Then she read it aloud, doing her best to keep her voice steady.

"How long is your boyfriend?"

A beat of silence.

Her ears instantly turned red.

Heat rushed to her face as she sat straighter, trying to maintain composure.

It was the kind of question she had heard before—but never in a room full of colleagues watching her every reaction.

And everyone clearly knew it.

They were enjoying it far too much.

Alicia cleared her throat lightly.

"Twenty centimeters."

A second of silence—

Then the room exploded.

"Really? That long?" someone asked immediately, laughing in disbelief.

Laughter erupted all around the circle.

Whistles, teasing comments, and playful nudges filled the space as the employees reacted to her answer.

Alicia remained composed on the outside—

But her ears stayed faintly red.

Across the room, Alexander’s gaze lingered on her for a brief moment before he looked away, his expression unreadable.

A few cards were left.

In games like this, everyone always loved seeing the boss put on the spot—and this group was no exception.

They kept searching for ways to get Alexander to answer something more revealing.

And once again, they succeeded.

"CEO Blackwood should take the last card, don’t you think?" Director Ella suggested with a playful smile.

A chorus of agreement immediately followed.

"Yes, that’s right!"

"Come on, CEO Blackwood!"

"That’s a good idea!"

Alexander glanced around the room.

The atmosphere was light, but the pressure was clear.

After a brief pause, he finally gave a small nod.

"Alright."

He reached forward and drew the last card.

The room quieted instantly.

Everyone leaned in, waiting.

Even Alicia found herself watching more closely than she intended.

Alexander unfolded the card and read it silently for a moment.

Then, his gaze lifted slightly.

And just like that—

The question hung in the air.

"How did you meet your first love and end up together?"

The question hung in the air.

Everyone leaned in, eyes bright with curiosity, eager to hear the answer.

Alexander’s gaze flickered—

Then, almost instinctively, it landed on Alicia.

Her heart skipped.

The room fell silent.

After a brief pause, Alexander spoke, his tone calm and even.

"We met during a campus event. We had to collaborate on a performance. After the show... we got together."

A soft murmur rippled through the group.

"Was it love that developed during rehearsals?" someone asked eagerly.

Alexander gave a short nod.

"Mm."

So that was how it began.

A strange mix of emotions stirred within Alicia.

College romances...

They were always described as pure. Intense. Unforgettable.

Before she had fallen for Alexander, she had once imagined having a love like that—

Something simple.

Something mutual.

But after falling for him...

That dream had quietly slipped away.

By the time she entered university, Alexander had already graduated and stepped into the world of business.

She had spent those years chasing after him—

Always a step behind.

And Lilian...

As she once said, she had walked beside him through those youthful years.

Shared the same moments.

The same memories.

Perhaps that was why—

Their bond ran so deep.

Alicia’s POV

Since everyone already knew about Alexander’s past with Lilian, the employees quickly connected the dots.

"Was it Miss Lilian?" someone asked eagerly.

"Enough questions for one card," Alexander said calmly, clearly dismissing the topic, while I just sat there, unable to understand my own feelings at the moment.

The game wrapped up around 4:30.

Everyone gradually returned to their rooms.

I walked back with Amanda, half-listening as she chatted about the game.

Just as we reached the hallway, my phone buzzed.

Alexander: "Would you like to come over and soak in the jacuzzi?"

I paused.

Memories of what happened in the pool yesterday flashed through my mind.

I could already guess what he was thinking.

"No, I need to rest." I replied immediately.

His response came quickly.

"Are you sure? There’s only tomorrow left. Are you really planning to use the public pool?"

I hesitated for a moment.

Then typed:

"I’ll go for a soak after dinner."

A few seconds later—

"Then why not eat with me in my room before you soak?"

I stared at the message.

He was worried I’d slip away again... just like yesterday.

"...Okay."...

I leaned back against the headboard and briefly scrolled through my phone.

