The sun shone brightly over the city that morning, warm light spilling across the streets as the weekend finally settled in.
True to her word, Lesley had already arrived outside Denisse's apartment building.
Thirty minutes early.
She sat inside the car with one hand resting against the steering wheel, occasionally glancing toward the building entrance while soft music played quietly in the background.
She had almost reached for her phone to call when the glass doors finally opened.
And there she was.
Denisse stepped out into the morning sunlight dressed casually in fitted jeans and a simple off-shoulder top, her hair falling loosely around her shoulders. Nothing overly extravagant. Nothing that looked like she spent hours preparing.
Yet somehow, she still managed to steal the air from Lesley's lungs for a second.
Effortless.
That was the dangerous thing about Denisse.
She didn't even seem aware of the effect she had on people.
Lesley found herself staring a second longer than necessary before quickly stepping out to open the passenger door for her.
"Good morning, beautiful."
The words came naturally now.
Denisse laughed softly as she slid into the seat. "Good morning."
The moment she settled properly, Lesley leaned in and kissed her gently.
Denisse kissed her back without hesitation, warm and familiar enough to make something tighten pleasantly inside Lesley's chest.
When they pulled apart, Denisse smiled faintly.
"You seem to be in a good mood today."
"Why wouldn't I be?" Lesley said easily as she closed the passenger door.
Denisse watched her walk around the front of the car before she climbed into the driver's seat.
Once she settled behind the wheel, Lesley started the engine and smiled.
"No meetings. No reports. No documents waiting to ruin my life. I get to spend the day relaxing with you." She glanced at Denisse. "That already sounds like a good day to me."
Denisse tried very hard not to smile too much at that.
"Except your ex will be there too," she pointed out playfully, lifting a brow.
Lesley sighed dramatically. "Can we not start the day with Daphne already?"
Denisse rolled her eyes, though amusement lingered in her expression.
Lesley reached for her hand and pressed a soft kiss against her knuckles.
"Just ignore her," she murmured. "I want us to enjoy today. Relax a little. And I want you to spend time with my sister."
Lesley watched the tension in Denisse's expression ease, if only slightly.
So she nodded lightly.
"Alright."
Lesley smiled immediately. "Good."
Then she glanced toward her.
"Ready?"
"Let's go."
—
Almost half an hour later, they arrived at an exclusive luxury spa resort tucked away from the busiest parts of the city.
The entrance alone looked expensive—soft waterfalls cascading along stone walls, the scent of lemongrass drifting through the open air, and calming instrumental music playing faintly somewhere nearby.
The moment they stepped out of the car, several employees greeted them politely.
"There you are!"
A woman with long dark hair and oversized sunglasses approached them almost immediately.
"I thought you weren't coming anymore."
"I wouldn't miss this for the world," Lesley replied with a grin.
Then the woman's attention shifted toward Denisse.
"Oh, hi, Denisse. I'm glad you came too."
"Hello, Ms. Leanne," Denisse greeted politely. "Ms. Lesley invited me. I figured saying no might put my employment at risk."
Leanne burst into laughter.
"Oh, please. My sister's bossy, but not that bossy."
Lesley looked offended. "Excuse me?"
Leanne ignored her completely and looped an arm casually through Denisse's.
"But seriously, if she starts being too pushy, come work with me instead."
Denisse blinked. "Work with you?"
"Mhm. Modeling."
"Oh God, no," Denisse laughed immediately. "I definitely wouldn't survive in your industry."
Leanne gasped dramatically. "Have you looked at yourself?"
"You'd fit right in," Lesley said quietly.
Denisse turned toward her.
Lesley's expression remained completely serious.
Not teasing.
Not flirting.
Just honest.
And somehow that made it worse.
"You are beautiful."
The words landed softly—but directly.
Denisse suddenly forgot how to respond for half a second.
Leanne noticed immediately and smiled knowingly.
"See?" she said smugly. "My sister has excellent taste."
