"…And I was just getting used to you," Ulyana admitted quietly.
That pulled a soft laugh from Rowan. "I'll still be contacting you, Angel."
"Right…"
But even as she answered, Rowan could tell she only half believed it. Not because she thought he was lying but because experience had taught her that distance changed things.
People disappeared.
Feelings faded.
Promises became inconsistent.
And despite trying to hide it, the sadness still lingered quietly across her face at the thought of him leaving so soon after entering her life.
Rowan looked down at her with quiet amusement.
"You're that attached already?"
Ulyana immediately groaned softly and hid part of her face against his shoulder.
"Please don't tease me."
That only made Rowan smile more. Then he glanced briefly around the silent luxury estate surrounding them.
"Come on," he said lightly. "Let's get inside before we end up featured in the Gilead Grove newsletter."
That finally made Ulyana laugh again despite herself.
And hearing that sound seemed to relax Rowan too as he carried her the rest of the way toward the villa entrance.
Once inside, Rowan finally set Ulyana down gently onto the polished marble floor of the foyer.
The villa was stunning.
Warm modern architecture blended with soft lighting, greenery, and subtle luxury that somehow felt very her.
Rowan slowly looked around while Ulyana slipped off her shoes near the entrance.
"So this is where the Princess hides," he murmured.
Ulyana smiled sleepily. "You're judging me."
"I'm judging you positively."
She laughed softly before walking backward slightly and gesturing around. "Come on then, I'll give you the grand tour."
Rowan followed her through the villa while listening attentively as she pointed out different areas.
The open living spaces.
The sunken lounge overlooking the private gardens.
The indoor library she admitted she barely had time to use lately.
And eventually her favourite part, the enormous kitchen and breakfast area.
Rowan leaned casually against the marble island while watching her animatedly explain where she hosted brunches for Amos and Xenovia.
"You really love taking care of people," he observed quietly.
Ulyana paused slightly. "…I do."
Rowan smiled softly. "I noticed."
Their lighthearted flirting continued naturally throughout the tour.
At one point Ulyana caught him staring at her again.
"What?"
"You look good here."
"In my own house?"
"Very domestic, Angel."
She rolled her eyes while trying not to smile too much.
"You're so annoying."
"And yet you keep kissing me."
That made her immediately look away shyly again while Rowan laughed quietly to himself.
Eventually they reached the upstairs hallway overlooking the foyer below.
The atmosphere between them had settled soft and comfortable again.
Then suddenly—
Rowan's phone rang.
The moment he saw the caller ID, his expression subtly changed.
Sharp.
Serious.
He answered immediately. "Graham."
A pause.
Then Rowan's jaw tightened almost imperceptibly.
"I'll handle it."
Another pause.
"I'm leaving now." He ended the call quietly.
Ulyana immediately noticed the shift. "What happened?"
"There's an emergency at one of our warehouses," Rowan explained calmly. "I need to go."
The disappointment crossed her face before she could stop it.
Rowan stepped closer immediately afterward.
"I'm sorry."
Ulyana shook her head gently. "It's okay."
Still... He could tell she was sad again.
So Rowan cupped her face gently and kissed her one more time.
Slow.
Respectful.
Affectionate.
Then he rested his lips lightly against her forhead.
"I promise," he said quietly, "I'll see you before I fly out."
And strangely, that reassurance was enough for her. Ulyana smiled softly and nodded.
"Okay."
Because this time she believed him.
-
Ulyana eventually began winding down for the night properly.
She took a long everything shower, letting the warmth wash away the exhaustion from the past few days.
Afterward, wrapped in comfortable sleepwear with damp hair falling over her shoulders, she stepped into her walk in closet.
Immediately her eyes landed on the neatly arranged Ralph Lauren collection Rowan had sent over earlier.
The luxury bags had already been carefully organised throughout part of her closet by the staff.
Ulyana stared at them for a moment before laughing softly to herself.
"He's insane…" The small smile on her face remained.
As she moved through her skincare routine, moments from the evening replayed continuously in her mind.
The game.
The kiss cam.
Kelvin being little Kelie.
Rowan getting jealous.
The lookout.
Their conversations.
