The sun had set when Louis stepped into his small home. The cool night air wasn't enough to calm his mind, still preoccupied with the mysterious message Cleopatra had received at the office earlier. Who had sent it?

Theodore? That was possible. The man always had cunning ways to destroy Cleopatra.


Or… someone from her past?

Cleopatra might appear strong, but Louis knew something had shaken her today. Her usual sharp gaze had flickered for a moment—as if there was a trace of fear she couldn't hide.

Louis removed his jacket and hung it on the rickety wooden chair in the living room. His mother, Linda Toreto, was already waiting for him at their small dining table, serving a simple meal of rice and soup.


"You finally came home," she said, watching him closely.

Louis sat across from her, picking up his spoon without saying much. But Linda, who had known him all his life, could tell something was wrong.


"You've been acting strange lately," she finally said, setting down her spoon. "Is it because of the engagement?"

Louis tensed.

"Mom, it's just pretend," he replied, though his voice lacked conviction.

Linda studied him for a long moment, as if trying to read his mind. "But I know you, son. You're not the kind of man who can pretend for too long."

That night, as he lay on his small bed, he tried to sleep, but his thoughts kept drifting back to Cleopatra and that mysterious message. What was really going on?

________________________________________

The Next Morning

Louis arrived at the office earlier than usual. But the moment he walked in, Peter Moon's relaxed voice greeted him.

"So, how does it feel to be engaged to the most feared CEO?"

Louis only grunted, grabbing a cup of coffee from the pantry without answering.

Cleopatra, who had just entered the room, smirked upon hearing Peter's comment.

Louis glanced at her with an exasperated look. This woman always knew how to get on his nerves.

As the morning meeting began, everyone gathered in the large conference room. Cleopatra sat beside Louis, reviewing financial documents with deep concentration.

Then something unexpected happened.

Without realizing it, Cleopatra leaned against Louis's shoulder, still busy scribbling notes with the pen in her hand.

The entire room fell silent.

Adrian Brook glanced at Sarah Harper, whispering, "Is this real, or are they acting?"

Sarah squinted. "I'm starting to get confused too."

Meanwhile, Jack Walker, their corporate lawyer, cleared his throat and said, "If you two want to be affectionate, perhaps it can wait until after work hours?"

Louis nearly choked on his coffee. He immediately stiffened and turned to Cleopatra, who remained completely unbothered as if nothing had happened.

Cleopatra finally lifted her head and looked at Louis casually. "Why does your face look like a boiled crab?" she asked nonchalantly.

Louis wanted to reply, but his throat was too dry.

Damn it.

The entire room was now holding back laughter, especially Peter Moon, who seemed to be enjoying this morning's drama.

"You two really are a perfect match," Peter murmured, chuckling.

Louis wanted to disappear from the face of the earth.

________________________________________

The Mysterious Phone Call

The meeting eventually ended, but as everyone was packing up, Cleopatra received a call on her phone.

Her face immediately changed.

Louis observed her from afar. The usual confidence in Cleopatra's eyes was now replaced with something serious—and slightly tense.

Without saying a word, she quickly left the room, leaving Louis with an unsettling feeling.

Something was wrong.

Louis wanted to follow her, but he knew Cleopatra wasn't the type to share her problems with others.

But this time, Louis couldn't ignore his bad feeling.

If there was one thing he had learned about Cleopatra, it was that she never showed weakness—unless she was truly cornered.

________________________________________

A Threat from the Shadows

When Cleopatra returned to her penthouse, she sat on her living room sofa, staring at her phone screen with sharp eyes. Her fingers clenched around the device tighter than necessary, while her mind raced.

The message was still on the screen:

"I know your engagement is fake. If you continue, I will make sure everyone knows who you really are."

Her hands trembled slightly.

But Cleopatra couldn't afford to look shaken.

She took a deep breath, then tossed her phone onto the glass table in front of her. Her gaze turned empty as she stared through the large penthouse window, overlooking the city lights below.

Who had sent this message?

Theodore? No, this wasn't his style. If her uncle wanted to destroy her, he would do it openly.

Then who? Noah Walter?

Someone from her past?

A memory of someone who had once been part of her life flickered in her mind, but she quickly pushed it away. This wasn't the time to panic.

She had to stay calm.

Grabbing the glass of wine beside her, Cleopatra took a slow sip, trying to steady her thoughts. But the sour taste of the drink couldn't erase the anxiety pressing against her chest.

________________________________________

Doubt and Confusion

Back in his small home, Louis sat at the dining table with his mother. Linda Toreto watched her son with concern, noticing how unusually quiet he had become.

"You don't have to go through with this if your heart isn't certain," she said, setting down her spoon.

Louis remained silent for a moment. His mother's words were simple, but they struck deep.

Was he certain about any of this?

He knew this engagement was fake, but the longer he spent time with Cleopatra, the harder it was to convince himself that it was just a "contract."

"I'm fine, Mom," he finally said, though his voice lacked confidence.

Linda studied him for a moment before sighing. "You're a good man, Louis. I just don't want to see you get hurt."

Louis gave a small smile. "I don't want that either, Mom."

But the truth?

He didn't know if he could avoid it anymore.

________________________________________

A Message Left Unanswered

That night, Louis lay in bed, staring at the ceiling that had begun to yellow with age. But his mind wasn't in this room.

His thoughts were elsewhere.

At Cleopatra's penthouse.

Inside the silent penthouse, Cleopatra stared at her phone screen.

A message from Louis had appeared:

"Are you okay?"

For the first time since she had known Louis, she felt like someone genuinely cared. Not as a business partner. Not as a player in this game. But as a person.

Her fingers hovered over the keyboard, ready to type a reply.

But she hesitated.

She couldn't show weakness.

She couldn't let Louis think she needed his help.

Because once she admitted it, everything would change.

Louis wasn't part of her long-term plan.

He was just a tool to stop Theodore.

That was all.

Not someone she could trust.

Not someone she could rely on to protect her.

But then why did her chest feel tight as she ignored his message?

Taking a deep breath, Cleopatra turned off her phone screen, leaving Louis's message unread.

But even as she ignored it, she couldn't ignore the fact that, for the first time in a long time… she felt alone.

________________________________________

The Weight of Unspoken Words

In his small bedroom, Louis continued staring at his phone screen. His message remained unread.

He tried to push away the disappointment creeping into his chest. Cleopatra was probably busy, or maybe she just didn't want to talk to him.

But since when did that bother him?

Since when did he want Cleopatra to reply to his messages?

Louis rubbed his face, then sat on the edge of his bed. Had he already fallen too deep into this game?

His hands clenched into fists on his lap. He wasn't the type to easily get attached. But Cleopatra… she was different.

He used to think Cleopatra was just a rich woman who used her power and beauty to get whatever she wanted. But the more he got to know her, the more he realized there was more to her than that.

Cleopatra had her own fears.

Fears she hid perfectly behind her arrogant smile.

Louis exhaled and lay back down, closing his eyes, even though he knew he wouldn't sleep peacefully tonight.

________________________________________

In two different places, two hearts began to connect… yet were still separated by confusion and unspoken secrets.

Who had sent that message?

What was Cleopatra hiding?

And more importantly…

Could Louis still pretend that all of this was just a game?