Colton

"After college, I went to France and spent an entire year doing baking and culinary arts courses. I met Barry during my internship. We ran into each other at the grocery store...."

I listened to Luna talk about meeting Cox. So typical and unoriginal, meeting by chance at a grocery store. He planned it.

"He said sorry and helped me gather my scattered groceries.... So, it turns out we're both from New York. He was in France for a few days on a work trip. He worked as a sales rep for a global clothing brand. It's a shame we never crossed paths at NYU."

He's a total liar and Luna bought it without question. No way, he didn't even know Luna in college. Everyone knows she was the daughter of a billionaire, and the richest one in school. They donated an entire building. It was not a secret at all.

I did not contradict her but continued to listen.

"His constant work trips made it hard for us to see one another. We ventured into business together after a year of dating. I let go of my restaurant dream and adopted his clothing brand idea. He believed his sales experience would ensure its success. I provided the funds, and he used his sales expertise. That's how Glamour Fashion Company began."

So that's how she met him and how their business started.

The bastard knew his target - her location and activities. He orchestrated their meeting in France.

"Opening our own business was a dream come true. We both strive for its success. Barry charmed and convinced buyers to patronize our product..."

I stopped listening when she talked about how amazing Cox was. His charms totally blinded her. She only saw what Cox wanted her to see. His pretentious side.

I knew she was a cooking enthusiast at college. Her bedside table had cookbooks. I see her jotting down ingredients and recipes. She loves Japanese cuisine too. There was an abundance of sushi and other Japanese food in our shared fridge. She frequently used chopsticks, even using them to clip her hair - initially strange, but later I found it cute.

It was a shame she didn't open a restaurant after studying cooking in France. His selling skills were not very helpful. The sales and marketing department sucks.

I felt for Luna. She wanted to prove herself independently but didn't follow her passion.

With Luna's job description, I visited Cox in his office. I noticed he had just arrived.

He greeted me with a handshake and complained about his secretary.

"Can you believe it? She was absent for two days to babysit her new grandson. Now, she resigns without warning." He looked agitated. "What am I gonna do?"

I recall a middle-aged woman sitting at her desk outside Cox's office last Monday.

"Have other staff from another department fill in temporarily while you find a replacement."

"Seems simple. But I need someone I can trust."

Of course. He needed a reliable person to keep his secrets.

"Don't worry, you'll find one." I assured him.

***

In the afternoon, I went back to my office. Gerald and I talked about the Glamour Fashion Company. I allowed him to handle the account under my supervision.

After we finished discussing the account, we shifted our topic to personal things.

"What's the status of your plan for Luna and Cox's engagement?"

"I'm lost and don't know what to do. He captivated Luna. If I push her too hard, she'll like him even more, and that would sabotage our plan."

"I agree. But we can't give up. We can't let Cox marry her." He looked totally disappointed.

"Of course, we won't allow it. We must plan something."

A phone call interrupted us. It was my sister, Sweet.

"We're back!" Sweet exclaimed happily. "Thank you, dear brother. It was a fantastic experience."

"Happy you enjoyed your week off."

"Can you believe it? I'm incredibly tan!" She chuckled. "It was the absolute best. I captured the beautiful scenery in photos and wrote a blog. Totally amazing. But you know, we missed the kids so much."

"Without a doubt. Bring them next time. It was meant to be a family trip."

"Yeah, but we needed alone time for ourselves." Sweet said, then diverted the topic. "Anyway, Sebastian and I are inviting you to dinner tonight if you're available."

"Soon? You've just arrived. Don't you want to spend time with your kids?"

"We're bonding now, and we can still bond with them when you're here. It would be more fun. We're all missing you." She said convincingly. "We appreciate you taking the kids to the amusement park. They won't stop telling us about it. So, what do you say? Seven tonight? I'll cook your favorite wagyu steak if you come."

"You don't have to cook me Wagyu steak. I enjoyed spending time with your kids. Sure, I'll be there. I miss them as well."

"Great! Be here before seven." She sounded overjoyed, then hung up the phone.

I got home at six and showered. Then I dressed casually. Gray T-shirt, faded blue jeans. Dinner with Sweet and her family is informal, like on the farm.

"Shall I drive you tonight, sir?" Chad, my driver bodyguard, asked.

"Nope. I'll be at my sister's house."

