was all alone, battling life on my own. Maybe if she were still here, I wouldn't be depressed. Maybe if she were here, I wouldn't be sad.
I stopped near my grandmother's tomb when I noticed someone standing there. I tried to see who was visiting her, but I couldn't make out his face. He was wearing a thick black coat and a black hat. I could only see his back, and it seemed like he hadn't noticed anyone else was there.
What surprised me was this—who would even visit my grandmother? His build wasn't familiar, and I hadn't seen him during her wake.
I stayed where I was for a while. I didn't want to approach him because I didn't know what to say or ask. I decided to let him finish his moment with my grandmother before going near the tomb.
After ten minutes, he started to walk away. As I watched him, I noticed the wrinkles on his hands, revealing that he was an old man. Although he was wearing a black surgical mask, it was clear that my grandmother's visitor was elderly. But who was he? I wanted to run after him and ask a few questions, but my feet refused to move, and my mouth wouldn't cooperate. I simply let him fade from my sight.
When I finally reached my grandmother's tomb, I broke down, letting the tears I had been holding back fall freely. Living felt more like surviving every day. I didn't want to live, yet I didn't want to die either. If only I had enough resources, I would leave everything behind and live somewhere else without hesitation. But I was relying solely on my salary. Without my job, I wouldn't survive.
"I miss you, Grandma," I murmured through my sobs. When my grandmother died, I didn't just lose family, I lost a friend. I had been open with her. She knew all my emotions and problems. I relied on her too much, and because of that, I struggled to open up to other people.
"If only you were still alive, Grandma…" I whispered, wiping my tears as I continued crying.
I stayed there for an hour before deciding to go to the place where Mira and I were supposed to meet. When I arrived, I saw her waving at me with a bright smile. I smiled back and waved. I was thankful that Mira was there, cheering me up on this difficult day.
"Did you cry?" Mira asked when she noticed the redness in my eyes. She gently touched my face as if inspecting it, but I turned away to avoid her gaze.
"You went to the cemetery," she said softly. She already knew that my grandmother was the only person I ever truly opened up to.
"Let's make your day special," she said before pulling me along. I didn't know where we were going. I decided to go with the flow and let Mira handle everything.
We walked for ten minutes before stopping in front of a five-star hotel and restaurant.
Mira was about to go inside when I pulled her hand back. She looked at me, confused. "Why?"
"This place is expensive. I don't want to go here," I said hesitantly.
Mira smiled, silently telling me to calm down. "Relax. I already planned this. It's my treat. You don't have to spend a single penny."
"But Mira, I don't want you to spend that much on me. I can eat at a cheap restaurant."
"Didn't you say it's up to me to decide? Besides, I wasn't able to treat you on your last birthday because I was on vacation. Won't you let me pay my debt now?"
"It's not a debt to me. Mira, please, I'm not comfortable here."
She tightened her grip on my hand. "Just come with me. Trust me."
Though hesitant, Mira pulled me with enough force that I couldn't stop her anymore. As we entered, all I could feel was the luxury—the expensive atmosphere pressing down on me. I didn't belong here and never would.
People walked gracefully, dressed in designer clothes and expensive sandals. Besides them, I felt like a servant following their master. I glanced at what I was wearing—simple, ordinary, just like me. Meanwhile, Mira wore a sophisticated pink dress paired with pink sandals. Everything about her was pink—her bag, her accessories. She looked like a Barbie.
"Good afternoon, ma'am," the attendant greeted us gracefully, as if we were VIPs.
"Mira Kraft, reservation please," she said. When the attendant heard the name, she immediately led us to our table. We entered the elevator, and she pressed the 30th-floor button—the highest floor of the building.
When we arrived, we stepped into a wide open area that felt both cozy and elegant at the same time. Soft lights warmed the room, and the tables were neatly spaced, giving everyone enough privacy. The chairs looked comfortable, and everything from the glass windows to the polished floors felt clean and carefully arranged. Quiet music played somewhere in the background, and the whole place had a calm, expensive feel without being too loud about it.
"This is your table, ma'am," the attendant said politely, gesturing toward the reserved table.
"Thank you," Mira replied before the attendant left us.
We both sat down. It was a table for two, spacious and comfortable. Beside us was a breathtaking view of the city. I stared at it in awe. Surely, when night came, the city lights would be beautiful and colorful.
"You like it? We'll be staying here until night so you can see the beauty of the city lights," Mira said.
"Mira, how did you know about this place? You seem like an expert," I said. I knew she was rich, but to this extent?
"I always come here whenever I want to eat steak," she answered casually.
"Always?" I asked.
She nodded and smiled. "Why?"
"I… I know you're rich, but not this rich," I mumbled.
She chuckled. "Rich or not, what matters is that we're celebrating your birthday here."
