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    Wesley, focused on the road, caught her nce and smiled slightly. “I’ve been thinking about it. But time’s tight. You know how work isb./bb” /b

    Sana nodded in agreement. “That’s true.”

    “Would be nice to get a long vacation,” Wesley said offhandedly.

    “Not that easy. The next real break’s probably Christmas,” Sana said between bites, chatting idly.

    “Wait, aren’t you the dean? Can’t you give yourself time off?” She’d momentarily forgotten she was the one stuck in the corporate grind, but Wesley wasn’t.

    “Precisely because I’m the dean, I need to set an example. Even Christmas barely gives me a few days off. The longest break I’ll ever get is for my wedding. About a month,” Wesley said lightly, steering the conversation with care.

    “A month? That’s generous.” Sana sounded a little envious. Her own longest break had been maybe two weeks, with vacation days added in.

    “Yeah, it’s not bad. So when the timees, I’d really like to travel. Do you have any ces in mind? Spring’s a good season. Lots of spots are lovely then. Willowridge, maybe… or somewhere down south.” His tone held ia /ihint of anticipation.

    “Willowridge sounds nice. I’ve always wanted to visit Elysian Wings. Do butterflies show up in spring?” she asked without thinking.

    “They do. If you’d like, we’ll start there,” Wesley answered without pause.

    “Perfect. I’m taking a ton of photos when we go.” Sana smiled, still unaware of the subtle trap she’d walked

    into.

    Wesley couldn’t hide the grin spreading across his face.

    Sana finished her sandwich and reached to toss the wrapper aside. Catching sight of his expression, she frowned. “What’s so funny?”

    “Nothing,” he said, stifling augh. “If we start with Elysian Wings, should we still head south after that?”

    That was when it hit her. “Oh my god. You set me up. Who said anything about marrying you? Forget the trip. Keep dreaming”

    She raised a hand as if to hit him, then remembered he was still driving and held back.

    “What? You agreed just now. You can’t take it back,” Wesley replied, amused.

    Fuming, Sana reached for the door handle. “Pull over.b” /b

    She wasn’t staying in that car a second longer.

    9:01 Mon, Sep 15 B…

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    Wesley sobered immediately. “Okay, don’t be mad. My fault. Just me being delusional. I clearly don’t deserve you. I’m sorry, alright?”

    The light turned red. Wesley eased the car to a stop and gently pulled her into an embrace, apologizing without pause.

    Sana let out a cold hum. “You better mean it.”

    Wesley, of course, kept coaxing her, voice soft and full of regret.

    After a while, her anger finally eased. She gave him a light push. “Let go. Light’s green.”

    Wesley released her reluctantly, and Sana thought he wasying it on a little thick.

    She sat upright, smoothed her skirt, and after a pause, said quietly, “I like how things are now. I’m not looking for any big changes. Do you understand?”

    Marriage wasn’t on her radar.

    Truth be told, she and Wesley weren’t even officially a couple. Talk of weddings felt premature.

    Wesley’s smile faded slightly, but he didn’t push back. He was smart enough not to.

    “I know. I was just talking. We’re both still young. No need to rush into anything.”

    Sana turned away, her voice low. “Good. Just so we’re clear.”

    Still, a flicker of guilt crept in, like she’d been too harsh. But the more she thought about it, the more it felt like she’d been set up from the start.

    As soon as she stepped out of the car, Sana turned to Wesley and said, “Don’t bother picking me up this afternoon. I’m going shopping with a friend.”

    “Which friend? What time? I’ll drive you two,” Wesley replied, choosing to ignore the rejection altogether.

    “You don’t know her. And you don’t need to drive us,” she said, irritation slipping into her tone. “Just handle your own stuff, alright? You don’t have to trail me around every day. It’s getting old.”

    Her re was pointed by the time she finished.

    Something about Wesley had been offtely. He’d taken to picking her up and dropping her off without fail, using every excuse to spend time together.

    Even in the evenings, he rarely returned to his own ce but showed up at her family’s for dinner.

    To make matters worse, her parents adored him. If he skipped a visit, they’d question her as if she’d done something wrong. The whole situation left Sana increasingly frustrated.

    “I never get tired of being around you,” Wesley said, unfazed. “Not even a little.”

    It was clear he’d been practicing his charm.

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    “Cut the lines. They don’t work on me.” She brushed him off. “Anyway, I don’t need a ride. I’m going.” With that, she turned and walked away.

    Wesley watched her leave, a rare flicker of defeat crossing his bface/b.

    Was he really doing that badly? After all this time, Sana still seemed unwilling to believe he was serious.

    He didn’t understand, but he wasn’t discouraged either.

    By a little past four, his car was already parked outside the Grant Group building.

    At six sharp, Sana emerged from the lobby, only to spot the familiar Ferrari waiting by the curb. Her heart sank.

    “Why’d you stop?” her friend, Melody Fletcher, asked, noticing she’d frozen mid–step.

    “I just remembered… I forgot something…” Sana turned to escape, but it was toote.

    Wesley was already approaching with long strides, smoothie in hand.

    “Tired? I brought your favorite,” he said, voice gentle.

    Sana shot him a hard look. “What are you doing? I told you not to…”

    Wesley cut in smoothly, smile unwavering. “You’re Sana’s friend, right? I’m Wesley, her boyfriend. Nice to meet you.”

    He held out the second smoothie to Melody. “Sana mentioned you were going shopping together, so I picked up an extra. Hope you like it.”

    Melody, clearly surprised, took the cup, flustered. “Hi! I’m Melody. It’s really nice to meet you.”

    She nudged Sana with wide eyes, clearly stunned that she’d kept such a thoughtful, handsome boyfriend a

    secret.

    Sana felt like the ground might as well swallow her whole.

    She grabbed Wesley by the wrist and dragged him a few paces away, voice low and sharp. “Enough. You need to stop this!”

    Wesley blinked, looking genuinely confused. “Did I do something wrongb?/bb” /b

    “Don’t y dumb. I said I didn’t need you here. Why is that so hard to hear?” Her eyes narrowed in warning.

    Meanwhile, Melody, unaware of the tension, added cheerfully from behind, “Hey, Sana, if you two madest- minute ns, I can totally go by myself. No worriesb.” /b

    After all, Wesley had brought her a drink. It would be rude to intrude.

    Sana didn’t hesitate. “No. I’m going with you.”

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