Seraphina's POV
We had steak for dinner, and it was absolutely delicious. I had never tasted steak before, so I felt lucky to experience it that night.
After dinner, Mira and Dominic decided to have a wine party at the restaurant. As soon as the bottles of wine were placed on the table, Lucca immediately grabbed one, poured some into his glass, and downed it in a single shot.
Mira and I stared at him in awe, while his friends didn't even react. Maybe they were already used to it.
"Sera, let me pour you some," Mira said.
I was about to refuse, but she had already filled my glass. I didn't really want to drink, but Mira bragged that the wine cost hundreds of thousands and had been imported from France. I took a sip, and I had to admit, it tasted good.
I glanced at Lucca, who didn't stop pouring and drinking the alcohol in his glass. His friends weren't even bothered by his behavior, which only made me more anxious.
What if he passed out?
Dominic leaned closer and whispered in my ear. I was sitting beside him while Lucca sat across from me.
"Nothing's going to happen to him. Don't worry," Dominic said with a laugh.
I looked at him. "He hasn't even paused," I pointed out.
"I'd be more shocked if he did," Dominic replied.
I looked at Lucca once more before staring down at the wine Mira had given me.
Then I remembered our beach trip, the time I got so drunk because of wine. The memory of what I had said to Lucca that night was still fresh in my mind.
I blushed and shook my head without realizing that everyone around me could see it.
"What's wrong?" Dominic asked after noticing my reaction.
Mira looked at me too.
"Ah, nothing," I replied.
Silence settled over the table.
Suddenly, Mira burst out laughing.
All of us looked at her in confusion.
"I remember, Sera. I remember why you're hesitating," she said.
My eyes widened.
This was not the time for her to remember that.
Especially not with Lucca sitting right in front of me.
"Remember what?" Dominic asked, confused.
Before Mira could answer, I quickly stood up.
"Excuse me. I'll go to the restroom."
If she mentioned it, at least I wouldn't be there to hear it.
I closed the restroom door behind me and turned on the faucet to wash my hands. Then I looked at myself in the mirror and sighed deeply.
I had gotten thinner.
Much thinner than before.
Who wouldn't?
Problems seemed to be waiting for me in every corner of my life, leaving me no time to breathe. This trip was, at the very least, a temporary escape from all of them.
I stayed inside the restroom for a while, hoping everyone would forget whatever Mira had been about to say.
Later, I would definitely scold her for being so loud.
When I felt that things had calmed down, I stepped outside.
Only to freeze.
Someone was leaning against the wall beside the women's restroom.
"What are you doing here?" I stammered, my heart suddenly racing.
The person didn't even flinch.
"What should a man be doing here?" he asked dryly. "Peeing, right?"
I glared at Lucca.
Yes, Lucca was standing beside the women's restroom.
And instead of explaining why he was there, he chose to be sarcastic.
"Do I need to explain it in detail?" he asked before glancing toward the men's restroom beside ours.
Right.
He had simply gone to the restroom.
I shouldn't think otherwise.
He didn't follow me just to ask why Mira laughed—
"Mira remembered what you told me before."
My eyes widened, and heat rushed to my face.
"What—"
He didn't even let me finish.
"Do you still remember what you said that night?" he asked. "Because if you're asking me, I remember every word very clearly."
I bit my lower lip so hard that I tasted metal.
Blood.
So he hadn't come here just to use the restroom.
He had come to remind me of the embarrassing things I had said while drunk.
Didn't I already apologize to him for that?
"Should I apologize again?" I asked.
"I want you to find another way to apologize," Lucca said calmly, his voice cold. Not even a smirk dared to appear on his emotionless face.
I looked at him in confusion.
"It was ages ago, and I already apologized for it. I thought you didn't hold grudges," I said, feeling nervous about what he might ask me to do.
"Work for me."
"What?" I asked, confused by what he meant.
"Work at my company," he said more clearly this time.
I frowned.
I didn't understand why he was suddenly offering me a job. Wouldn't Dominic be upset if I chose Lucca's company instead of his? Besides, I didn't want Lucca as my boss. I would rather have a lower-paying job and peace of mind than a high-paying one with a heartless and chaotic boss.
"That's absurd," I said without filtering my thoughts.
"What makes it absurd? I'll triple the salary Dominic offered you."
My eyes widened.
I was already earning thirty thousand pesos a month at Dominic's company. If Lucca tripled it, that would be ninety thousand pesos.
"You can't be serious," I said.
"Since when have I not meant what I said?" he asked while looking directly into my eyes. "Have you ever heard me joke?"