Then unfortunately, her mind replayed all of their kisses too.
Ulyana paused mid skincare step and stared at herself in the mirror.
"…For a first date we kissed a lot."
The thought should have embarrassed her more than it did. Instead, she found herself smiling again.
Eventually Ulyana climbed into bed and opened social media for the first time that night.
Instant mistake.
The internet was in complete chaos.
Her entire feed had become flooded with discourse about her and Rowan.
Photos and videos from the baseball game were trending everywhere. The kiss cam moment had completely exploded online.
Meanwhile Kelvin Sparks publicly confessing that Ulyana had been his childhood crush only added fuel to the internet frenzy.
Half the comments warned Chairman Volkov to "watch his back."
The other half claimed Rowan had absolutely nothing to worry about.
Then there were the clips of the energy drink incident.
And unfortunately, several slow motion edits of Rowan looking furious afterward.
Those were doing alarming numbers online too.
Meanwhile fans were equally obsessed with seeing Ulyana out publicly again with Amos and Xenovia after so long.
But perhaps the biggest discovery of the night—
The matching custom Bears bomber jackets.
Once fans realised Rowan and Ulyana's jackets had been specially tailored as a matching pair, the internet completely lost composure.
Threads exploded.
Edits appeared instantly.
People were zooming into photos analysing the details.
"THEY MATCHED ON PURPOSE."
"THIS IS SO MILLENNIAL ROMANCE CODED."
"Custom couple merch on the first date is CRAZY."
"He carried her after the game too???"
"They're actually kind of perfect together."
Ulyana buried part of her face into her pillow while scrolling, completely overwhelmed.
But still smiling the entire time.
Then the discourse shifted toward the dinner afterward.
More paparazzi photos had surfaced of the group arriving at Charcoal.
And once people recognised the restaurant, the internet lost its mind all over again.
"WAIT THEY WENT TO CHARCOAL?!"
"One of the ONLY three Michelin star restaurants in Silvercrown?!"
"That reservation alone is impossible to get."
"The Volkovs are MOVING serious."
Meanwhile fans were equally obsessed with the group dynamic itself.
"The double date with Xenovia and Amos is actually insane."
"No because this friendship group is ridiculously attractive."
"Ulyana, Chairman Volkov, Xenovia, Amos and Graham in ONE room is unfair."
"Graham standing there like an exhausted babysitter is sending me."
People also started theorising wildly about the dynamics between everyone.
"Amos definitely interrogated Chairman Volkov."
"Xenovia definitely threatened him lovingly."
"Chairman Volkov lowkey fits into their group terrifyingly well."
Then people began posting blurry paparazzi shots of Rowan carrying Ulyana toward her villa entrance later that night.
That completely finished the internet off.
"HE'S CARRYING HER???"
"That man is DOWN HORRENDOUS."
"FIRST DATE BTW."
"Custom jackets, kiss cam, jealous over Kelvin Sparks, luxury dinner, carrying her home…"
"This is either true love or the beginning of a catastrophic media obsession."
Ulyana stared at her phone in disbelief while hiding deeper beneath her blankets.
Then quietly she opened the photo she had taken earlier in the mirror with Rowan wearing their matching jackets.
And smiled again.
Ulyana stared at the chaos online for a while longer before eventually sighing softly.
Then, ever the PR princess she is—
She decided to take control of the narrative herself.
So Ulyana posted.
A photo dump.
The internet exploded instantly.
The first image was the mirror selfie from the boutique—
Ulyana and Rowan standing close together in their matching custom Bears jackets during their "soft launch." Not showing Rowan's face but his back.
Then came elevator photos of the entire group:
Xenovia, Amos, Graham, Rowan, herself, and Kelvin.
A blurry candid from the game.
A cute photo of just her and Xenovia cheering together.
Elegant shots from dinner at Charcoal including the exclusive dessert course.
Then a particularly devastating selfie inside Rowan's car—
Ulyana using the passenger side mirror to apply lip gloss while, in the far corner of the image, Rowan could barely be seen quietly watching her.
And finally the energy drink disaster photo -
Ulyana drenched while laughing with Xenovia and Amos as Kelvin looked utterly horrified beside them.