I smiled at her and softly said, "Thank you, Mira."
"Let's order first. Do you want to try my favorite food here? Their steak is really good."
"You can order for me too. I'm not familiar with the menu," I said while scanning the unfamiliar dishes listed.
"Okay," she replied and called the waiter. She confidently told him our order. It sounded like a lot. I thought she was done, but then she leaned closer and whispered something to the waiter, so I couldn't hear it.
"Thank you," Mira said as the waiter left and returned her attention to me.
"Let's take a picture," she suggested.
I smiled uneasily. I wasn't fond of taking pictures. I hated cameras and photographs. But since Mira was treating me today, refusing felt disrespectful. She took her phone out of her bag and told me to pose. I smiled awkwardly while looking at the screen.
"Hey, calm down. It's just a picture," she said.
"I'm sorry. I'm not used to it."
"Try being yourself, Sera. Try to relax. You've been stiff all the time—even at work. Try not to control your emotions and just let them out. Look, there's so much to enjoy instead of being alone. Life can be fun and adventurous," she explained.
I understood her point. But could I do it one step at a time?
Our photo session was interrupted by the sudden gasps of other customers. Mira and I looked up to see three men entering the room—not just men, but three strikingly handsome ones.
One had a tall, dark, and handsome presence, while the other two were tall, fair-skinned, and handsome, looking like Korean actors. But what made my heart thump was the familiarity of their faces. The tall, dark, handsome man was the CEO of the company I worked for, while one of the fair-skinned men was the same guy who had nearly crashed his car into me before. My eyes widened as memories of our encounters flooded back.
I immediately turned toward the glass window, trying to hide myself. Unfortunately, Mira didn't notice my uneasiness and called out to our boss.
"Sir Dominic!" she shouted, waving her hand.
I bit my lower lip in frustration. I already planned to nag her later for drawing his attention.
"We're from the marketing department, sir," Mira added, which made me want to escape the room altogether. I didn't want to see him—especially not here.
"Oh, hi. Now I remember," he said. "Who's with you?"
I tried to hide my face behind my straight black hair, which wasn't tied up today. But Mira, the attention seeker, glanced at me and answered anyway.
"I'm with my friend. We're celebrating her birthday. She's from the same department."
"Oh."
I shot Mira an angry look, but she didn't seem to notice. Left with no choice, I slowly showed my face to the CEO along with the man who had nearly killed me.
The CEO looked amused when he saw me. Of course, who would forget the woman who refused to shake his hand? Remembering that moment made me flinch. He smiled widely, while his fair-skinned friend, not the one who nearly ran me over, gave him a knowing look.
"So, it's your birthday today," he said.
I secretly bit my lip. "Yes," I answered reluctantly. I was definitely scolding Mira later.
"Can we celebrate together?" the CEO asked.
Before I could decline, the man who had nearly killed me spoke.
"Did we come here just to celebrate your employee's birthday?" he said coldly.
I raised an eyebrow. Didn't he remember me? Well, if he didn't, I wouldn't complain. It was better that way.
"Come on, it's not just any employee," the CEO replied, smiling at his friend and ignoring the frown on his face.
I glanced at the other fair-skinned man who had been quietly observing us. When our eyes met, he smiled. Hesitant, I smiled back.
"Ahm, sir, we already ordered our food," Mira said, perhaps finally sensing my discomfort.
The CEO looked at her and nodded. "That's fine. Enjoy the night, the bill is on me." He winked at me.
I tried hard not to react. He was quite flirty, one of the traits I disliked most in men. Still, I could sense that he was genuine and kind… or maybe that was just my assumption.
Mira gladly accepted his offer to pay for my birthday dinner. I didn't protest either; at least she wouldn't have to spend money on me.
The three men headed to their table, and once they were far enough away, I turned to Mira.
"You shouldn't have done that. I was clearly trying to hide, and you still got his attention," I said angrily.
"I'm sorry. I didn't know you were uncomfortable around him."
"I was, and you still didn't notice."
"But he treated you nicely. He's a good boss after all."
Didn't she see how flirty he was? Or was it just me overthinking? I sighed and was about to continue scolding her when she spoke first.
"I like the other guy," she said, her eyes sparkling.
"Huh? Which one?" I asked.
"Definitely not the dark and gloomy one," she replied, making a face.
I almost told her that the gloomy guy had nearly killed me, but I stopped myself.
"I think I like him," Mira added, her cheeks turning pink.
"Wake up, Mira. You can't like someone you just saw."
"I'm physically attracted to him."
I rolled my eyes at my daydreaming friend.
My gaze drifted toward the table where the three men were seated. And then—his eyes met mine. The dark, gloomy man stared back at me, just as intensely. For a moment, it felt like we were trying to read each other's thoughts.