Liana's POV:
Such a dayyy!!! Yeah!!! Ethilia actually stayed while I was sleeping!
And yes, like a total fool, I was jumping around inside the bathroom. I couldn't help it. Still, I had to compose myself and take a quick shower.... trust me, I needed that more than anything.
No, not a cold one, you perverts. A normal shower.
When I went downstairs, Laura was laughing so hard she almost fell from the couch, and Ethilia was sitting with her arms crossed, her face red as a tomato.
What on earth happened this time?
As soon as Ethilia saw me, her expression softened, and she smiled. God, I love that smile. It's so gentle yet warm... it always makes my chest flutter a bit.
She walked over, and I instinctively reached for her hand. "Join me for lunch?"
Ethilia nodded, and before I could lead her to the dining table, Laura followed behind us with her usual dramatic flair. "Excuse me… just because I'm single doesn't mean you get to give me FOMO."
I raised a brow, pulling out a chair for Ethilia before grabbing one for Laura. "Didn't you say you don't have FOMO because you never want to be included?"
She rolled her eyes and took a sip of water as the maid started serving. "Yeah, yeah. But with you two? I do have FOMO. So, bear with it."
I gave her a teasing side-eye and smirked, while Ethilia let out a soft laugh that almost turned into a choke. "Maybe you just want a lover of your own at this point," Ethilia said between giggles.
I chuckled at her brutal honesty; it felt nice seeing her loosen up like this. Laura, however, stayed quiet, stabbing her food with unnecessary force.
Clearing my throat, I tried to shift the mood. "Well… can anyone tell me where my cutie is?"
Both Laura and Ethilia looked up at me with raised brows.
"What?" I tilted my head. "I haven't seen her around."
"You literally played with her all evening yesterday. You forgot already?" Ethilia managed to speak despite having her mouth full of food.
I grinned sheepishly. "What? She's just too cute! Honestly, she makes me feel more alive than you two ever do."
Laura rolled her eyes for the nth time and pointed her fork at me. "You, shut up. And you...." she turned to Ethilia, "eat before you choke yourself to death. I swear, if you do, I'll call an ambulance and tell them you died stubborn."
We chucked a bit and saluted her like obedient soldiers and continued eating in peaceful silence.
Once we were done, I leaned back and asked again, "So where is Alina?"
Laura sighed and set her fork down. "She's with your dad. That old man said she's his lucky charm and dragged her along to his meeting. Your mom went too, to take care of Alina while he's busy."
Ethilia chuckled, her tone soft. "Yeah, and Alina was over the moon to go and play with her Richard uncle, so I let her go."
I shook my head with a fond smile. "That man's definitely going to spoil her with chocolates again."
They both nodded in agreement, and once we stood up, the maids began clearing the table. The three of us headed toward the garden, the afternoon breeze felt better than it had ever felt in the past few years..
I walked a little ahead, but I could still hear Ethilia and Laura whispering behind me, their voices low and suspiciously secretive. Frowning, I turned around. "You two are acting weird."
They froze, and Ethilia gave me a nervous smile while Laura cleared her throat.
"We were just talking about…" Ethilia glanced at Laura, who rolled her eyes.
"…how boring our life has been lately," Laura said and plopped herself down on the swing.
"Boring?" I repeated, raising a brow as I followed her. "Laura, you and I literally had the most adventurous night ever.... it's trending everywhere! #LiAura."
Ethilia burst out laughing at that and sat on the swing beside Laura. For once, she didn't look like she wanted to kill her.
Had they made up?
I shook my head and brushed the thought aside. I didn't want to think too much about it. As long as Ethilia and both my besties stayed on good terms, that was enough for me.
We were having a casual conversation when suddenly Laura's phone buzzed. Both Ethilia and I raised our brows, noticing the widening of Laura's eyes as she swallowed hard.
I reached out, placing a hand on her shoulder. "What happened?"
She leaned slightly toward me, her voice a whisper. "It's… Finley Bennett."
