The office was sleek—too sleek.
Muted gray walls. Minimalist art. Potted plants placed like someone had hired them from a magazine.
At the center sat Mr. Ronson.
Sharp suit. Sharper presence.
Navy blue tailored perfectly to his frame, white shirt crisp enough to cut tension, silk tie probably worth more than most people's monthly rent.
He looked like a man who didn't just run a company—he owned outcomes.
Behind him, his secretary stepped in.
"Sir, you have a meeting with Mr. Quang this evening."
He didn't look up.
"Prepare everything," he said flatly.
"Understood."
She left.
Silence returned.
Then his gaze drifted.
A framed photo.
Me.
"Ayana Ronson…" he murmured.
Longing. Frustration. Something heavier he didn't say out loud.
"My daughter…"
A pause.
Then a low exhale.
"Still unreachable."
From behind—
"Mr. Ronson. We need to talk."
His lips curled slightly.
"Of course you do."
My mom stepped in.
Power suit. Calm expression. Dangerous confidence.
"You already know why I'm here," she said.
He leaned back.
"You never forwarded my letters."
"I don't trust you," she replied instantly.
His eyes narrowed. "You're still calling me a cheater."
"Because you never stopped acting like one."
A beat.
Then cold calm from him.
"I just want to see my daughter."
"And I just want to protect her," she shot back.
Silence snapped between them.
Then she turned.
"The competition is still on."
He smirked.
"Always is."
She left.
Controlled. Unshaken. Like she owned the room without needing to stay in it.
Later at school—
I sighed.
Uniform chaos had been replaced by library peace.
At least, that was the plan.
White shirt. Faded jeans. Simple jacket.
No attention. No drama. No R4.
Wrong.
They were already behind me.
Of course they were.
Jake walked like he owned the hallway.
Ethan silent as always.
Mark adjusting his glasses like this was a documentary.
Liam smiling like life was a joke only he understood.
And me?
A hostage with a school bag.
"Do you guys have to follow me everywhere?" I muttered.
No answer from Jake.
Ethan barely glanced at me.
Liam leaned in and pinched my cheek.
"You're not safe anymore, Ayana. Remember the goons?"
"Stop calling them that," I groaned.
Mark gently removed Liam's hand like a responsible adult.
Then looked at me.
"Drink first. Then library."
I paused.
"…Fine."
Liam immediately lit up. "I'm coming too."
Jake smirked. "Of course you are."
Ethan nodded once. "I'm going."
Then—
"Clear the way."
Nena.
She stepped in like she owned gravity.
Walked straight up.
Pushed Ethan slightly aside without hesitation.
Grabbed my hand.
"I'm taking her."
Liam scoffed. "Oh please."
Nena didn't even blink.
"I wasn't talking to you."
Sharp silence.
Then—
She pulled me toward a table near the library café.
And shockingly—
They followed.
We sat.
Somehow.
Me and Nena in the middle.
R4 scattered around like a weird security system that didn't know it was off duty.
Mark sat across, calm as ever.
Ethan beside him, quiet.
Jake leaned back like nothing in life could surprise him.
Liam immediately stole attention by talking.
"So, Ayana always chooses chaos. It's her personality trait."
"I do NOT," I snapped.
"You do," Liam insisted.
Mark pushed his glasses up. "Statistically accurate."
"Traitors," I muttered.
Nena sipped her drink slowly, observing everything like she was analyzing a battlefield.
Jake glanced at her. "You're… less annoying than expected."
"Low bar," she replied instantly.
Even Ethan's mouth twitched slightly.
That was almost a smile.
Almost.
Then something shifted.
Liam leaned closer to me again. "So, Ayana—"
"I was talking," Nena cut in sharply.
Liam blinked. "I can hear two people at once, you know."
"I can silence one," she said calmly.
Jake laughed under his breath.
Mark just watched, mildly entertained.
Ethan stayed quiet.
But not really.
His eyes kept moving.
Noticing.
Watching Liam. Watching me. Watching Nena.
Then—
He stood up.
Slow.
"Leaving," he said simply.
I blinked. "Already?"
He paused.
Looked at me.
Just me.
"No point staying," he said.
Something in his tone shifted—quiet, controlled.
Not angry.
Just… distant.
Liam smirked. "Wow. Someone's jealous."
Ethan didn't react.
But his gaze sharpened for half a second.
Then he turned away.
Jake called after him, but he didn't stop.
Mark watched him leave quietly.
And Nena leaned slightly toward me.
"…That was weird," she whispered.
I stared at the empty space Ethan left behind.
Yeah.
Weird.
But not random.
And just like that—
one of them walked away…
without looking back.