The caption simply read: "Good clothes open all doors."
No tags.
No explanations.
No confirmation.
And that made it even worse for the internet.
The post immediately detonated across every social platform imaginable.
Everyone in the photos gained followers almost instantly.
The Silvercrown Bears social pages experienced record traffic.
Kelvin Sparks' popularity skyrocketed even further.
Xenovia and Amos both trended despite barely posting online themselves.
Charcoal's reservation requests exploded overnight.
Even Nivasa Technology's official socials saw massive engagement increases simply from association with Ulyana's viral post.
And perhaps funniest of all Rowan's incredibly popular fitness page, which the public assumed he personally managed, absolutely exploded in activity.
Meanwhile Graham, who secretly handled almost all of it behind the scenes, nearly had a stress induced aneurysm from the sudden influx.
The comments under Ulyana's post became absolute chaos.
"THE SOFT LAUNCH IS INSANE."
"That passenger seat photo???"
"Chairman Volkov looking at her like THAT."
"The matching jackets are killing me."
"Kelvin Sparks looking terrified in the last photo LMFAOOO."
"Xenovia and Amos being there somehow makes this feel more real."
"Good clothes open all doors is such an evil caption."
Then naturally, the edits began:
Slow motion compilations.
Romantic music overlays.
Zoom ins on Rowan staring at her.
Clips of the kiss cam.
The moment he carried her.
The energy drink incident.
Their matching jackets.
And by midnight, Ulyana and Rowan had unintentionally become the internet's newest obsession.
Ulyana eventually drifted off to sleep still scrolling through comments and laughing quietly to herself over the edits people were making of her and Rowan.
Every second video seemed to include dramatic music, slow motion clips of the kiss cam, or edits of Rowan looking at her like she personally hung the moon.
The internet truly had no shame.
Still smiling faintly to herself, she eventually fell asleep with her phone resting beside her.
When Ulyana finally woke again, sunlight was already pouring through her bedroom windows.
She blinked sleepily toward the clock. "…Oh no."
She had slept through a good portion of the morning.
Then suddenly, she smelled food.
Immediately Ulyana sat upright.
Confused.
Because she was supposed to be home alone today.
Her staff all had the morning off.
Still half asleep, Ulyana climbed out of bed and wandered downstairs in oversized sleepwear with messy hair falling around her shoulders.
As she reached the lower floor, the smell became stronger.
Fresh breakfast.
Coffee.
Something baking.
Then she rounded the corner into the kitchen area and stopped.
"…Deda?"
Chairman Nikolai Vasily stood calmly in her kitchen like he owned the place. Which technically, he probably does to some degree.
The older man glanced over toward her while calmly preparing breakfast.
"There she is," he said casually.
"Silvercrown's biggest celebrity."
Ulyana immediately brightened seeing her grandfather.
She wandered over and hugged him warmly.
Nikolai Vasily was an incredibly stoic man by nature.
Feared by many.
Respected by everyone.
But Ulyana had always been his favourite, something the family quietly accepted long ago.
She leaned up and planted a sweet kiss against his cheek.
Nikolai huffed softly in amusement but allowed it easily.
"I can see your first official date went well," he observed calmly.
Ulyana smiled instantly.
"It went exceptionally well, Deda."
"That's good."
Nikolai gestured lightly toward the dining area while continuing to cook breakfast.
"Set the table while you tell me everything."
Even while casually cooking in his granddaughter's kitchen, the Chairman remained impeccably dressed in one of his tailored dark suits as though he had a board meeting immediately afterward.
Ulyana laughed softly before obeying.
And surprisingly, she told him almost everything. Unapologetically.
From Rowan visiting her at the company, to the flowers, the baseball game, the kiss cam and even the dinner afterward.
She conveniently left out most of the more private kisses later in the evening, though the kiss cam incident remained because by now it was practically public knowledge anyway.
Nikolai listened carefully the entire time without interrupting much.
Then eventually he asked calmly:
"So."
He plated the breakfast neatly. "He treats you well?"
Ulyana didn't even hesitate.
"Oh," she smiled softly to herself.
"Exceptionally well."