The way she said it carried enough meaning to make heat creep faintly into Denisse's cheeks.
Lesley sighed under her breath and shook her head slightly, clearly used to her sister's teasing.
Before Denisse could recover, another voice joined them.
"Well," Daphne said smoothly as she approached, "modeling does require confidence too."
Denisse's attention shifted immediately.
Daphne walked toward them effortlessly elegant in a fitted white dress and oversized sunglasses, looking every bit as polished and expensive as she had during the contract signing.
"Daphne," Leanne said dramatically, "you're late."
"Traffic," Daphne replied with a small shrug as she removed her sunglasses. "Apparently the city enjoys testing my patience."
Then her gaze slid toward Denisse.
A faint smile curved her lips.
"Oh," she said lightly, "I didn't know you were bringing your assistant with you."
Lesley's brows immediately pulled together slightly.
"Daphne—"
But before she could say anything else, Leanne cut in smoothly.
"I don't mind," she said easily. "I actually wanted to get to know Denisse better."
She smiled warmly toward Denisse before adding,
"She used to work with Dad before joining Lesley anyway, so technically she's already family-approved."
Denisse laughed softly at that while Lesley shook her head under her breath.
Meanwhile, Daphne's smile remained perfectly composed.
Even if it no longer reached her eyes quite the same way.
"Well," Leanne clapped her hands excitedly, instantly reclaiming the atmosphere, "now that everyone's here, I think it's officially time for us to get pampered."
And with that, the group made their way toward the reception counter to choose their spa packages for the day.
The massage section welcomed them with soft ambient music, warm lighting, and the calming scent of eucalyptus lingering in the air. Everything about the place felt quiet and expensive in the kind of way meant to make people forget the outside world existed.
After choosing their packages, they were guided toward the private lounge area to change into the spa robes provided for them.
A few minutes later, Denisse stepped out first.
And immediately regretted it.
Because Lesley looked up the exact same moment she emerged from the hallway.
The soft cream-colored robe hung loosely over Denisse's frame, exposing just enough of her collarbone and legs to make Lesley visibly pause mid-sip from her tea.
Denisse caught it instantly.
That stare.
That unmistakable look in Lesley's eyes.
Slow.
Appreciative.
Dangerous.
"Well," Leanne said dramatically from the couch, "someone just stopped functioning."
Lesley blinked once before casually clearing her throat. "I was just thinking."
"Sure," Leanne replied dryly.
Denisse bit back a smile and took the seat beside Lesley.
Not even a second later, Lesley leaned slightly closer.
"You're doing that on purpose."
"What?"
"Looking like that."
Denisse turned toward her innocently. "I'm literally wearing the same robe as everyone else."
"Yeah," Lesley muttered under her breath, gaze lingering for one second too long, "and somehow that's still unfair."
Heat crept faintly into Denisse's cheeks.
Across from them, Denisse caught Daphne watching them over the rim of her teacup.
Their eyes met briefly.
Daphne didn't look away immediately.
Instead, a faint, unreadable smile touched her lips before she took another sip.
Something about the look made Denisse uneasy.
Not long after, the staff guided them toward the massage suites.
Soft instrumental music drifted quietly through the dim room while warm scented oils filled the air.
The four women were positioned side by side, separated only by sheer curtains and low lighting while therapists worked carefully over tense muscles and tired shoulders.
For the first several minutes, the room remained peacefully quiet.
Until—
"So," Daphne spoke casually from somewhere beside the curtains, "I heard your company secured another international project recently."
Lesley's eyes remained closed as the therapist worked on her shoulders. "Mm."
"Impressive," Daphne continued smoothly. "Still overworking yourself, I see."
Leanne groaned softly from another bed. "Please don't start talking business during a massage."
"I'm just making conversation."
"Talk about literally anything else," Leanne muttered.
A faint smile tugged at Denisse's lips.
But Daphne continued anyway.
