"Seraphina, let's date."
My eyes widened when Lucca said those words. Date? For real? Was Lucca taking another step to get closer to me?
"Are you joking?" I asked, trying to laugh.
Instead, he frowned. "Since when do I joke around?"
Uh-oh. It was a mistake to laugh at him.
"I wasn't asking. It was a command," he said, then sped up his car.
"Hey! So you're not giving me the right to say no?" I asked, starting to frown as well.
"Why? Would you say no to me?" he asked.
I was taken aback by his question. Though he wasn't looking at me because his eyes were on the road, his question still caught me off guard.
"Why shouldn't I?" I shot back with another question.
"Your body said otherwise," he said with a smirk.
I frowned. Now he was using that against me so I wouldn't decline his offer. But who was I to refuse him when we had both enjoyed what we did a while ago?
I was deep in thought when I realized we had arrived at Mira's condo.
"Let's start dating the next time we see each other," he said.
I looked him in the eyes before opening the car door and getting out. I didn't look back. I walked straight into the condo. As I stepped into the elevator, I let out a deep sigh while holding my chest.
Lucca's actions and words affected me so much. I couldn't even think properly just by looking at him. What would Mira think of me? Should I tell her about us? I couldn't hide it forever, especially since Mira had seen the video of Lucca and me kissing.
My mind was so occupied that I didn't even notice I had reached Mira's floor.
When I stepped out of the elevator, I walked to Mira's condo and knocked on her door. It took about a minute before she opened it.
"Sera!" she exclaimed when she saw me. She probably didn't expect me to arrive so early.
"You're here so early. I thought you'd come around six," she said, letting me in anyway.
"Lucca went to the hospital," I said, placing my bag on the sofa.
"Who was hospitalized?" she asked.
"Their master."
"Master?" Mira asked curiously.
"That's what they call the old man who took care of them," I answered.
"Ah, okay."
She prepared some snacks for me.
"I was just preparing the ingredients for dinner because I thought you wouldn't be here this early," she said while stirring the juice.
"You don't have to prepare snacks for me," I said, looking at her.
"You look hungry," she replied.
I blushed.
"Do I?" Or do I just look hungry for Lucca?
"Why are you blushing?" she asked curiously while toasting some bread.
I touched my right cheek. It felt warm.
"Are you not feeling well, Sera?" Mira asked worriedly.
"No. I'm okay."
"What did Lucca do to you? Did he make you work hard?" she asked, making my eyes widen.
Why would Mira ask something like that? Why did her words make my body react?
"Sera!"
Mira's voice pulled me back to reality.
"You're not even listening to me."
"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to."
"Did Lucca do something to you? If he did, I'll talk to him," she said, reaching for her phone, but I quickly stopped her by holding her wrist.
"Lucca didn't do anything to me," I said, looking her in the eyes.
Then her gaze shifted to my neck.
Mira gasped and frowned.
"Why is your neck so red? It looks like a love bite."
She was about to touch it when I immediately stepped back and covered it with my hair.
"It's not a love bite. It's a mosquito bite," I said.
Mira stared at me, trying to determine whether I was telling the truth.
"But it really looks like a love bite," she muttered.
"How do you know what a love bite looks like? Have you experienced one with Damian?" I asked, turning the tables on her.
She gasped and looked away.
"No!" she said firmly.
I smirked.
So I had successfully turned the tables.
I looked at her with a raised eyebrow.
"Judging by your reaction, I'd say you have," I teased.
"Okay, fine! So what? Damian is my boyfriend. Are we not allowed to do that?" she asked, giving up.
When she mentioned Damian being her boyfriend, I remembered what Lucca and I had done.
So we had done something that only couples usually do.
But Lucca and I weren't even a couple yet. I didn't even know if we would become one.
Was I ready for my first boyfriend? Would Lucca really become my first boyfriend?
"What are you thinking? You teased me, and now you're staring into space," Mira said before returning to the kitchen to get the snacks she had prepared.
A moment later, she came back to the living room where I was sitting. The kitchen and living room were connected, so she could easily keep an eye on the food while talking to me.
"Thanks," I said before munching on the bread. I suddenly realized how hungry I was after everything that had happened earlier. I washed it down with the juice Mira had prepared.
"See? I was right. You really were hungry," Mira said with a laugh.
I paused mid-bite when I realized I was eating as though I hadn't eaten in days.
It was all Lucca's fault. If he hadn't lured me in, I wouldn't have fallen into his trap.
But that trap made me feel something I had never experienced before, something I had never imagined I would ever experience.
"Go ahead and finish eating. I won't bother you," she said as she sat down on the sofa.
I looked at Mira.
Should I tell her about what Lucca had asked me? About the date?
