Dominic and Damian had come up with a plan to find the black ring. They'd already contacted the people they knew in the jewelry world. Tomorrow, we will begin the search.
Damian poured liquor into my glass. It wasn't fancy wine—just something strong enough to numb a tired body. I drank it in one shot, the way I always did when stress tightened around me. They both stared, amused but uneasy. I kept drinking anyway, as if each gulp could turn everything into a bad dream.
"I'm getting snacks in the kitchen," Dominic announced, unable to watch me treat the liquor like water.
That left Damian and me alone in a silence that felt too heavy to ignore.
"You shouldn't drink like there's no tomorrow," he finally said, a hint of worry in his voice.
I didn't bother replying. I just grabbed the bottle—no glass this time—and drank straight from it.
"Hey." Damian pulled it out of my hands. "You're not the Lucca I know. My friend isn't this… messy."
The past few days had been a blur of irritation, dread, and exhaustion. Knowing I had only a year to live. A year—too fast, too thin. And now there was a supposed solution… vague and fragile, like hope that could break at any moment.
"I already contacted everyone who knows anything about jewelry. Isn't that enough to calm you down?" Damian asked quietly.
I reached for the bottle again, but he shook his head. I could have forced it from him, but I didn't waste the energy. He was just as tense as I was.
Dominic was taking too long in the kitchen. I needed his chatter to break the heavy silence between Damian and me. But I didn't want to talk or explain anything.
I leaned back on the sofa and closed my eyes. The master's words echoed in my head. If I knew who did it, I would've torn their throat out myself.
Finally, Dominic came back with chips in his hands. He sensed the awkwardness but ignored it. He opened the bag, grabbed a handful, and washed it down with liquor. Damian copied him. And me? I just watched them eat the chips I had bought a month ago.
The night dragged on. They kept drinking. I sat there, unable to sleep, feeling stress pulse through my veins.
Dawn crept in, pale and quiet. The two of them finally decided to rest. Before heading to the guest rooms, they cleaned their mess. Then it was just me, alone on my huge, expensive sofa—small and waiting, like someone hoping for a miracle to cure an illness no one could name. My friends offered hope, but inside, all I felt was helplessness.
I didn't sleep—not even for a moment. My eyes stayed wide open until Damian and Dominic woke up, finding me just as they had left me.
"You didn't sleep?" Dominic asked, while Damian raised a brow.
"No." I stood and walked straight to the bathroom to take a bath.
***
Damian's POV
Lucca went to the bathroom right after answering "no" to Dominic's question. I only raised my eyebrow, silently telling him he looked messy and miserable.
"Did he tell you something last night?" Dominic asked, sounding curious.
"No." My answer was brief. Like Lucca, I wasn't someone who talked much. That's why I was grateful for Dominic—he always softened the tension we created with our silence. We'd been friends since our teenage years, and yes, we were close. But when it came to talking about our emotions, none of us ever opened up.
I couldn't even imagine having a heart-to-heart conversation with Lucca. Maybe with Dominic, but not with him. Lucca had an aura that made every emotional conversation feel awkward.
"You stayed longer in the kitchen," I said, referring to his excuse last night.
"Because I thought he would tell you something."
"To me?" I let out a short laugh. "Since when did we ever have a conversation that involved feelings?"
"Yeah, you're right. He's been like that for years—never opening up, always trying to look strong. We're his friends, right? And friends are supposed to help each other." Dominic said it with a dramatic tone.
I rolled my eyes and sat on the sofa where Lucca had been sitting. Dominic followed, taking the seat across from me. We waited about thirty minutes for Lucca to finish his bath. Before going to his room, Dominic and I had already showered, so we could head out early to search for the black ring.
When Lucca stepped out of the bathroom, he didn't even look at us. He went straight to his walk-in closet. After five minutes, he emerged wearing his favorite black long-sleeved shirt, paired with black slacks and black shoes. His whole outfit matched his aura—dark, composed, unreadable.
We didn't eat breakfast at Lucca's house. Instead, we planned to eat at one of my restaurants in the city. But before that, we visited the jewelry shops I owned to look for the black ring. Honestly, Lucca's description of the ring was vague. He hadn't explained the details clearly because he couldn't understand the symbols engraved on it.
"Good morning, sir," the manager greeted me with a smile. I smiled back. Even though I was usually nonchalant, I knew how to treat my employees well—unlike this gloomy, chaotic version of Lucca at my side.
The manager brought us to a VIP room, then returned carrying several boxes. A few employees followed him to arrange them neatly on the table.
Lucca started opening the boxes quietly, examining each black ring inside. But none of them satisfied him. Dominic and I helped, but it was frustrating—Lucca didn't confirm any match.
"Did you not find what you were looking for, sir?" the manager asked as Lucca closed the last box.
Lucca shook his head. I told the manager to leave us alone. When the room cleared, I looked at Lucca, who was as quiet as the wind before a storm.
"Let's try another shop," I said, trying to lighten the heaviness around him.
"Cheer up, Lucca. This is just the first place. We haven't even visited the other shops."
Lucca didn't respond. He stood and walked out. We followed him to the parking area. He slipped into his car without acknowledging us. I knocked on his window. He rolled it down just enough.