"You are punishing me just because of a single comment I made while I was drunk. I told you I didn't mean it! And I need to repeat myself, I already apologized, and I meant that apology!" I said, my voice rising.
I quickly forced myself to calm down. I didn't want our friends to notice us.
"Is a higher salary a punishment to you?" he asked. "Wouldn't it simply give you a chance to earn more?"
And what?
So he could boss me around every day?
Didn't he realize that working under him would already feel like a punishment?
"I'm sorry, but I can't accept it," I said firmly.
I had already decided that this trip would be my chance to unwind. I had no desire to work with him. Just thinking about it was stressful. Besides, I didn't want Dominic and Lucca to end up fighting because of me.
"One hundred fifty thousand pesos per month."
My eyes widened again.
That kind of salary was usually reserved for directors or department heads. Why was he offering so much?
"You're willing to pay one hundred fifty thousand pesos for an ordinary employee like me?" I asked with a laugh. "Do you enjoy wasting money?"
"You don't want it?" he asked. "And it's my prerogative where I spend my money. That's none of your concern."
This time, I couldn't answer immediately.
That was a lot of money.
I could live comfortably. I could buy whatever I wanted. I wouldn't have to worry about expenses anymore.
But on the other hand, my mental health would probably suffer.
And worse, I might end up ruining Dominic and Lucca's friendship.
"Out of words?" Lucca asked. "So that means you're interested in my offer."
I took a deep breath, paused for a moment, and gathered the courage to answer.
"Your offer is generous enough for me to live comfortably," I said. "And honestly, I don't understand why you're offering me that much money."
I looked him straight in the eye.
"But I won't accept it."
I paused before continuing.
"I apologize again for what I said during that trip. I truly didn't mean it, and I'm sincerely sorry."
Without waiting for a response, I turned around and walked back to our table.
Lucca's POV
"Hey, Lucca! Stop it! You're hurting me. Remember, you're stronger than I am. You might kill me. What happened after you went to the comfort room?" Dominic howled.
I ignored him and kept punching.
We were at a boxing gym that I had rented right after Seraphina rejected my offer. I needed to let this anger out, or I wouldn't be able to control it anymore. Wine wasn't enough to calm the madness building inside me.
Even though Dominic never wanted to fight me, he was forced to do so now because Damian had refused.
"You've completely lost your mind," Dominic complained. "You rented a boxing ring right after coming out of the comfort room. Have you gone insane? You didn't even tell us why you're so angry right now. Ouch!"
I threw a hard punch that sent him stumbling out of the ring.
Dominic frowned and removed his boxing gloves and headgear.
"I quit!" he shouted. "You're beating me up for no reason. I could accept it if I had actually done something wrong, but this? This is injustice!"
He stormed toward the bench where Damian was sitting.
"You should've helped me!" Dominic complained, directing his frustration at Damian.
Damian merely smirked while staring at me.
I remained standing inside the ring, panting, sweat dripping all over my body.
Damian crossed his arms and legs confidently, his eyes still fixed on me.
"I wouldn't dare fight a madman," Damian replied.
Dominic made a face.
"He's really mad at us. Well, I'm mad too."
"Stop this nonsense, Lucca, or I'll tell Master what you did to me. Are you really going to hurt your friend just because you're angry?" Dominic continued.
I ignored his ranting.
Instead, I kept staring at Damian, who still had that annoying smirk on his face.
He definitely knew something.
He wouldn't be looking at me like that unless he knew exactly what had happened.
"Why don't you ask Lucca what really happened in the comfort room?" Damian suggested to Dominic.
Dominic frowned and looked at me.
"What? Don't I deserve an explanation after all the bruises you've given me?" he complained.
Damian laughed again.
I pulled off my boxing gloves and tossed them aside. Then I climbed out of the ring and sat beside Damian.
Luckily, he had a bottle of water.
I grabbed it and drank the entire thing in one go.
"Well?" Dominic said, standing in front of me. "I'm waiting, Lucca."
Damian laughed even harder at Dominic's impatience.
"He can't tell you," Damian said. "He's too embarrassed to admit that he got rejected."
My expression darkened.
How could he so bluntly tell Dominic that?
Flashback…
After Seraphina said that, she walked away as if we had never spoken.
I let out a deep sigh in frustration.
How could someone like her reject my offer?
Most people would jump at the opportunity because the salary was more than generous. I had even offered her a position in my company, something I never intended to do in the first place, just to convince her to return to the city.
She couldn't stay here while I remained there.
How else was I supposed to get the ring?
I was about to return to the table when Damian suddenly appeared in front of me with a smirk on his face.
