Chapter 6

• That morning, as usual, Kaivan was dressed neatly in his suit. Before heading to his workspace, the athletic man strolled casually to the dining area.
• There, once again, he encountered Veronica. Noticing Kaivan's presence, the woman, who was also a socialite, decided to stand up and approach him. She extended her hand as a sign for a hug.
• "I've been waiting for you for a while," the woman said, kissing both of Kaivan's cheeks lightly.
• "Forgive me," Kaivan replied. "I did wake up a bit late this morning. I had a lot of work to finish last night, which kept me up late."
• They both then chose to sit down. With great attention, Veronica prepared a meal for Kaivan.
• The two of them got lost in conversation. The sound of their laughter echoed between them. Kaivan and Veronica had been in a close relationship for the past year. They were engrossed in their discussion to the point that they didn't notice Anne's presence. Until Anne intentionally pulled a chair and took a seat.
• "Who allowed you to sit with us, stranger?" Veronica asked in a sarcastic tone. She openly displayed her displeasure.
• Instead of responding, Anne simply ignored her. She was busy spreading chocolate spread on her bread and eating it calmly. She maintained an elegant and graceful demeanor.
• "Are you deaf or something?" Veronica continued her provocations. "A foreigner shouldn't be staying in a luxury hotel like this. Especially not with my boyfriend."
• Anne looked up, a mocking grin appearing on her beautiful face.
• "Seems like you were never properly educated," she said calmly. "Your behavior is just like that of a street woman."
• "You!" Veronica seemed to hold her breath. Anger flashed in her eyes. "How dare you call me a street woman. I'm wealthy, you know. Wealthy people definitely have an education."
• Anne casually picked up the glass of orange juice to her left and took a sip. Only after she had finished her drink did she respond to Veronica's words.
• "If not a street woman, then what? A promiscuous woman?" Anne teased. "Just so you know, being wealthy doesn't necessarily make you look classy. In fact, you come across as quite uncultured."
• Veronica was furious. She immediately stood up, intending to confront Anne who was still seated calmly.
• Kaivan, realizing that chaos was unfolding at the dining table, quickly adopted a vigilant stance. He swiftly moved to restrain Veronica from acting impulsively.
• "Stop!" He looked at both Anne and Veronica in turn. "You two are ruining my appetite."
• "This woman started it," Veronica accused, pointing her index finger at Anne. "It's better if you kick her out of this hotel, Kai."
• Anne, with her characteristic smile, replied.
• "You won't be able to provoke Kaivan into kicking me out. If I want to, you might be the one unable to set foot in my future husband's hotel anymore."
• "You—"
• "That's enough, Veronica!" Kaivan interjected. "You better come with me." He then shifted his gaze to Anne. "And you, Anne. Stop causing trouble!"
• ****
• "Why do you look so sour?" Kenzi, that afternoon, seemed to have visited Kaivan's hotel. There was something important he wanted to discuss with his older sibling.
• "It would drive anyone crazy to keep dealing with this," Kaivan grumbled. He loosened his tie that was strangling his neck. Taking off his suit that clung to his athletic body, he tossed it carelessly in any direction.
• "Why are you here?" he asked.
• "I purposely wanted to check on you in person. And also deliver a special message from Mom."
• Kaivan's eyebrows shot up.
• "Mom?" he repeated. "What's going on with Mom? Did something happen to her?"
• "You ungrateful child," Kenzi said for no apparent reason. "This weekend, Mom and Dad are celebrating their wedding anniversary. You're asked to come."
• Kaivan let out a slow breath. He thought something had happened to his mother. He hadn't visited the grande dame Maximilian for a few weeks now. Surely, when they met, his mother would lecture him endlessly.
• "I'll make sure to come."
• Kenzi nodded. He spoke again.
• "But..." he intentionally left a pause.
• "But what?" Kaivan was curious now.
• "According to Mom, you have to bring a partner."
• Kaivan immediately let out a reluctant sigh.
• "In that case, convey my apologies to Mom. I won't be able to come because I can't meet her request."
• Kenzi laughed.
• "You're something else! Why not just bring Anne to meet Mom? Isn't she your fiancée?"
• "Don't be ridiculous!" Kaivan snapped back, not accepting the idea. He seemed to be taking a deep breath multiple times. "Her presence alone is already giving me a headache. Introducing her to Mom would only make my life even more chaotic."
• "But if that woman is truly carrying your child, whether you like it or not, you'll have to marry her soon."
• Kaivan's eyes flared with drama. He chose to remain silent. He just didn't want to imagine what his younger brother had just said.
• "You better go now. Seriously, I'm feeling overwhelmed right now."
• Kenzi understood. It seemed he needed to let his older brother enjoy his privacy. Kaivan's mood clearly wasn't great right now.
• "Alright then, I'll take my leave," Kenzi said. But before he left completely, he shared another piece of information that almost slipped his mind. "Tonight, me and the others are going shooting. If you're feeling better, feel free to join us at the usual spot."
• Kaivan seemed to consider before answering quietly.
• "I'll see."
• And when night fell, after cleaning up, Kaivan got ready. He meticulously chose his outfit for the shooting activity this time. Standing in front of his closet for a long time, he decided to wear a v-neck t-shirt paired with a black cap and matching basic pants.
• After preparing everything he needed, he walked lightly towards the exit, only to be addressed by Anne.
• "Where are you going?"
• Kaivan turned around.
• "None of your business!"
• Anne grinned. She seemed accustomed to hearing curt remarks from Kenzi Maximilian's elder brother.
• "You're quite temperamental," she protested. "Am I not allowed to come with you?"
• Kaivan took a deep breath. He really didn't want to engage with Anne.
• "Why should I go to the trouble of bringing you?"
• "Because I'm your fiancée," Anne casually answered. "If you know, I'm bored staying in the room all the time. And you even forbid me from going out of the hotel. Sooner or later, I'll go crazy. So, please, take me with you." She batted her eyelashes playfully.
• "It's better if you go crazy altogether. Then I won't have to worry about your fate."
• Kaivan continued his steps. Before turning the doorknob, Anne raised her voice intentionally.
• "Fine ... if you don't want to take me out, I can go by myself. But I can't guarantee that there won't be news about you in the newspaper tomorrow."
• Kaivan grumbled in frustration. He felt like his fate was being toyed with by Anne.
• "Okay..." He turned around. "This time, you can come with me for an outing. However, there's one thing you need to remember. Don't ever inconvenience me out there."
• Anne nodded in agreement. The spark of happiness was evident in her eyes.
• "Don't worry. You can hold me to my word this time."