"Let's get breakfast first before going to the next shop," I told him.
He only nodded and rolled the window back up. Dominic and I went to our car, with him driving.
"I don't get it. Why would anyone curse him?" Dominic asked, eyes on the road.
"That's what I keep asking. Who—and why?" I replied.
"Do you think we'll find it?"
I didn't answer immediately. I wanted to give Lucca hope. It was only the first shop, and we hadn't even covered the entire city. But the question echoed in my head: What if the ring wasn't here? What if it were in another country?
"Let's give him hope," I finally said.
Following my instructions, we headed to one of my restaurants. We ate breakfast there, treated as VIP customers. Lucca ordered two slices of wheat bread with scrambled eggs and Hungarian sausage, paired with black coffee. Dominic got his favorite mozzarella pancake and espresso. I ordered my usual tuna mayo salad with lettuce, cucumber, onions, and tomato, along with my iced mocha.
I enjoyed my meal, though Lucca remained in a dark mood. Dominic tried to cheer him up but failed. I gave him a look, signaling him to finish his food quickly so we could move on to the next stop.
The day was exhausting. We ended up going home without finding the ring Lucca was searching for. We had visited fifteen jewelry shops and talked to several experts, but none of them had the item. I knew it made Lucca even more frustrated and hopeless.
We parted ways, but before we did, we promised him this:next time, we would search other cities—and even other countries.We had connections. We would use them.
****
Seraphina's POV
I woke up late today—on the day I absolutely shouldn't be. We were scheduled for a morning meeting, and the CEO himself would be there. But because I stayed up all night watching the Thai drama I'm currently obsessed with, I opened my eyes at 6:00 a.m. sharp. My time-in is 7:00 a.m.
Panic instantly struck.
I rushed to the bathroom, took the fastest bath known to mankind, skipped breakfast, and bolted outside. I couldn't even return my neighbors' greetings as I sprinted to the bus stop. I kept checking my watch, silently begging time to slow down. It was pointless, but I still hoped.
I caught the bus at 6:45—but then traffic hit. Of course. I mumbled a curse under my breath, regretting every minute I spent binge-watching that drama. I should've known better.
Five minutes before 7 a.m., I finally reached the company building. I didn't bother looking at my reflection; I knew I looked messy and horribly haggard. All I cared about was clocking in before anyone noticed. Because of my laser focus on not being late, I accidentally bumped into someone—hard. My bag fell to the floor, scattering my things.
Urgh. Perfect. Just what I needed.
I got dizzy for a moment and held my breath, worried that if I moved, I might actually faint.
"Are you okay, miss?" a deep baritone voice asked.
I steadied myself and looked up.
A 6'3" man stood in front of me. For a moment, I forgot how to breathe. He was stunning—like he'd walked straight out of a magazine. For a second, he reminded me of the guy I met before who almost caused my death, but that man was taller and even more impossibly handsome. Still, this stranger was undeniably god-like. Tall, dark, and devastatingly attractive.
"Hey." He snapped his fingers in front of me, pulling me out of my trance.
"S-Sorry," I muttered—then froze when I checked the time. 7:05 a.m.
I was officially late. And the meeting would start any moment.
"Gotta go," I said quickly, attempting to walk past him, but he stopped me.
"Are you an employee here?"
"Ah… yes."
"You're cute," he said casually.
Cute? Seriously? Right now?
If this were any other moment—like, say, a day where my career wasn't on the line—I might have blushed or thanked him. But today? No. Just no.
"I'm Dominic," he said, extending his hand toward me.
That was it. Now I was fully annoyed. Of all times to flirt—why now? If I hadn't been late, maybe I would have appreciated the gesture. People rarely approached me like that, mostly because my aura supposedly scares them away.
I shoved my hands into my skirt pockets. "I don't usually shake hands with strangers. I'm sorry." And with that, I finally walked away, ignoring his shocked expression.
I ran to the elevator and prayed the meeting hadn't started yet.
"Sera!" Mira called out the moment I entered our department. I was still panting.
"You're ten minutes late."
"Yeah," I replied shortly. No way was I telling her about the Greek god I bumped into. "Has the meeting started?"
"Not yet. The CEO hasn't arrived. Once he does, we'll head to the conference room."
"Just our department?"
"Yes."
I didn't ask anything else. I hurried to my desk and fixed myself. My hair was messy and slightly wet. I remembered Dominic's comment. Cute? Looking like this? Impossible.
I dabbed powder on my face and applied lipstick. Right after I finished, our department head announced that we should head to the conference room. Mira clung to my arm as we walked.
At least I wasn't late for the meeting itself. Just… the time-in. Still counts, right? Maybe?
The conference room wasn't the usual one—we were brought to a larger, more elegant room. Everyone quietly took their seats. The assistant announced that the CEO was on his way. The room fell silent; I could practically hear the birds outside. (Not literally. Just… emotionally.)
I was reading the papers in front of me when footsteps echoed from the doorway.
"Good morning, everyone," a familiar voice said.
When I lifted my head—
It was him.
The stranger I refused to shake hands with.
The stranger who told me I was cute.
The CEO.