"You know," Daphne said with a faint smile, "I remember telling her to slow down when she was running the restaurant. She'd get two hours of sleep and still insist on being the first one through the doors every morning."
Denisse found herself staring at the sheer curtain that separated her from Lesley.
Daphne didn't have to imagine what Lesley had been like.
She had been there.
And Denisse suddenly felt like an outsider listening to someone else's memories.
"Daphne," Lesley said, her tone carrying a gentle warning.
"What?" Daphne replied lightly. "I'm just reminiscing."
"Let's leave the past where it belongs."
Leanne hummed in quiet agreement.
The therapist working on Denisse's shoulders pressed gently into a knot near her neck, drawing a soft sigh from her lips before she could stop it.
A second later, Lesley's voice came from the other side of the curtain.
"You okay?"
The concern came instantly.
Naturally.
Without thought.
Denisse blinked, slightly caught off guard by how quickly Lesley noticed.
"I'm fine," she said softly. "It just surprised me."
"Mhm."
But Lesley still sounded unconvinced.
A quiet scoff drifted from behind Daphne's curtain.
By the time they finished the spa treatments, the afternoon sun had softened into a warm golden glow outside the resort windows.
Denisse honestly couldn't remember the last time she had felt this relaxed.
The tension in her shoulders had melted away hours ago, replaced by the lingering warmth of oils, soft music, and the occasional teasing conversations between Leanne and Lesley.
Well.
Mostly Leanne teasing Lesley.
Now they were seated inside one of the resort's private restaurants overlooking a quiet koi pond surrounded by carefully trimmed greenery and small waterfalls.
The atmosphere remained calm and elegant—low conversations, clinking glasses, and the faint scent of grilled seafood and herbs drifting through the air.
Denisse sat beside Lesley in the curved booth while Leanne sat across from them.
Daphne took the remaining seat beside her.
Menus rested open in front of them.
Leanne hummed approvingly. "I'm starving."
"You say that every thirty minutes," Lesley said lazily while scanning the menu.
"Because I am starving every thirty minutes."
Denisse smiled faintly behind her water glass.
A waiter approached not long after to take their orders.
Leanne ordered first.
Then Daphne casually closed her menu and looked toward the waiter.
"Lesley will have the herb-crusted salmon," she said smoothly. "Medium. With the garlic butter asparagus."
Something about the confidence in her tone immediately made Denisse glance up.
It sounded practiced.
Familiar.
Like she'd done it many times before.
And maybe she had.
Lesley looked up from her menu almost immediately.
"No," she said simply.
Daphne blinked slightly. "No?"
"I'm not having that."
A faint pause settled across the table.
Daphne recovered quickly enough to smile. "But it's your favorite."
"It used to be."
Then Lesley looked toward Denisse.
"What are you getting?"
Denisse looked mildly caught off guard by the sudden attention. "Uh…"
She glanced back at the menu.
"The truffle pasta, maybe."
"I'll have that too," Lesley told the waiter before Denisse could even finish deciding.
Denisse looked at her almost immediately.
"You don't even know if it's good."
Lesley shrugged lightly. "Guess I'll trust your taste."
Across the table, Leanne suddenly became very interested in drinking her water to hide her grin.
Meanwhile, Daphne's smile tightened almost invisibly.
The orders were finalized shortly after.
Conversation flowed more casually while they waited for the food—mostly Leanne talking about recent fashion campaigns while Denisse listened with genuine curiosity.
Lesley spoke occasionally, though Denisse noticed something.
Whenever Daphne tried steering the conversation toward old memories between them, Lesley never entertained it for long.
Like she simply… wasn't interested in revisiting whatever they used to be.
Their food arrived not long after.
The scent alone made Denisse's stomach growl faintly.
Leanne immediately began eating.
"God," she sighed dramatically after the first bite, "I could cry."
"You're so dramatic," Lesley muttered.
"You say that like it's a bad thing."
Denisse laughed softly.
Beside her, Lesley glanced at her briefly at the sound.
