My eyes widened when Mira suddenly entered the room. But seeing how calm Lucca was, I forced myself to stay calm as well. We hadn't done anything wrong except keep a secret from them. I discreetly hid the cream and medicine Lucca had brought me.
"I was just reminding Seraphina about her possible work in my company," Lucca said calmly. I admired how composed he remained despite the situation.
"In her room? You could've talked about it outside," Mira said, becoming more suspicious of us.
"Why not here? It's not like we did anything wrong. I don't see any reason why we can't talk here," he replied.
Mira looked at me, waiting for me to confirm what Lucca had said. I nodded.
"Yes. We were talking about work," I said, trying to keep my voice steady.
"You're not lying?" she asked.
I chuckled nervously. "Why would I?"
"Because you've lied to me several times already. I'm just making sure," she replied.
"You're overthinking this, Mira. Can you leave me alone for a while? I'm still packing my things. You don't want us to be late, do you?" I asked, trying to find an excuse for them to leave.
"Okay. We'll wait downstairs," Mira said.
Lucca didn't say another word.
I sighed in relief once I was alone in my room. I stared at the cream and medicine Lucca had given me. I applied the cream to my wounds before finishing my packing. Then I went downstairs to the kitchen to get some water so I could take my medicine. Afterward, I headed to the living room, where everyone was already waiting for me.
We rode in the van, and the driver took us to the drop-off area. I sighed heavily, feeling a little nervous.
I was afraid I would become a burden to Lucca again.
"Seraphina... I'll walk with you," Dominic offered.
I glanced at Lucca, who was busy looking somewhere else.
Then Dominic spoke again. "Or should I let Lucca accompany you?" he teased with a laugh.
I frowned. "Why would you think that? We're not even close."
"I saw the opposite," he said before calling Lucca. I wanted to stop him, but it was already too late.
"Accompany Sera. I'll go with Mira and Damian." Dominic winked at Lucca, though Lucca didn't even nod.
"I can go with Sera. You two should walk together," Mira suggested.
"And leave me?" Damian asked.
Mira immediately fell silent.
"Let Lucca accompany her," Damian added.
Why did everyone want Lucca to accompany me? Did the old housekeeper tell them something I didn't know? What if they believed her? Was that why they were acting so strangely?
"No. I can manage on my own. You should all go ahead," I insisted.
"What a stubborn, fragile woman," Lucca muttered.
"I'm sorry if that's what you think of me," I replied sarcastically.
"Lucca, stop teasing Seraphina. You two are close now, aren't you?" Dominic said with a grin.
"Close? Since when?" Mira asked, looking at me.
Something felt strange.
It was as though Lucca's friends already knew what had happened yesterday. They kept pushing him toward me, as if they wanted us to become even closer.
"Let's go," Damian said, gently pulling Mira's hand to change the subject before leading her away. Even then, Mira kept glancing back at us curiously, but I avoided her gaze.
"Take care of Sera," Dominic told Lucca before following them.
I frowned. I couldn't understand what was happening. Why were they acting as though there was something between Lucca and me?
"Aren't you curious why your friends keep insisting that you accompany me?" I asked as we started walking. My feet were still aching, but I thought I could manage.
"Why would I be curious?" he answered with another question.
"Do you think they actually believed what the old housekeeper said?" I asked again, hoping for an answer.
"Tsk. Women overthink everything. You're just like your friend."
"Aren't men overthinkers too?" I asked. I didn't believe only women overthought things.
"No," he answered plainly.
I stopped and faced him. He looked back at me, raising an eyebrow.
"What?" he asked with a frown.
"Answer me without sarcasm."
He remained silent, waiting for me to continue.
"If you didn't like me from the start, why are you still helping me?" I asked. It wasn't something I wanted to ask, but it had been bothering me ever since we came to Sagada. His treatment toward me had completely changed.
"If I don't help you, then who will?" he answered with another question.
"Can't you just answer me directly instead of asking another question?"
"What answer are you expecting?"
"Ugh! Never mind!" I huffed before turning my back on him and walking away. His answers were starting to annoy me.
"Now it's my turn to ask," he said.
I stopped walking but didn't look at him.