My breath caught. Finley, our long-gone enemy. If she were calling Laura, it could only mean something was seriously wrong...
Laura cleared her throat before picking up the call. "Hello, Ms. Bennett." Her voice was sharper, considering how nervous she was.
I couldn't hear what came from the other end, but Laura's frown deepened, her lips pressing into a thin line before she responded.
"Yes… my father is a partner of one of the most influential businessmen in that country. I can help, but..." she paused, and that famous cruel smirk spread across her face, "what will I get?"
I blinked, utterly confused about what kind of help she was even offering. Ethilia looked at me with a raised brow. I raised my hands in surrender, shaking my head, which made her frown.
After a few tense seconds, Laura asked, "Do you know Liana Celeste's hometown?"
I nearly smacked her on the head. "Why on earth would she drag me into this?" I muttered under my breath. I never wanted anything to do with Finley.
That woman, with her cold, dark-brown catlike eyes, an intense stare, and a voice that commands even when she's just speaking, made me want to dig a grave and lie down.
Laura hummed, "There's a university in her hometown. I assume you're one of the most generous donors there, and your mother sits on the board, right?"
I raised a brow. Wait… my jaw dropped slightly, and a smirk tugged at my lips. The university where Eliza was doing her bachelor's degree? Oh, my girl… this could get interesting.
Laura smirked at me and winked before adding into the phone, "Yes… I want to know about a student there. Eliza."
A few seconds later, she ended the call and started chuckling. Ethilia lightly patted her shoulder. "Sharing is caring."
Laura rolled her eyes but continued anyway. "Finley was asking for help… to break a wedding using my influence. Or at least delay it for a day."
I raised a brow. "But she can do that herself… why would she need you? She's Finley."
Ethilia hummed thoughtfully, crossing her arms. "Yeah… I know. One of the most influential businesswomen of this era."
Laura rolled her eyes. "Well… that's because the country where the wedding is taking place is far from here. Even if she boards her jet right now, it'll take a day to get there."
I raised a brow, humming thoughtfully. "Considerable… so she asked if you have any connections in that country?"
Laura shook her head. "She knows my dad has contacts there. That's one of the countries where our business is at its peak right now. So… excuse me, let me make a call."
She stood up, and I held her hand. "Let me know who that unlucky person is. Whose wedding.... or, I guess, future wedding is about to get ruined by Ms. Bennett?"
Before she could answer, Laura's phone buzzed. She gasped and held it out toward me. "It's a girl…"
Ethilia slid closer, and we both peeked at the screen. I had to admit, the girl was beautiful with long hair, a bright smile, and almond-shaped eyes. "But… what's with her?"
Laura shrugged. "Maybe Finley is into her and wants to break her wedding?"
Ethilia crossed her arms and rested her head on my shoulder. I wrapped an arm around her and handed Laura her phone. "Maybe not… as far as I know, Finley can get anyone she wants. She isn't the type to play dirty like this."
Laura hummed, already dialing her father. "Let me make the call first. I'll join you afterward." She walked away, and I turned to Ethilia.
She was playing with the fingers of my other hand, resting on my lap. I smiled softly, holding her close without a word. My heart was at peace, and everything felt better somehow.
I had a feeling she was finally accepting me… If I asked her to be my girlfriend, would she say yes? I didn't know. But I knew I had to move fast. I'd be going back to the city soon, busy with concerts and fan meetings, the comeback schedule…
and Laura and I had a collab shoot planned. The song was ready months ago, but complications had delayed the filming.
I closed my eyes for a moment, and when I opened them, Laura was smiling at us, her phone pointed in our direction. Was she taking pictures?
I grinned and nudged Ethilia. "Let's pose?"
She glanced at me and then at Laura before chuckling. She formed a heart with her fingers.. I laughed and made half a heart with my hand; she mirrored it perfectly.
Laura snapped the pictures and came over to us. "I bless you guys…"