Back to this morning.
Lina stood in the middle of her apartment, an empty suitcase opened in front of her.
She was packing.
She remembered what happened yesterday with vivid, unwelcome clarity. Every single detail.
She had kissed Daniel Viggo.
She had kissed him first. She had leaned in and pressed her lips to his. She had initiated it. She remembered the way Daniel's hand had locked around her arm. The way he had pinned her against the wall. The way his lips had crushed against hers. The memory made her stomach clench.
She shook her head, trying to push the memory away.
But it wouldn't go.
She had kissed him. She had actually kissed Daniel Viggo.
"Don't start a fire if you can't handle the smoke." His words lingered in her skull like an unwelcome guest.
She didn't want to think about it. She had bigger problems at hand. Like what, precisely, to pack for a trip of one week.
She had gotten a text early this morning from Carter. Prepare, we're going for a sudden trip. I'll send a car.
Lucas had dropped her off an hour ago, and now she found herself standing in her tiny bedroom, staring at an empty suitcase, wondering what to pack that would not make her feel uncomfortable. Because she was going with Carter. Alone. For seven days.
Her stomach did a flip just thinking about it.
She grabbed her phone and FaceTimed Bella. She knew very well she would be out of this situation once Bella got involved. Bella always had opinions. Far too many opinions.
The call connected.
"What the fuck happened to you yesterday?" Bella's face filled the screen, her eyes wide. "And what did you do? I've been calling. You didn't answer. I thought you were dead."
Lina ignored her questions and got straight to the point.
"I have a bigger problem, B. I don't know what to pack for a business trip with Carter."
She sighed and flopped onto her bed.
Bella was quiet for a moment, her gaze calculating.
"So you're going on a trip with your love," she finally said, her eyes glinting.
"A business trip," Lina corrected.
Bella rolled her eyes. "A trip is a trip. You'll be alone. That's what matters." She leaned closer to the camera. "How many days?"
Lina sat up. "A week."
Bella's eyes widened for a fraction of a second. Then a slow, knowing smile spread across her face.
"So you're going to be alone with your crush for a week," Bella said, drawing out each word. "That's not a business trip. That's a fucking honeymoon. You need different clothes for each day. No—different outfits for each night."
Before she could continue, Lina interrupted her.
"B, it's for business. We're not going to be alone."
While she was speaking, Bella had pressed her fingers to her ears, shaking her head.
"La la la la la," Bella sang. "I can't hear you."
"Bella!"
"Okay, listen." Bella dropped her hands. "For Monday, you need something that screams 'I can be hot and professional at the same time.' For Tuesday, something that says 'I woke up like this.' For Wednesday—"
"B."
"For Friday, you need something that screams 'TGIF, for us.' Now let me see what's in your wardrobe. And also let's go with the ones Aunty bought. I'm sure what we need is right in her collections. You're boring."
Lina tried again to explain that she was going on a business trip, not a honeymoon. "And what the fuck is 'TGIF, for us' anyway?"
But Bella interrupted her.
"Lins, I know you better than you know yourself. I know what's best for you and what's not. So trust me and just pack whatever I tell you to pack. You won't have a problem with your trip."
She emphasized the word trip like it meant something else entirely.
Lina sighed.
It was no secret that Bella knew her better than her own parents. But Bella sometimes did things that would later make Lina feel like shit. Still, she was right about one thing—if Lina wanted to pack anything for this trip, she needed to trust her.
"Okay," Lina said. "Fine."
She opened her closet, and Bella got to work.
---
An hour later, the suitcase was so heavy that one would think Lina was packing to move out of her apartment entirely.
Bella had picked out everything. Dresses Lina had never seen. Heels she had no idea she owned. Things from her mother's collection that she didn't even know she had. Bella had a sharp eye and no filter, and by the time they were done, Lina felt like she was packing for a seduction, not a business meeting.
"B, these clothes aren't right," Lina said, staring at the pile. "You know I keep telling you—I'm going for work, not to seduce my boss."
"Well, there's nothing wrong with doing both," Bella said without missing a beat. "And don't tell me you want to be looking like a messed-up beauty while doing your work."
She feigned a look of shock.
Lina knew arguing was pointless. She would simply repack everything once she ended the call. If she had known, she would never have asked Bella to help in the first place.