"Why did you accept my job offer? Knowing you, I thought you'd never agree, especially since I'll be your boss." He deliberately emphasized the word boss, making me turn to look at him.
"For the money," I answered honestly. I really needed it. Even though I could now consider myself a millionaire, inflation could easily eat away my savings over time.
"Dominic could've offered you that."
"I know. But I don't want to go back to his company. I have too many issues there, and everyone already knows me."
He nodded before matching my pace.
After a few minutes of silence, I spoke again.
"You still haven't told me what my job will be."
"You'll find out when we get back."
"Can't you tell me now?" I asked.
"You accepted the job without even knowing what it was. Now you're curious?"
"I just want to prepare myself," I said with a frown. "Can't you answer a simple question without asking so many in return?"
"My personal assistant," he finally said.
I paused again. "Really?" My voice echoed through the mountain trail.
"Can't you lower your voice? It's annoying," he said with a frown.
"I thought I was just going to be a regular employee in one of your company's departments."
"You've already heard the answer. Stop asking so many questions," he replied.
"But why me? And why offer such a high salary?"
"Because if you make a mistake, I can simply tell Dominic to compensate me. Knowing him, he'll do anything for you. It won't be a loss for me."
I frowned again. I didn't like his answer.
"So, just because I'm Dominic's friend? One of the reasons I resigned from his company was because I didn't want to burden him. And now you're saying this?"
"Why? Do you want to back out?" he asked, challenging me.
"There isn't a contract yet, so I can refuse anytime."
"So you're telling me you're refusing now?" he asked.
I looked into his eyes. They were beginning to blaze with anger, and I was afraid he might lose his temper.
"Don't use your friend for your own benefit. It'll come back to you someday," I said before walking ahead of him.
I didn't know how he reacted after I said those words.
Lucca's POV
That statement made me stop walking. Seraphina didn't even look back to see if I was still following her.
"Don't use your friend just for your own benefit. It will get back to you."
Her words echoed in my mind over and over again.
If Seraphina ever finds out that I'm doing all of this for the ring, what will her reaction be?
Why am I even concerned about what she would say? My only concern should be my life. I want to live longer. And I'm sure Seraphina would understand it.
Then tell her about it now.
My mind whispered those words to me.
I was actually pissed. That statement ruined my mood.
Am I being selfish?
Since when did I start caring about what other people think of me? I never cared about anyone's opinions.
Not until I met Seraphina.
That fragile little woman kept pestering my thoughts. I couldn't get her out of my mind, even when I was about to sleep. Her face constantly reminded me of the little time I had left on Earth.
"Lucca, why aren't you walking?" Seraphina shouted. She was already far ahead of me.
I frowned in response but continued walking until I caught up with her.
I didn't like her, not in general.
But ever since I met her, I've been puzzled by her... and by the dream we both seemed to share.
If there really is a connection between us...
Then why us?
Seraphina's POV
Lucca seemed annoyed after I told him not to take advantage of a friend. At first, I ignored it, but when he didn't speak the entire time we were walking, I knew he was really annoyed. Maybe he was offended by what I had said.
"I'm sorry, Lucca," I said when he hadn't spoken for about half an hour. Though I was used to him being quiet, since it was just the two of us, the silence felt a little awkward.
"What are you sorry for?" he asked, his voice dripping with sarcasm.
"About what I said earlier. I know you're annoyed with me, and—"
I wasn't even able to finish my sentence when he suddenly grabbed my arm. I gasped as my face collided with his chest.
"The snake..." he murmured.
I looked in the direction he was staring, and I froze when I realized that Lucca had just saved me from stepping on a snake.
"You were about to step on it. If I hadn't seen it, you probably would've been bitten," he said before letting go of me.
My body remained frozen. I never expected we'd encounter a snake here. I knew we were hiking in the mountains, so it was possible, but I never imagined I would almost step on one.
"Th-thank you," I said, my voice trembling. My whole body began shaking as well, but I tried my best to calm myself. I didn't want Lucca to know I was scared. I was good at hiding my emotions, wasn't I? So why couldn't I do it now?
"It's my first time seeing a snake," I said, trying not to stutter. I kept telling myself it wasn't a big deal.