"Exceptionally," Nikolai repeated thoughtfully.
Then he looked at her calmly across the breakfast table.
"I trust you expect nothing less than exceptional treatment, dear."
"I do, Deda," Ulyana replied honestly.
A faint smile crossed her face afterward.
"And somehow he still exceeds my expectations."
Nikolai simply nodded once at that before continuing his breakfast.
The conversation settled quieter afterward for a few moments before the Chairman finally spoke again.
"If you do not wish to continue seeing him," he said calmly, "you may stop now."
Ulyana looked up in surprise.
Not because of the statement itself but because of the meaning beneath it.
She studied her grandfather carefully, reading between the lines the way she had learned to her entire life.
Nikolai met her gaze steadily.
"You can trust him," he said simply. "He is nothing like Grayson."
At the mention of her ex, Ulyana's expression cooled slightly.
"…Mm." Then after a pause. "Best he isn't."
"You remind me of my wife sometimes," Nikolai said absentmindedly while sipping his coffee.
Ulyana softened immediately at the mention of her grandmother.
"My Babushka was the best."
"She was," Nikolai agreed quietly.
For a moment, something gentler crossed the older man's usually unreadable expression.
Then he looked toward Ulyana thoughtfully.
"I hope you learn from our marriage that love is an action word, dear."
Ulyana nodded softly. "Yes, Deda."
The two enjoyed each other's company for a little while longer afterward, the quiet morning feeling strangely peaceful after the chaos of the previous night.
Eventually though, Nikolai checked the time and stood smoothly from the table.
Duty called.
As always.
"I'll see you at the company on Monday," he said while adjusting his suit jacket.
Then after a brief pausez "Chairman Volkov already seems rather fond of you."
Ulyana smiled slightly at that.
"He said he would see you again before he leaves overseas," Nikolai continued calmly. "But…"
His expression darkened slightly. "With the developments from last night…"
Ulyana's smile slowly faded.
Nikolai sighed quietly. "I would not hold my breath if I were you."
That immediately made her chest tighten.
"It was quite serious."
Ulyana looked down at the breakfast table silently for a moment as a small pang of sadness settled in her chest again.
She nodded with understanding. "…I understand."
Ulyana spent the rest of her day focusing on wellness.
After the emotional intensity of the previous night, she needed something grounding.
So she kept herself busy.
She completed a gym workout in her private home gym, took her supplements afterward, and even began prepping ingredients for dinner later that evening by thawing meat and chopping vegetables ahead of time.
Then she journaled for a while beside the floor to ceiling windows overlooking the gardens.
Eventually her regular masseuse arrived, helping ease the lingering tension from her shoulders and back.
By the time the massage ended, Ulyana physically felt calmer.
Looser.
Rested.
But emotionally, that heavy feeling still lingered quietly in her chest.
Especially whenever she thought about Rowan leaving overseas.
After showering again, Ulyana changed into oversized comfortable clothes and settled into the large sunken sofa in her living room.
The villa felt strangely quiet today.
Too quiet.
Unsure what to do with herself, she eventually picked up her phone and opened Hak's contact.
Her thumb hovered over the call button.
Part of her wanted to hear his voice.
To feel grounded again.
But for some reason, she just couldn't bring herself to press call.
Then suddenly, her phone lit up.
Ulyana startled slightly, worried she might have accidentally called him after all.
But no.
Hak was calling her himself.
Immediately she sat up cross legged on the sofa and subconsciously fixed her hair before answering.
"…Hello?"
Hak's voice came softly through the phone.
"Hey."
There was a brief pause before he quietly asked, "Are you okay?"
Ulyana softened instantly hearing his voice.
"Yeah," she answered honestly. "I'm okay."
Hak seemed relieved by that.
Then after another pause, he asked carefully.
"How was your date?"
Ulyana hesitated briefly before deciding to be honest.
"…Good," she admitted softly. "Rowan and I had a really fun time."
Silence.
Not angry silence.
Just quiet.
Then eventually Hak spoke again.
"I'll come see you later around dinner time."
Ulyana frowned slightly. "Why? What happened?"
Hak exhaled softly on the other end of the line.
Then quietly admitted, "I just… miss you."