Because what the fuck was a bikini doing in a business trip?
She found it buried at the bottom of the pile—a tiny red bikini that she had never seen before. It was in her mother's collection. Her mother, who had apparently packed things Lina didn't even know existed.
At least now, Lina thought, I'll only be changing the clothes and not the necessities.
It was easier to pack now. She would just swap out Bella's wild choices for something more appropriate. No harm done.
She and Bella exchanged a few more words. Or rather, Bella gave her a prep talk on how to look hot always in front of your crush as the crushee. Lina nodded along, not really listening.
Then the call ended.
And immediately, Carter's call came in.
"Meet me downstairs," he said. "I'm in front of your building."
Lina's heart dropped.
She had no time to replace Bella's terrible choices. She looked at the suitcase, then at the door, then back at the suitcase.
Fuck it.
She closed the suitcase, picked up her handbag from the bed, and left the room, locking the door behind her. She dragged the heavy suitcase downstairs, already imagining Carter's face when he saw it. He would probably think she was overdoing things.
But when she got outside, Carter barely glanced at the suitcase.
"Is that all you need?" he asked.
Lina blinked. She had been thinking Bella had overdone it. But Carter was asking if that was all?
"Yes," she said quickly. "That's everything."
She got into the car.
---
Carter briefed her a little on the business during the drive. He told her how Oblivion had opened new chances for them in Merra, a coastal island nation known for its booming trade and neutral business laws. If things went well, they would be opening another branch there. He had brought her along so she could learn and gain experience.
Lina only nodded, unsure why he had chosen her of all the people at Aurum.
But she was overjoyed. At least now she had the chance to be close to him. This must be about being special and treated specially. Well, she loved being special and wouldn't want to stop being special.
They reached the airport and boarded the flight.
To Lina's surprise, they sat behind each other. She had thought they would be in different classes—first class for him, economy for her. But no. They were behind each other. She was in 14A. He was in 15A. One row behind her.
Her heart raced.
But Carter didn't seem surprised. Instead, he had a huge frown on his forehead. He had surely booked adjacent seats, but somehow they had been exchanged. Though he was annoyed, he didn't think much of it. They would eventually get there. No need to make a fuss.
The journey lasted nine hours.
By the time they landed, Lina had fallen asleep. Carter woke her gently, and she felt a flush of embarrassment.
They disembarked. A car was waiting for them, sent by the partner company. A hotel had also been booked on their behalf.
The hotel was five stars.
It was luxurious in a way Lina had only ever seen on screens. Marble floors. Crystal chandeliers. A fountain in the lobby. It looked like a palace.
Since they were already expected, they had no problem checking in. But the receptionist gave them bad news.
"You applied late," she said politely. "The only two rooms left are not on the same floor. One is on the First floor. The other is on the fourth."
Carter raised no objection. He took his key without a word.
Lina was slightly disappointed, but she didn't show it. She still had a week ahead with him alone in this foreign country. Different floors or not, they were still in the same building.
They were assisted to their rooms by hotel staff.
Lina's room was beautiful. A king-sized bed. A view of the city. A bathroom with a tub the size of a small pool. Her room was on the first floor.
She freshened up, then opened her suitcase.
And froze.
Standing in the hotel room, looking at everything she had packed with her own hands, she was shocked. On the plane, she had forgotten about the clothes problem entirely. She had intended to repack, but Carter's call had forced her to leave without another choice. It was better than nothing.
But now, looking at the clothes inside, she realized—this was not better than nothing.
This was a catastrophe.
There was nothing suitable in this bag for work. Nothing. Except the clothes she had worn on the plane, which she had already washed and hung on the balcony to dry.
She never knew clothes like this existed in her mother's collection. Like, what was her mother thinking when she picked these out? And then packed them for her?
She dug through the suitcase.
A tiny red dress. She held it up. It was the only garment that looked even remotely appropriate. But she could not bring herself to wear it yet. Not tonight. She would save it.
She was still wrapped in the hotel's white towel.
She stood and walked to the door. She opened it a crack and peered into the hallway.
Silence. No footsteps. No voices. Just the soft, constant hum of the air conditioning.
She looked both ways.
She was about to step back inside when the door opposite hers opened.