And smiled.
Small.
But real.
Denisse hated how much that tiny smile affected her.
Halfway through the meal, Daphne suddenly reached for one of the dishes placed at the center of the table.
"Here," she said lightly as she spooned some roasted potatoes toward Lesley's plate. "You used to love these."
Before the food could even land properly, Lesley gently stopped her.
"I'm good."
Daphne paused slightly. "Still picky, I see."
Lesley only gave a small shrug before casually turning toward Denisse instead.
"You want some?"
Denisse blinked. "What?"
"The potatoes."
"I mean… sure?"
Without hesitation, Lesley took the serving spoon from Daphne's hand and placed some onto Denisse's plate instead.
"There."
The gesture was simple.
Casual.
Like it was the most normal thing in the world.
Like they'd been doing this for years.
Denisse stared at the extra food for half a second longer than necessary.
Something warm spread quietly through her chest.
When she looked up, she found Daphne already watching.
And this time, Denisse saw it clearly.
The faint frustration tucked behind the woman's composed smile.
A moment later, Leanne clapped her hands together.
"So," she said brightly, "who wants dessert?"
The atmosphere loosened again after that.
But Denisse still couldn't stop thinking about the small moments.
The effortless way Lesley kept choosing her.
Again.
And again.
And again.
By the time the afternoon began melting into evening, the spa resort had grown quieter.
The golden sunlight outside had softened into warm amber hues reflecting against the water features surrounding the lounge area.
Daphne had already left nearly twenty minutes ago after receiving a call about an important appointment she apparently couldn't miss.
Leanne claimed the atmosphere improved immediately after.
Now the three of them stood near the front entrance of the resort while the valet prepared Leanne and Lesley's car.
Denisse adjusted the strap of her bag lightly over her shoulder before turning toward Leanne.
"Thank you for today, Ms. Leanne," she said sincerely. "I really enjoyed it."
Leanne gasped dramatically. "First of all, if you keep calling me Ms. Leanne, I'm going to start feeling forty."
Denisse laughed softly. "Sorry."
"Much better."
Then Leanne stepped closer and linked an arm casually through Denisse's.
"I'm serious though," she said warmly. "I'm really glad you came today."
Something about the softness in her tone caught Denisse slightly off guard.
Leanne smiled knowingly.
"You're easy to be around," she continued. "Which says a lot because my sister usually scares people away."
"Hey," Lesley complained from beside them.
Leanne ignored her completely.
"And honestly?" she added lightly, "it's nice finally seeing her bring someone around willingly."
Denisse's breath caught faintly.
Beside them, Lesley immediately sighed.
"Leanne."
"What?" her sister replied innocently. "I'm just being honest."
Then she turned back toward Denisse with a teasing little smile.
"You should stick around more often."
The words were casual.
But somehow they didn't feel casual at all.
Especially when Leanne added softly,
"I think you'd fit in with us pretty easily."
For one brief moment, Denisse didn't know how to respond.
Because the warmth behind those words felt dangerously close to something she hadn't allowed herself to imagine yet.
Family.
Beside her, Lesley had gone unusually quiet.
Denisse glanced toward her instinctively and found Lesley already looking at her.
There was something unreadable in her gaze.
Soft.
Intent.
Almost hopeful.
The valet finally pulled the car around, breaking the moment gently.
Leanne stepped back with a grin.
"Alright, I'll stop emotionally adopting people now."
"You were emotionally adopting her?" Lesley deadpanned.
"Yes. Don't ruin it."
Denisse laughed quietly again.
Then Leanne leaned closer one last time before they left.
"Take care of my sister for me, okay?" she said softly enough that only Denisse could really hear it.
The words settled warmly—and heavily—inside her chest.
Before she could even process what to say back, Leanne winked and stepped away.
"Goodnight, lovebirds."
"Leanne," Lesley groaned.
But Denisse still caught the faint smile tugging at her lips as Lesley opened the passenger door for her once more.