"You don't have to pretend you're okay," he said.
"But I am fine," I replied with a smile.
"Then you are," he answered, no longer forcing me to admit how I felt.
We continued hiking for another two hours. I could already feel that my feet were swollen, but I still pushed myself to reach the top where Mira, Damian, and Dominic were waiting. Even though Lucca remained silent, he still helped me by gently pushing my back whenever I slowed down.
"I thought you went back to the van," Dominic said with a laugh.
"Ahhh, I miss nature," Mira exclaimed as she spread her arms to feel the cool mountain breeze.
I forced a smile as I looked at her. Dominic, however, noticed how pale I looked.
"You look pale, Sera. Did something happen along the way?"
I was about to say nothing had happened, but Lucca spoke first.
"We encountered a snake along the way. Seraphina was about to step on it," he said calmly.
Mira and Dominic gasped when they heard what had happened.
See? This was exactly why I wanted to hide it from them. As I said before, I don't like attention. I don't like people worrying about me too much.
It makes me feel awkward... and scared.
Scared that one day they might stop being my friends. Scared that they might leave after I'd already grown used to having them in my life.
"But thanks to Lucca, I'm safe," I said, forcing a laugh to ease the tension.
Ever since I met these three men, I could see how much I'd changed. I had become more open than before, even talkative, when I used to be quiet. I once wanted to resign from Dominic's company because I was tired of my daily routine, yet here I was, accepting Lucca's offer to become his personal assistant. I had also become much closer to Mira, sharing secrets and emotions that I never shared before.
I could honestly say I had changed a lot.
And these people had helped me, even if Dominic was the only one who had treated me like a true friend from the very beginning.
"Are you sure you're okay?" Dominic asked, looking at me with concern.
"I told you I am. Lucca helped me," I replied, wearing another fake smile. I just hoped they wouldn't notice.
"Let's rest first and have some snacks," Mira said as she pulled my hand toward a place where we could sit.
Dominic opened the basket he had carried throughout the hike.
Inside were tuna paninis, healthy drinks, and chips, all prepared by the maids at Mira's townhouse.
I picked up a tuna panini and started eating it while the boys grabbed the drinks.
"After the hike, we need to travel back to Baguio because Mom called. We've been invited to have dinner with one of their investors," Mira said as she munched on some chips.
"Your parents' investor?" Dominic asked.
"Yes. A new investor. He wants to meet us over dinner."
"Does he know about us?" Dominic asked.
"I don't think so. I think it was just a general invitation," Mira replied while continuing to eat her chips.
"Sera, here. Taste this. It's good," Mira said, holding out a chip for me.
I let her feed it to me, and it really did taste good.
"Should I be jealous because you're only feeding your friend?" Damian suddenly asked.
Mira blushed while Dominic teased them.
I didn't join in.
Instead, I looked at Damian intently.
I was still curious whether his intentions were sincere.
Why did I still have this feeling that, sooner or later, he would end up hurting Mira?
"Are you jealous too, Sera?" Dominic turned the teasing toward me.
"Huh? Of course not," I said, shaking my head.
Dominic laughed. "I was just kidding."
I looked at Lucca, who was busy gulping down his drink. He didn't even seem bothered that Dominic was teasing us.
After resting for half an hour, the group decided to head back down since we still had to travel to Baguio, and the trip would take almost five hours.
Another two hours and thirty minutes of hiking downhill.
At this point, my feet were really hurting.
I looked at Lucca, who was walking beside me, then whispered, "Can I hold your arm? My feet really hurt now."
He was the only one I could ask since Mira, Damian, and Dominic still didn't know that I had been injured on our first day here.
Lucca didn't say anything. Instead, he simply extended his left arm.
"Thank you," I whispered as I held onto it.
His arm felt firm and muscular, proof that Lucca spent a lot of time at the gym.
Going downhill was even more difficult for me because I had to use a lot of strength to keep from slipping. Every step I took made my feet hurt even more.
"Get on my back," Lucca said after noticing that I was struggling. The three of them were just ahead of us, so we kept our voices low.
I looked at his back. He was already carrying both his backpack and my go-bag.
I was about to refuse again, but he spoke before I could.