But I was afraid she might misunderstand. She knew I had always insisted I would never like Lucca. Yet here I was, spending almost every day with him and doing things no one would have imagined.
"Mira..." I called softly.
"Hmm?" she replied, scrolling through her phone.
"I'm not getting any younger, am I?" I asked.
"Yeah. Why do you ask?" Mira asked, looking at me.
"I... I think it's time for me to go on a date."
Mira gasped when she heard that. She looked so happy and excited.
"Oh my gosh! Are you and Damon dating?"
I frowned when I heard Damon's name. I still couldn't forget what he did in Baguio when he provoked Lucca, and how I discovered his physical strength.
"No. I don't like him," I said.
She gasped.
"Don't tell me..." she trailed off. I waited for her to continue, but she simply shook her head.
"It's impossible. You both hated each other, and you've told me so many times that it would be impossible for you to like Lucca," she said, still shaking her head.
"What if I do?" I asked.
Lucca's POV
After I dropped Seraphina off at Mira's condo, I immediately headed to the hospital where Master had been admitted.
Earlier, I had instructed my secretary to deliver some supplies to Master's house. Instead, he found him lying unconscious on the floor.
At first, I was furious with my secretary for interrupting the moment Seraphina and I were having. We were both caught up in the heat of the moment, wanting more.
But on the other hand, it was probably a good thing we were interrupted. If no one had called, I might have taken things further with her.
What if I had?
How would she have reacted?
I knew she had never been with another man before, so I needed to take things slowly and be gentle.
Yet every time I looked at her, all I wanted was to devour her, to kiss her deeper and harder.
I shook my head while driving.
Wasn't this what I wanted? To get closer to her?
Just like Dominic had told me back in Baguio.
As soon as I arrived at the hospital, I looked for a parking space. After parking, I went inside and searched for Master's room.
When I arrived, Dominic and Damian were already there.
"What took you so long?" Dominic asked.
"I dropped Seraphina off at Mira's condo," I replied before walking over to Master's bedside.
"How is he?" I asked.
"The doctor ordered a few laboratory tests. We'll get the results later," Dominic answered.
I nodded and stared at my unconscious master for a moment.
Then I remembered what he had told me, that his time on earth was running out. He had instructed me to open a certain drawer after he died.
"How's Seraphina?" Dominic asked.
I turned away from Master and looked at him.
Damian was sitting on the sofa while Dominic stood near the window.
"She's staying at Mira's condo tonight. She said no boys are allowed," I answered.
"And you're okay with that?" Dominic asked.
"Yes."
I sat down on the sofa.
"I already asked Seraphina to date me," I added.
Both Damian and Dominic looked at me in surprise.
"You did?" they asked in unison.
"Yes."
I leaned back against the sofa and closed my eyes.
"Since when? So you're not pretending anymore?" Dominic asked.
"I want to make it real," I answered.
"Do you have feelings for her?" Damian suddenly asked.
I opened my eyes and stared at the ceiling.
Did I ask her out because I had feelings for her? Or did I do it because I only had a few months left before my deadline?
But when I kissed Seraphina...
I wasn't thinking about the ring.
I was only thinking about her.
"It's good, dude, that you finally listened to us. Once she falls for you, it'll be easy to get the ring," Damian added.
I looked at him and pretended to agree.
"Yeah. It's for my own benefit," I answered.
But honestly...
I didn't know anymore.
Even I was confused about why I had asked her out.
Maybe I felt obligated because we had already done things that only couples usually do.
We weren't even dating yet, but I was already losing control around her.
Would she think I was some kind of pervert?
"I didn't know this would hurt me," Dominic said with a laugh.
I looked at him, waiting for him to continue.
"I've liked Seraphina ever since I met her. She's beautiful, introverted, and doesn't trust people easily. She never once tried to take advantage of us, even when she had the chance. She's independent and hardworking, the kind of woman I'd want to be with. Don't hurt her, Lucca. You're getting close to her. Just don't break her heart." He smiled.
"Dude, you're so cheesy," Damian said, making a face.
I couldn't help but laugh.
Unfortunately, that was a mistake because the two of them stared at me as though they'd just witnessed a once-in-a-lifetime event.
"Cut it out, or I'll cut out your tongues," I warned before they could tease me further.
Dominic pretended to zip his lips.
Damian, however, didn't.
"Will you leave Seraphina once you get the ring?" he asked.
My smile faded.
Would I leave her after getting the ring?
"No," I answered.
At that moment, I admitted to myself that what I was feeling was real.
The way Seraphina and I interacted...
The way we looked at each other...
There was something connecting us.
Just like Xavier and Monica.