"Got rejected again?" he asked before laughing.
End of flashback...
"Who rejected you?" Dominic asked, his voice much calmer this time.
I didn't answer. Instead, I tossed the empty water bottle into a nearby trash bin.
"I want to rest now," I said, feeling unusually weak.
I had never felt this weak before.
I had never experienced weakness at all.
Without waiting for a response, I left the boxing gym, leaving the two of them behind.
Seraphina's POV
"I'm sorry again, Sera. I'll be more careful next time."
I glared at her, hoping it would at least make her feel guilty. She was always like this, constantly putting me in awkward situations.
"Sorry isn't enough, Mira. You've done enough already."
"Look, I'm sorry, okay? I admit it was my fault, and I feel guilty about it. But why did you reject Lucca's offer?" Mira asked after apologizing.
I sighed deeply.
"If you were in my position, would you accept it?" I asked.
She didn't answer.
Exactly.
She was filthy rich and didn't need to work for money. Besides, knowing her, she wouldn't want Lucca as her boss either.
"Don't answer. I already know what you're thinking," I said before she could even open her mouth.
"My point is, the salary is huge. It could make you rich," she argued.
"And suffer every day because Lucca is my boss? No, thank you. I wouldn't betray Dominic either. What would he think if he saw me working for his friend? I don't want to ruin the friendship I have with him. I'd rather have a lower-paying job and keep my peace of mind."
Mira nodded.
"Dominic would probably be hurt if he found out."
I glared at her again.
"But I still don't like what you did! You're becoming more and more of a brat every day."
"I promise I won't do it again."
"Of course you won't, because I won't let it happen again," I replied before walking away from the garden.
I headed back to my room.
It had been a long and exhausting day.
I took a cold shower, and it helped me feel a little better.
But then I found myself thinking about Lucca's offer again.
I had ten million pesos in my bank account. In a way, I could consider myself somewhat wealthy. Still, I couldn't rely on that money forever. Inflation existed, and sooner or later, I'd need a stable source of income.
Part of me wanted to accept the offer despite the stress Lucca would undoubtedly bring into my life.
But another part of me believed I had made the right decision by refusing.
I knew the rejection had hurt his pride. After all, he had left the restaurant without even saying goodbye.
After changing into my pajamas, I hoped I could finally get a good night's sleep.
I turned off the lights, lay down on my bed, and closed my eyes.
Fifteen minutes passed.
Sleep was nowhere to be found.
Frustrated, I got out of bed and opened the sliding door leading to my private balcony.
I walked toward the railing and welcomed the cool night breeze against my skin.
Maybe this would help me sleep.
I closed my eyes and simply enjoyed the moment.
I didn't realize someone was watching me until I heard a cough.
My eyes flew open.
"Lucca..."
I was genuinely surprised.
I hadn't realized our rooms were right next to each other.
Lucca looked at me with his usual blank expression before turning away and taking a sip of his wine.
I sighed.
Maybe I should just give up on sleeping tonight.
Seeing Lucca again certainly wasn't helping.
Still, why should I let his presence stop me from enjoying the fresh air?
He wasn't bothering me.
He simply stood there in silence, drinking wine while gazing at the full moon.
I secretly glanced at him again.
I was still curious about why he wanted me to work for his company.
I hadn't asked him for the real reason, and now probably wasn't the best time to bring it up.
"I didn't mean to insult you," I said, breaking the silence.
He didn't look at me.
As I stared at the moon, I continued.
"I didn't mean to reject your offer earlier. I have personal reasons that I can't tell you."
I spoke softly, trying to ease the tension between us.
"But wouldn't Dominic be hurt if I accepted it? You're friends. I wouldn't want to betray him either. He's helped me a lot."
"Is that the only reason you rejected my offer?" Lucca asked.
This time, he was looking directly at me.
"Because you're worried about what Dominic would think?"
I suddenly found myself speechless.
One look from him, and my thoughts scattered.
"I..."
I couldn't find the right words.
How was I supposed to tell him that I simply didn't want him as my boss?
That it wasn't only about Dominic?
I heard him chuckle softly.
The sound immediately caught my attention.
"Out of words?" he asked.
Then he took another sip of wine.
"Don't overthink it. I've changed my mind anyway."
I frowned.
"What do you mean?"
"I'm taking back the offer."
For some reason, that surprised me.
And disappointingly enough, I felt a small sting in my chest.
But why?
I was the one who had rejected him.
Why was I disappointed now that the offer was gone?
Did I secretly want him to try harder to convince me?
Not with a higher salary.
Just... with some assurance that he would actually be a decent boss.