"Aisha?" Karmen called out, hurrying toward her as she rose from the plush lobby couch.

She offered a small wave as he came to a stop in front of her, looking slightly breathless.

"What are you doing here?" He glanced around the busy lobby before deciding they needed more privacy. "Let's go up to my office."

Aisha, realizing by the respectful glances of the staff that he was far more than just a name in this building, nodded in agreement.

They took the elevator up to his floor. As they walked toward his private cabin, the executive employees couldn't help but stare, their curiosity piqued as the two passed through the open office area and disappeared behind his doors.

Pressing a button on remote, the windows were covered with the blinds, preventing anyone from outside to look inside and vice-versa.

"It was my half-day work. So, I thought to visit you," Aisha stated and saw him pouring water for her.

As Karmen handed it to her, she thanked him.

"I'm glad you came," he whispered. He wasn't used to such surprises. But it truly filled him with joy seeing Aisha there.

Sitting across from her, he leaned back in his chair. "I'm actually free for the next three hours."

"Really? Even so, I won't stay and disturb your workflow," Aisha stated, offering him a playful smile.

Before he could respond, a firm knock sounded at the door. It swung open and Denzel walked in, eyes focused on a cardboard folder in his hand.

"Karmen, about this—" He cut himself off, pausing mid-sentence when he noticed an unfamiliar woman in the room. He immediately straightened up, looking sheepish. "I-I'm sorry. I didn't know you were in a meeting with a client." From her poised demeanor, he assumed Aisha was a high-level investor.

"She's not a client," Karmen corrected him smoothly.

Karmen stood up and walked over to her side. His hand instinctively settled around the small of her back as he moved to introduce them.

"Aisha, meet Gamma Denzel. He's the Director of this company," Karmen said, then turned to his colleague. "Denzel, this is Aisha, my girlfriend."

The two exchanged polite greetings, though Denzel's eyes twinkled with a newfound curiosity. He looked back at Karmen, a wide grin spreading across his face. "In that case, I'll come back later. Please, enjoy your time." He made a quick exit, clearly eager to give the couple their privacy.

"I think I came at the wrong time," Aisha said, glancing at Karmen with a hint of guilt.

"No, you didn't," Karmen replied, catching her hands in his to reassure her.

Just then, the door swung open again and Gabriel walked in, his focus entirely on the phone in his hand. "Karmen, we have to head out. Mrs. De Vantis wants to meet us at the restaurant," he announced, but he stopped abruptly as he sensed another presence in the room. He lifted his head, his eyes landing on Aisha.

"Oh, sorry!" He immediately turned on his heels to give them privacy, but Aisha spoke up before he could step out.

"Your Highness, please, I was simply here to see Karmen. You don't need to leave," Aisha stated gracefully. She then turned back to Karmen, giving his hands a gentle squeeze. "You have work to do. We'll see each other in the evening instead."

"No," Gabriel refused, shaking his head. "I'll take my Gamma with me instead," he asserted. "Karmen, you're off for the rest of the day." Without waiting for a response or hearing a word of protest, he simply turned and walked out of the office.

"What? Did Prince Gabriel truly just grant you the day off like that?" Aisha exclaimed, her eyes wide with shock.

"He did," Karmen nodded, a slow smile spreading across his face. He reached out mentally, connecting to Gabriel through a mindlink to offer his gratitude.

'Just enjoy the day with Aisha,' Gabriel's voice resonated clearly through the link. 'Pamper her, and of course, don't hesitate to be romantic.'

'I will. Thanks again,' Karmen replied before the mindlink broke. He turned back to Aisha, his eyes bright with excitement. "Well, since I'm officially free, I think we should start by finding somewhere great for lunch."

~~~

Meanwhile, in the elevator, Denzel asked curiously, "When did that happen? I thought Karmen didn't want a relationship."

Gabriel smiled, the floor numbers ticking down on the display. "It's a long story. Aisha is actually Karmen's childhood crush. We were all in the same class, but Karmen never approached her. He didn't even tell me about his feelings all these years, not until he encountered her again through an arranged meeting set up by their parents," he affirmed.

"So, he decided to just go with it after meeting her again? Like he never had the guts to confess before!?" Denzel asked, looking thoroughly confused by the sudden revelation of Karmen's hidden romantic side.

"It didn't happen instantly," Gabriel replied. They both stepped out of the elevator and into the waiting car.

"Karmen never approached her back then because she already had a mate," Gabriel explained as they settled into the leather seats. "Her mate died unfortunately in an accident. Karmen eventually stepped in because Aisha's parents were pushing her to settle down. Even then, he was timid about expressing his feelings, and when he finally did, Aisha refused him. It wasn't really her fault; she had her own fears and traumas to work through."

The car began to move, gliding smoothly through the gates.

"Then how did they finally get together?" Denzel questioned, leaning in.

"Something happened while we were in the capital," Gabriel said. "Karmen confessed to Aisha, telling her clearly that he wanted a chance. You know how Karmen is, when it comes to dating, he usually turns quiet. But he finally took a stand for his feelings. Aisha agreed to give it a shot, and now they're dating. Honestly, they may even marry in the future."

Denzel nodded. "That's truly beautiful. I would love to see them getting married too."

Suddenly, his mind drifted to the conversation with Amelie. That he should consider dating Juniper. Shaking his head, he thought, 'How can I even think of that?'