Lilian had a trending topic: #liliansummertales#.

Curious, I tapped on it.

The two-week interactive show by Arclarie Entertainment had recently begun. Lilian had been answering interview questions along the way, and today’s episode had just aired.

The trending clip showed Lilian introducing herself, smiling softly as she said she loved stories.

The other guests encouraged her to share one.

After a brief pause, she nodded.

"This is a simple story," Lilian began. "The Tortoise and the Firefly."

"There was once a tortoise who lived alone by a quiet lake. Every night, he would watch the sky, wishing he could shine like the stars."

"One evening, a firefly appeared, glowing softly in the dark. The tortoise was fascinated and said, ’You must be the brightest creature in the world.’"

"The firefly, flattered, began to glow brighter and brighter, circling proudly."

"But in trying too hard to shine, it flew too close to the water... its light flickered—and then it disappeared."

"The tortoise waited all night... but the firefly never came back."

Lilian lowered her gaze slightly.

"Sometimes... trying too hard to shine for others makes you lose yourself."

The guests nodded, exchanging thoughtful looks.

"I think everyone has heard something like that before," one of them said.

"Yeah, it sounds familiar," another added.

The host smiled. "Miss Lilian, with your background, no one would expect you to remember stories like this so clearly."

My fingers tightened slightly around my phone.

A bad feeling crept into my chest.

Lilian smiled faintly.

"Actually... I had a friend who used to tell me stories like this whenever I was upset," she said gently. "He learned them from his grandparents. Whenever I couldn’t sleep, he would stay up and tell me stories until I felt better."

The guests exchanged knowing "ohs."

Just as I thought.

A dull ache spread through my chest.

So I wasn’t the only one who had listened to his stories.

Even that—

Had never been mine.

I let out a faint, humorless laugh.

Earlier, during the game, I had secretly felt a bit of satisfaction knowing Alexander and Lilian had never been physically involved.

How ridiculous.

Even if they hadn’t crossed that line—

What did it change?

Alexander loved Lilian.

He gave her his patience.

His gentleness.

His time.

I leaned back against the headboard.

I had spent two years married to him.

And in the end—

What did I get?

Not the place of a wife.

But something closer to a stranger.

I had his body—

But never his heart.

Almost unconsciously, I opened the OTP fan page.

A new topic was trending.

A fan had dug up an old interview with our grandparents.

In it, Nana talked about raising children traditionally—about telling stories, passing them down through generations.

The implication was obvious.

The "friend" Lilian mentioned—

Was Alexander.

The fans were going wild.

"Every time she couldn’t sleep, he told her stories..."

"This is the kind of love you only see in fairytales..."

I stared at the screen.

So even that...

Had never been mine.

And here I was—

Still thinking it meant something.

A quiet laugh escaped me.

It sounded hollow.

At 8 p.m., Alexander sent me a WhatsApp message:

"Have you had dinner? Why aren’t you coming over?"

I glanced at it, then exited WhatsApp and turned off my screen.

A moment later, my phone vibrated twice.

I picked it up.

"Reply to me immediately, or I’ll come to your room to find you."

A faint smile tugged at my lips.

"Not coming tonight."

His reply came instantly.

"Why? Why didn’t you respond earlier?"

"I didn’t see it. I’m a bit tired tonight. Don’t feel like coming."

Excuses.

Even I knew they sounded like excuses.

"Alicia, tell me the truth. Why?"

"What I said is the truth. I want to rest."

After sending the message, I held my phone and waited.

But no reply came.

I set it aside and lay down, closing my eyes.

Knock. Knock.

My body stiffened.

I had a feeling—

It was him.

Amanda stirred from her bed and walked to the door.

"Who is it?"

"It’s me." His low voice came through. "I need to talk to Alicia. Let her come out."

"Oh—okay." Amanda turned to me. "Director Alicia, CEO Blackwood is looking for you. You should go."

He really came....