"Remember, Lucca," Damian said, crossing his arms. "You didn't do this because you like Seraphina. You did it because of the ring. Don't forget the real reason you're doing this."
"Just like what you did to Mira?" I asked.
"Yes," he answered without hesitation.
"After you get the ring, I'll break up with her."
"Dude, that's harsh. Haven't you liked Mira even a little? Why did you court her if you were only planning to use her?"
"Didn't I make myself clear? I did it for Lucca. I convinced Mira to travel with us so Lucca would have the chance to get closer to Seraphina."
"I understand both of you. The ring is important. But don't hurt anyone's feelings."
"It's the price we have to pay," Damian said. "Sometimes we have to hurt other people to get what we want."
I once thought like Damian. But why did I feel like I was becoming more humane? It was as if I finally understood what Dominic had been trying to tell me,to not hurt other people.
If Damian had said those words a few months ago, I would have agreed without hesitation. I would have said that I didn't care about other people. I only cared about myself.
But now, things were different, and I didn't even understand why.
"After we get the ring, we can go to Italy and stay there for years. We'll find the women we truly desire and explore Europe. We have all the luxury we could ever want. We don't even need women," Damian said, speaking as if he weren't in a relationship with Mira.
I couldn't help but pity Mira.
But Damian was Damian, and I had no right to reprimand him.
Seraphina's POV
"So tell me, Sera. When did it happen?" Mira asked curiously after I admitted that I somehow liked Lucca.
"I don't know. I just... started feeling this way," I answered.
"Don't tell me it started during our trip to Sagada and Baguio."
"Maybe?" I replied, still asking myself the same question. I was just as confused about when I had started liking Lucca.
"I knew it!" she squealed. "You and Lucca really turned into an enemies-to-lovers story."
She giggled.
"I honestly thought it would be Dominic. He likes you, by the way."
"I only see him as a friend," I said.
She nodded.
"I get it. Lucca is mysterious and quite challenging. Since you love reading books, maybe that's the kind of personality you're attracted to. Oh! Now I get it. Lucca loves reading too, doesn't he? You've mentioned that before."
"Yeah, he does. But I didn't fall for him because he likes reading."
"So what do you like about him? As far as I know, you've hated him since the day you met him. You always said you would never like someone as rude and sarcastic as Lucca. But fate really is playful. Who would've thought the two of you would end up liking each other?" Mira said with a laugh.
Mira had a point.
In such a short time after meeting Lucca, so many things had happened in my life. Throughout all of it, Lucca had always been there.
The three men had become part of my life.
Who would've thought that a simple, ordinary woman like me would cross paths with handsome and wealthy men?
Who would've thought that the man I hated the most would become the man I admired?
"Did he ask you out already?" Mira asked.
That's when I realized I hadn't told her about Lucca asking me to date him.
I nodded.
"He asked me just a while ago before he dropped me off."
Mira screamed like an excited teenager.
I immediately covered my ears.
"Stop screaming like a kid, Mira! You're hurting my ears!" I shouted.
"You have no idea how happy I am for you! Yes, I didn't like Lucca at first, but since you like him, I know there's a good heart hidden beneath that cold exterior. You wouldn't fall for a monster, would you?"
Her words made me fall silent.
Would Lucca be considered a monster because of his extraordinary strength?
Definitely not.
He wasn't an alien.
Aside from his incredible physical abilities, he looked completely human.
"Sera? Are you still here?" Mira asked, pulling me back to reality.
"Ah... of course."
"Now you're actually wondering whether Lucca is a monster?" she asked before laughing.
I shrugged.
"I thought he was an alien," I joked.
"We both know Lucca is far from being an alien," she said with a giggle.
She wrapped her arms around mine while smiling.
"Don't you think this is our year? We both ended up with handsome and wealthy boyfriends."
"Lucca isn't my boyfriend yet," I corrected.
"Yet."
She emphasized the word with a grin.
"So that means there's a possibility! I'm so happy for you, bestie. Who would've thought someone like you would fall for Lucca? I hope the two of you have a long and lasting relationship."
"Stop teasing me!"
"I'm not teasing you. I'm just stating a fact."
I sighed.
"Whatever. Just don't tease me in front of Lucca. If you do, I won't talk to you for weeks."
"Of course I won't." She chuckled.
"Now I understand why you agreed so easily to pretend to be his girlfriend."
She smirked.
"You were already practicing."
"Mira!" I shouted.
Still laughing, she let go of my arm and stood up.
I frowned at her.
"Okay, okay. I won't tease you anymore. But can I ask you one last question?" she asked, trying to suppress her laughter.
"What?" I asked.
"Is Lucca a good kisser?"
The moment she asked that question, I grabbed the nearest pillow and threw it at her.