I arrived at Sweet and Sebastian's mansion at 6:45. I heard the kids laughing in the living room while I was in the foyer. I smiled, eager to see them.

I was surprised to see who the kids were with in the living room. The least I expected to meet that evening. Luna.

They were on the floor, doing a puzzle. Luna was stunningly young and beautiful in her casual outfit. T-shirt and jeans. Both black. It reminded me of her college look. She appeared freshly showered. She had slightly wet hair.

"Hey, Uncle Colton!" The kids shouted upon seeing me.

"Hi kids!" I greeted them, and they quickly came towards me. Samuel hopped on my back, while the other two clung to my arms.

"Take it easy, kids. You're going to give your uncle Colton a back injury." Sebastian entered the living room from the other side of the house. He turned to me and greeted me with a man hug. "Hey, man. They're very excited to see you."

"It's okay. I'll enjoy it while it lasts. As they grow older, they would rather be with their friends."

"That's right." Sebastian chuckled. "Sweet is preparing our dinner in the kitchen. She has all the staff off duty, so we're doing everything now."

"Dad! I peed on myself." Joshua shouted.

"I told you to use the bathroom before coming down." Sebastian sighed, then wiped the pee with a rug.

"I'm sorry, Dad."

Sebastian turned to me. "He always peed in his pants when he got excited. I need to change his pants first. I'll be back in a moment."

"Take your time."

"I'll go with you, Dad." Samuel said. "I also need to go to the bathroom."

The living room fell into an awkward silence with Zoe, me, and Luna.

"Join us, Uncle Colton. Help us solve the puzzle." Zoe reached for my hand and pulled me towards Luna, who was still sitting on the floor. In front of her was the jigsaw puzzle. I had no choice but to join her.

Then Zoe sat between us. She pulled me closer, urging, "Come closer, Uncle Colton."
With her slight frame, I was so close to Luna as well.

"Hi." I greeted Luna with a smile, and she smiled back.

"I didn't expect you to be here." She said, like seeing me here is a crime.

"Same. If we were elsewhere, I'd accuse you of stalking me." I picked up jigsaw puzzle pieces, trying to figure out where they fit.

She chuckled and shook her head. "I would never do that."

"Yeah, I know. You prefer being on another planet than being with me."

She rolled her eyes, and it made me chuckle.

"I bet those two were sneaky and didn't tell us we were both coming." I said.

"Yeah, most likely. They know neither of us will show up." She was toying with the jigsaw puzzle pieces with her fingers, and I could tell she was having a hard time figuring out where to put them.

"Obviously. They probably told you the same thing. The kids are dying to see you. They're treating you to dinner for taking the kids to the amusement park."

"Exactly. If I show up, they'll make my favorite dish. Sushi."

"Sweet told me the same thing. She'll cook my favorite Wagyu steak." My lips twisted. "So sneaky."

We laughed a little.

"They'd do whatever it takes to make their kids happy."

"Even using us." I answered, smiling at her.

"Darn it. We fell for it and let ourselves be used by them." She said, and we both chuckled. Louder this time.

"Hey...Are you two flirting?" Zoe stood in front of us. Her hands on her waist.

"Flirting?" Luna's eyes narrowed. "Where did you learn that word?"

Zoe pouted. "From Dad. He's always saying that mom is flirting with him. Then, they'd go to their room and hide from us."

"Oh, shoot." Luna said, and we just looked at each other and laughed again.

The tension between us started to fade as we helped Zoe with the puzzle.

"This puzzle isn't for kids. I couldn't even form an object in this." I complained.

"Me neither. I've been here for thirty minutes and couldn't come up with one," Luna said, controlling her laughter.

"It's a scam," I said.

"Correct. Just like those two." She said, and we both laughed aloud.

As we continued to laugh over silly stuff, the tension gradually eased between us. It happened for the first time. Maybe our chat in her office earlier helped us both relax.

Sweet came out of the kitchen and gave me hugs and kisses.

"It's great that you're here. I just cooked your favorite Wagyu Steak. I made it the way you like it." She then turned to Luna. "I made your favorite sushi. I'm sure you'll love it."

My eyebrows shot up, and Luna and I exchanged a look. Like me, she was holding her laughter.

Later, I asked Sweet. "You never mentioned that Luna would be here."

"Oh, didn't I?" Her eyebrows creased. "I thought I did."

Liar. She knew she didn't.