The dining table was alive with chatter and laughter.

Giselle, clad in an effortlessly elegant designer outfit-the outfit Winter had once dreamed of owning-sat like she owned the place.

She exuded the kind of casual grace that screamed wealth and confidence, blending into the room as if this wasn't a military safe house but her personal penthouse. Winter sat stiffly in her chair, picking at her food, trying to keep her irritation from bubbling over.

Just don't eat it. Show some self-control, she told herself, eyeing the spread Giselle had brought.

But the aroma was impossible to resist-truffle-infused pasta, grilled wagyu beef, artisan bread with a golden crust, and desserts so decadent they looked like they belonged in a museum, not on a plate. Her stomach growled, betraying her resolve.

"Eat up, Winter. You're glaring at the food like it owes you money," Ningning teased, stuffing another bite of beef into her mouth.

Winter shot her a sharp look but reluctantly took a small bite of pasta. The creamy richness of the sauce melted on her tongue, and she bit back a groan of pleasure. Damn it. She missed food like this. Military rations and cafeteria slop were a far cry from the luxuries she used to take for granted.

"See?" Giselle's voice chimed in, light and teasing. "Even our stoic little soldier here can't resist good food."

Winter looked up sharply, fork frozen mid-air. Giselle was smirking at her, a knowing glint in her eyes. Winter's cheeks flushed, but she forced herself to look unaffected, shrugging as she stuffed another bite into her mouth to avoid responding.

"Anyway, this reminds me of when Karina and I used to sneak into that five-star restaurant downtown," Giselle continued, turning her attention to Ningning and Yuna, who were hanging onto her every word. "We were barely sixteen, and we'd convince the staff we were VIP guests just to eat there for free. Karina had this air about her, you know? Like, no one ever questioned her. She could just walk in anywhere, and people would believe she belonged."

Winter glanced at Karina, who was sitting quietly, swirling a glass of water in her hand. Her face was impassive, save for the faintest twitch of her lips, like she wanted to smile but wouldn't allow herself.

"Really?" Yuna asked, wide-eyed. "Team leader? I mean, no offense, but you don't exactly scream troublemaker."

"Oh, Karina's got stories," Giselle said with a wink, leaning slightly toward Karina. "She's just too disciplined now to admit it."

Karina finally spoke, her voice calm and measured. "I wouldn't call sneaking into a restaurant troublemaking. You were the one who spilled wine on the manager's shoes."

The table burst into laughter, and Giselle laughed the loudest, throwing her head back in a way that seemed too perfect to be unintentional. Winter chewed her food aggressively, her jaw tightening.

She didn't know what annoyed her more-Giselle's perfect everything, Karina's rare softness around her, or the way Giselle leaned just a little too close when she talked to Karina.

"Karina used to be so protective of me," Giselle continued, resting her chin in her hand as she gazed at Karina with a smile. "Like this one time, I almost got caught shoplifting-"

"Giselle," Karina interrupted, her tone warning.

"What?" Giselle said, feigning innocence. "It's not like they can arrest me now. Anyway, Karina swooped in, all serious and commanding, and somehow talked the security guard into letting me go. She's always been like that-cold on the outside but a total softie if you know where to look."

Winter nearly choked on her drink. Cold on the outside but a softie? The Karina she knew was about as soft as steel.

"Wow," Ningning said, grinning. "I can't imagine, team leader doing any of this stuff. She's like...scary."

"Yeah," Yuna added, nodding enthusiastically. "She doesn't even laugh at our jokes."

"Because your jokes aren't funny," Karina deadpanned, earning another round of laughter from the table.

Winter tried to focus on her food, but her gaze kept drifting toward Karina and Giselle. The way Giselle's hand casually brushed against Karina's arm, the easy familiarity between them-it all made Winter's stomach churn. And not from the food.

As the conversation continued, Winter found herself growing more and more annoyed. She wasn't sure what irritated her most-the way Giselle seemed to know everything about Karina, the way Karina allowed it, or the fact that Winter couldn't stop staring.

When she finally looked up from her plate, she caught Giselle smirking at her again, as if she knew exactly what was going through Winter's head. Winter quickly looked away, her face heating up.

By the time dessert was served, Winter was practically stabbing her fork into the cake, her thoughts a storm of frustration. She didn't understand why Giselle's presence was bothering her so much. It wasn't like she cared what Karina did. Right?

Across the table, Karina's expression remained unreadable as always, but every so often, Winter thought she caught Karina glancing at her. She wasn't sure if it was her imagination or if Karina was actually paying attention. Either way, it only made her more flustered.

When the meal finally ended, Winter excused herself with barely a word, retreating to the room she no longer felt was hers. As she lay on the bed, staring at the ceiling, she tried to make sense of the tangled mess of emotions swirling inside her.

She hated this. She hated feeling this way. But most of all, she hated the fact that Karina was the reason she felt it.