"Bye, Uncle. Bye, Auntie," Lara said, giving them both a warm hug before stepping back toward the car.
"Bye, Lara! We'll miss you. Let's meet again soon," Adam called, waving with a fond smile.
Zain tossed his bags into the back seat, then turned to Lara's parents and hugged them politely before finally facing her.
"You were so sweet—showed me the whole city despite being busy," he said, his voice dropping softer. "I'm really grateful."
Drop the act. I can't take this anymore, Lara thought, rolling her eyes slightly.
Before she could say a word, Zain pulled her into a tight hug.
"Bye, little rabbit," he whispered near her ear, warm and teasing. "Don't miss me too much."
As he held her, his eyes lifted, locking straight onto Nick, who stood a few steps away, stiff as stone. Nick's glare was sharp enough to cut glass. Zain's grip on Lara tightened for just a second—just enough to make his point.
Nick didn't move, but his jaw flexed, fingers digging into his crossed arms until his knuckles turned white.
Zain straightened, the corner of his mouth curling into a quiet smirk, before turning and climbing into the car.
Adam's family waved a final goodbye as the car pulled away toward City B, leaving dust in its wake.
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In Lara's company office
"Daisy, this has to be completed ASAP. I need to review everything by EOD. You'll coordinate with the team," Lara said, flipping through a stack of files.
"Sure," Daisy replied, a little surprised. "But why by EOD? Wasn't this for next month's presentation?"
"Company A is growing really fast," Lara said, her tone focused. "If we don't seize the deal this week, our competitors will. I'm not losing this chance. They've got strong international connections—way better than most. And the fact that they started just two years ago makes it even more impressive."
Daisy nodded. "Got it. I'll get this done right away."
As Daisy left the room, Lara's inbox pinged with a new email—from the secretary of Company A's CEO.
Subject: Presentation Scheduled – Tomorrow, 12 PM
Lara exhaled slowly, a small smile tugging at her lips.
"Alright then," she murmured. "Let's get this deal done and get the project rolling."