Jade slammed the back door and crossed her arms.
Daniel sat beside her, completely relaxed.
"How did you even find me?" she asked, suspicious.
"Luccianho is a very good spy," Daniel replied calmly.
"And Riguel called to confirm you were there."
She muttered under her breath,
"Traitor."
Daniel ignored the comment and suddenly took a massive bouquet of flowers from the seat beside him. It was huge, elegant, expensive.
He handed it to her.
Jade blinked.
"Is that how you apologize now?" she asked, pretending to be unimpressed.
Daniel stayed silent, his gaze steady.
She stared at the bouquet. No one had ever given her flowers before—especially something this extravagant.
Her heart fluttered.
But her pride was stronger.
"I don't even like flowers," she said coldly, looking away.
Daniel raised an eyebrow, clearly not convinced.
"We're going to the beach."
She turned to him, shocked.
"The beach? Daniel, your company is literally on fire right now. Investors are panicking, the media is hunting you, and you're taking me on a beach date?"
"You have something better to do?" he asked calmly.
She hesitated.
He leaned back, his voice low but firm.
"No. You are more important than all that."
Her breath caught.
Her cheeks turned red.
She looked away, pretending to stare out the window.
"…Idiot," she murmured.
But her lips curved into a small, uncontrollable smile.
Luccianho, in front, smiled knowingly.
.
.
The sound of the waves greeted them as Luccianho parked near a private beach.
Jade stepped out of the car, her eyes widening.
The place was almost empty. Soft sand, a calm sea, and a luxurious private area reserved for VIPs.
"Wow… Mr. Billionaire really knows how to run away from reality," she muttered sarcastically.
Daniel removed his jacket slowly, loosening his tie.
The sea breeze brushed through his dark red hair.
For a moment, Jade forgot how to breathe.
He rolled up his sleeves, revealing his forearms, and unbuttoned the top buttons of his shirt.
CEO. Billionaire. Walking temptation.
She quickly looked away.
"Stop staring," he said calmly.
"I wasn't," she lied immediately.
"You blinked twice. That's suspicious."
She rolled her eyes. "You're delusional."
Daniel walked barefoot on the sand like he owned the ocean.
Jade followed him, arms crossed.
"So," she said, "did the board meeting collapse without you or are they crying in a corner?"
"They can survive two hours without me."
"Wow, touching humility," she replied sarcastically.
He sat on a lounge chair and looked at her.
"You're still angry."
"Obviously."
"You left the penthouse."
"You yelled at me."
"You started a public fight with strangers."
"They insulted you."
"You embarrassed Ooman."
She frowned. "You embarrassed me."
He tilted his head slightly, studying her expression.
"You were protecting me."
She froze.
"I saw the video," he continued calmly. "You looked like a furious cat defending its territory."
"Excuse me?!"
"It was… cute."
She almost threw sand at him.
She sat beside him, staring at the sea.
"I thought you would be happy someone was defending you," she muttered.
He remained silent for a moment.
"I am. But I can't let Ooman be involved in scandals."
"So I'm a scandal now?"
He turned to her.
"No. You're a problem."
She gasped. "Daniel Ooman, you—"
He interrupted her.
"A problem I don't want to lose."
Her heart skipped.
She looked away again.
"…You're annoying."
He smirked.
Daniel suddenly stood up and extended his hand.
"Come."
"Where?"
"Water."
"I didn't bring—"
Before she could finish, he pulled her up and dragged her toward the waves.
"Daniel Ooman I SWEAR—"
He stepped into the water with her, both laughing and arguing.
For a moment, the curse, the scandal, VESPERIS, and the world disappeared.
There was only them.
.
.
Not far away, a luxury black car stopped.
The tinted window rolled down.
Ella Mafuss'aa stepped out, sunglasses on, her braids perfectly styled, her posture impeccable.
She had come for a private meeting with a partner who owned a villa nearby.
She didn't expect to see them.
She watched silently.
Jade and Daniel.
Laughing.
Close.
"Interesting…"
So this is the hurricane everyone talks about.
She observed how Daniel's hand lingered on Jade's waist longer than necessary.
How his gaze softened when she laughed.
Ella turned around and walked back to her car.
Her driver opened the door.
"Should we stay, Miss Mafuss'aa?"
"No."
She took one last look at the couple.
.
.
The sun was slowly setting, painting the beach in gold and orange.
Jade sat on the sand, her knees pulled to her chest, watching the waves.
Daniel sat beside her, silent, his presence calm but heavy.
She lifted her hand to brush sand off her wrist.
Daniel noticed.
His eyes narrowed.
There was redness.
Almost like… marks.
He gently caught her wrist.
"Jade."
She flinched.
"What is that?"
She tried to pull her hand away.
"Nothing."
His grip tightened slightly—not painfully, but firm.
"That doesn't look like nothing."
She sighed, annoyed.
"It's just… allergies. Or a mosquito bite. Or your bad karma following me."
He ignored her sarcasm.
"Don't joke."
He turned her wrist, examining it carefully.
The marks looked like faint bruises.
Like chains.
His expression darkened.
"Did someone touch you?"
She rolled her eyes.
"Relax. No one kidnapped me."
He didn't laugh.
"I'm serious."
She hesitated.
Then shrugged.
"I had a weird dream. I woke up with this. That's it."
"A dream doesn't leave marks."
"Then maybe I'm haunted," she said lightly. "Congratulations, you married a ghost magnet."
He stared at her.
She avoided his gaze, looking back at the sea.
"Jade."
"Daniel."
Their eyes met.
Her tone was softer now.
"It's nothing. Really."
He stayed silent for a long moment.
Then he slowly released her wrist.
But his gaze remained fixed on the marks.
Something in his chest felt wrong.
Jade stretched and stood up.
"Stop staring. It's creepy. Are you planning to chain me for real?"
He raised an eyebrow.
"Don't tempt me."
She almost choked.
"See? PERVERT."
He smirked.
"Let's go back home"he said
He stretched his hand for her to take it.
She placed her hand gently.
"Thank you for the journey, Mr. Midnight ice cube"
"You're welcome miss stubborn hurricane"