"Get on my back, and don't even think about refusing. Do you want to end up not being able to walk tomorrow?" he whispered.
I stopped walking, and Lucca stopped as well. The three ahead of us didn't notice because Mira and Dominic were busy chatting.
Lucca knelt down so I could climb onto his back. He adjusted both bags so they rested against his chest.
I climbed onto his back and wrapped my arms around his neck so I wouldn't fall. He supported me by placing his hands under my thighs.
The situation was awkward, but I had to think about myself. If I refused, I probably wouldn't be able to walk anymore.
"Just tell me if you get tired. You can put me down," I said, still worried that I was becoming a burden. Even though I was skinny, weight was still weight.
"Don't bother thinking about that. I can do this all day," he replied.
I wasn't sure if he was being boastful or simply confident.
"Thank you, Lucca," I said.
He didn't respond, so I decided not to start another conversation.
About thirty minutes later, the others finally noticed that Lucca was carrying me.
"Sera, what happened again?" Mira asked as she hurried over, her voice full of concern.
"I'm fine. Lucca just offered me a piggyback ride so we could move faster. We still need to travel back and get there before dinner, right?" I explained.
"Yeah..." Mira replied, though I could still see questions in her eyes.
"Don't worry, Mira. If you want, you can carry me instead," I joked, hoping to stop her from overthinking.
I purposely sounded a little annoyed so she would drop the topic.
Fortunately, neither she nor the two men asked any more questions. They acted as though it was perfectly normal for Lucca to carry me.
After another hour and a half, Lucca still hadn't taken a break. He just kept walking.
I was beginning to worry about him.
"Lucca, you can put me down now. You've been carrying me for so long. I know you're tired," I said.
Dominic looked at me and laughed.
"Lucca doesn't know the word 'rest,'" he said, glancing at Lucca.
I couldn't even feel any sweat from him. His expensive cologne still smelled fresh.
"Lucca... you can put me down," I repeated, trying once again to convince him.
He ignored me completely until we finally reached the van, where the driver was waiting.
Without saying a word, he gently set me down in my seat. To my surprise, he sat beside me.
I looked at him, trying to find even a trace of sweat on his face, but there was none.
Was I really that light that he didn't even get tired?
"Am I lightweight?" I asked quietly so the others wouldn't overhear us.
He looked at me, raising one eyebrow.
"Am I lightweight?" I repeated.
"I'm not deaf. I heard you the first time. I'm asking why you're asking that question," he replied seriously.
"Because you carried me for hours without even looking tired. You didn't even sweat."
"Is sweating a requirement?" he asked.
"After everything we did today? I think so. Besides, you carried me."
"Yes. You're lightweight," he answered bluntly.
My mouth fell open.
I didn't know whether to feel happy or offended by his answer. Then again, I was the one who asked.
"What's with that reaction? You asked, and I answered honestly."
"What's wrong with my reaction? I didn't complain or say anything. At least now I know I'm really skinny."
"That's why you should eat more."
"I do eat well," I protested.
"I don't see it," he replied while looking over my thin frame.
I frowned at him, and he simply shrugged.
A few minutes later, we arrived at Mira's townhouse.
The maids had already prepared an early lunch before our trip back to Baguio.
I excused myself because I wanted to take a shower and apply some cream to my wounds. They were hurting again after hours of walking, even with Lucca carrying me for part of the hike.
I turned on the shower, and the cool water eased my body a little.
After taking a quick shower, I got dressed, combed my hair, and applied cream to my wounds.
Suddenly, I heard a knock on the door.
I had locked it because I no longer trusted anyone to knock and wait. They all seemed to enter whenever they pleased. I especially didn't want Mira to discover my injuries.
I finished what I was doing before opening the door.
It was Mira.
"Hey," I greeted her.
"Care to explain before I take my shower?" she asked, making me frown in confusion.
"Pardon?" I asked.
"Yeah, pardon. Are you trying to fool me now? You and Lucca are supposed to be enemies, right? But the way he carried you earlier made you look like a couple," she said, crossing her arms.
I burst out laughing, which only made her look even more confused.
"What are you talking about? Me and Lucca? In a relationship?" I asked between laughs.
Mira frowned even more.