As they were walking, Hyacinth Chua's phone buzzed. She glanced at it and saw who was calling.
Her previously soft expression quickly disappeared, replaced by a frown.
Hyacinth Chua told Aurora Perish that she needed to answer the call for a moment. Worried that Aurora Perish might get lost, Hyacinth Chua pointed to a spot and asked her to wait there until she returned before leaving.
Aurora Perish suspected that the person who called her was probably her alpha grandfather, the only remaining relative she had. Hyacinth Chua's parents had died in a car accident when she was just nine years old. As the sole heir to her family's company, she was under the guidance of her alpha grandfather, who had been looking after her ever since.
Aurora Perish, who followed Hyacinth's instructions, stood at the spot Hyacinth had pointed to. As she stood there leisurely, glancing around, her eyes were drawn to a breathtakingly beautiful woman. The woman had sleek, long ponytails of white hair, with her right eye silver and the left side of her face partially covered by her hair. She was walking and talking to someone.
Aurora Perish thought the woman looked familiar.
As Aurora Perish thought about it, the woman stared back at her. They locked eyes for a few seconds before the woman smiled. Aurora Perish, with an expressionless face, simply looked at her.
The woman's companion called out to her, and she nodded at Aurora Perish before walking away.
Aurora Perish, deep in thought, slipped away unnoticed, as if she had simply faded from sight.
Hyacinth Chua returned, her previous demeanor disappearing in an instant, though she still forced a smile.
"Sorry for the wait," she said, her voice calm. "There was a problem, but it got fixed right away. Anyway, they texted me saying they're already there. We should go now."
Despite her close relationship with the original owner, Hyacinth maintained a polite and somewhat distant attitude, never fully letting her guard down.
Aurora Perish nodded.
Even though she had no idea who she was about to meet, she maintained a calm facade. However, deep down, she was more nervous than when she first met the original owner's parents. At least then, she had remnants of their memories to rely on, giving her a sliver of confidence. But now, she was stepping into the unknown.
At this moment, all Aurora Perish wanted was to go home immediately.
Regret weighed heavily on her, she wished she had never come.
As they arrived at the place, the tension in her chest tightened...
As Aurora Perish and Hyacinth Chua stepped inside, a blur of motion suddenly rushed toward them at full speed. Before Aurora Perish could react, someone nearly crashed into them, breathlessly calling out Hyacinth Chua's name.
With swift reflexes, Hyacinth Chua effortlessly dodged, sidestepping just in time to avoid the impact.
The short girl pouted, dramatically clutching her chest as if her heart had just been shattered.
"You don't love me anymore? After I turned into an omega and everything... you treat me like—"
Before she could finish, a voice cut through her theatrics.
"Don't be childish now, Sora," the newcomer sighed, exuding an air of quiet authority.
She stood tall easily towering over Sora—with a lean yet powerful frame that made every movement seem both graceful and deliberate. Her deep auburn hair, almost copper under the light, fell in effortless waves just past her shoulders, with shorter strands framing her sharp features.
Her jade-green eyes, cool and piercing, carried a gaze that was both mysterious and unwavering, like the depths of an untouched forest. Light olive skin, dusted with faint freckles across her nose and cheekbones, hinted at years spent under the sun. A faint scar above her left eyebrow added a touch of ruggedness to her otherwise composed appearance, while a delicate, abstract tattoo curled along her inner forearm—its meaning a secret only she knew.
She crossed her arms, tilting her head slightly as she regarded Sora with an exasperated yet familiar expression.
"Oh? You have a friend? Didn't expect that from you, Hyacinth."
"As if you have any either, Soran Halloway."
Soran Halloway and Hyacinth Chua locked eyes, a familiar tension crackling between them. Soran Halloway's lips curled into a teasing smile. "Still as sharp-tongued as ever, I see."
"Where are they?" Hyacinth asked, arms crossed, her tone clipped.
Aurora Perish, who had unconsciously faded into the background, observed in silence.
Soran Halloway tilted her head slightly, gesturing with her lips.
Hyacinth Chua followed her gaze toward a high-end restaurant. The warm glow from its chandeliers reflected off polished glass, and through the grand windows, elegantly dressed figures mingled over lavish meals. The unmistakable air of wealth surrounded the place.
Her brows knitted together.
Aurora Perish, still blending into the background, blinked in confusion.
What are they talking about? she wondered.
Sora Winslow, who had been quiet the whole time, finally spoke. "You're still pest— no, pursuing her?" She tilted her head slightly, her expression deceptively innocent.
Hyacinth Chua shot her a glare, but Sora only responded with a playful wink.
Aurora Perish, finally piecing it together, recalled something from the earlier events of this story. Back then, Hyacinth Chua had been actively pursuing the female lead, Rose Sallow, despite the fact that Rose Sallow was soon to be engaged in her current relationship.
But in this timeline, Rose Sallow already had a boyfriend.
Yet Hyacinth Chua still refused to believe that there was anything real between them.
The idea that Rose—the person who had made her heart race for the first time—was truly in a relationship didn't sit well with her. It was her first experience with love, and she wasn't ready to let go just yet.
Besides, Rose Sallow herself had told her there was nothing between them. That's why Hyacinth Chua firmly believed their so called relationship wasn't real—just an illusion, nothing more.
As the two stood in deep thought, Soran Halloway broke the silence.
Glancing at the pair in the distance, she turned to Hyacinth Chua. She never really understood why Hyacinth Chua insisted on pursuing someone who was already taken.
They had talked about it countless times, but Hyacinth Chua never listened. So, in the end, Soran Halloway chose to stay quiet—after all, she wasn't the one who would end up hurt.
"What's the plan this time?" she asked, her tone laced with mild exasperation.
At her words, the two who had been blending into the background instinctively turned to Hyacinth Chua in unison.
Hyacinth Chua crossed her arms. "We're just going to watch them."
Soran Halloway let out a sigh. "Alright."
Sora Winslow, who had been watching Hyacinth Chua with curiosity, finally spoke up. "I booked the upper floor. From there, you'll have the perfect vantage point to see them clearly!"
Hyacinth Chua gave a small nod before handing Sora her black card without hesitation.
Grinning, Sora Winslow eagerly accepted it.
As they finally arrived at the room Sora Winslow had booked, they found themselves in a beautifully designed space with a traditional Japanese theme. The soft glow of paper lanterns cast a warm ambiance, and the scent of freshly prepared dishes lingered in the air.
Aurora Perish's eyes widened slightly in surprise. She had rarely visited places like this in her previous life—her focus had been solely on success, leaving little room for indulgence. A quiet sigh escaped her lips as she pushed away the memories.
She made a conscious effort not to glance around too much, keeping her curiosity in check to avoid drawing any suspicion.
Meanwhile, the rest of the group remained unfazed. For them, a place like this was nothing out of the ordinary.