It was finally lunchtime.
Or so the clock said.
I was still glued to my desk, scrolling through financial reports, notes from the last site inspection, and an endless chain of emails that somehow all said the same thing —urgent.
My eyes were starting to blur when my phone buzzed beside the keyboard.
The Love of My Life ❤️❤️ Celestia Valentina Moreau
The name alone pulled a smile from me.
I tapped accept.
Her face filled the screen, perfectly framed hair, a soft light falling across her cheek, and that faint hint of lip gloss she pretended wasn't intentional.
"It's lunch time over there, right?" she said, eyes narrowing slightly like she already knew the answer.
"Yep."
She squinted. "You sound suspiciously casual. Have you eaten?"
"About to," I lied, glancing at the still-full mug of coffee on my desk.
"Kai Tanaka," she said, in that exact tone she used whenever I forgot to rest or ate something that technically wasn't food. "You skipped breakfast, didn't you?"
