As Tiana and Hannah continued their shopping spree, laughter bubbling between them, Tiana tapped through her gallery. She selected a few of the shots Hannah had taken—her in the red gown, the black pantsuit, and that killer dark blue dress.
With a grin, she sent the pictures to Ethan.
Subject: Outfit Approval Needed 😌
Which one do you like best, boss? 😏
Don't get me wrong—I'm just trying to match your perfect appearance that day.
Oh, and by the way, raise my pay. I did patronize your company today.
She chuckled, watching the email whoosh off, then took a satisfied sip of her smoothie.
Beside her, Hannah raised an eyebrow behind her iced coffee.
"You really still call this a token of appreciation?" she asked dryly, eyeing her friend's mischievous smile.
Tiana only winked.
"This is called soft launch asking for fashion advice, thank you very much."
Hannah nearly choked on her drink, laughing.
"Yeah," she thought, "This is way more than just a date. This girl's trying to win the war."
Meanwhile, on the yacht...
City lights sparkled across the water as the yacht drifted steadily through the calm night. Laughter and clinking glasses echoed from the upper deck where the family gathered, basking in luxury.
But Ethan sat alone below, near the stern—his usual spot during family functions. His gaze was distant, his fingers tracing the rim of a crystal glass filled with untouched wine.
Then his phone buzzed.
He glanced at it lazily... until he saw her name.
Opening the message, he was met with three photos of Tiana, each one more striking than the last. His thumb hovered over the screen.
Then—A sigh.
It was soft. Barely audible.But on this yacht, where even silence had a presence, it was enough.
Everyone paused.
From the upper deck, his younger sister Linda leaned over the railing. "Brother?" she called, surprised.
Ethan looked up coolly, the sigh already erased from his face like it never happened. The cold mask was back.
Everyone returned to their chatter—almost.
Linda slid closer to Evelyn, nudging her subtly. "You saw that, right?"
Evelyn nodded, whispering, "He sighed. That's basically screaming, for Ethan."
Linda narrowed her eyes as Ethan's fingers tapped his phone again, replying to the message.
"Whoever that is," she muttered, "they're getting under his skin."
Meanwhile, at the restaurant…
Tiana's smile froze mid-bite as her phone lit up.
Ethan: "They all look ugly.
Except the self designed one that you wore."
Her fork paused in midair.
"He didn't…"
She nearly dropped her food in shock.
"Hannah!" she shouted, shoving the phone across the table. "He just said they're all ugly!"
Hannah leaned in, raising an eyebrow at the screen while sipping her drink.
Tiana folded her arms. "Well, I'll have him know, people bought those clothes because of me! This body, my taste, my influence! If anything, he should be thanking me for the publicity!"
She huffed, stabbing her steak a bit too aggressively.
"And besides," she grumbled, "is he blind? What self-designed one? They were all from your styling picks!"
Hannah tilted her head thoughtfully.
Tiana blinked.Then it hit her.
"Don't tell me... he wants me to design a special outfit—just for him?"
She flushed in surprise at the thought, her brain spiraling into every possible romantic implication.
"Seems like it," Hannah teased with a grin, clearly enjoying the scene.
"Well, if he's dying to see me in exclusive wear I made with these hands…"
She scoffed dramatically, flicking her hair. "So be it."
But as she picked up her knife again, her thoughts unraveled faster than her steak.
"Wait, what if he really means it?
Is he testing me?
Is this a subtle confession?
Or a setup?
Or—oh no, is he trying to groom me into being his personal designer slash girlfriend?"
Tiana stared off into space, spiraling.
Hannah raised a brow. "You good?"
"Yup!" Tiana beamed—visibly not good.
but internal.
"Of course not Hannah!"
"Alright, Hannah. Brainstorming time!"
Tiana jumped up from her seat with zero warning, nearly knocking over her half-finished smoothie.
Hannah blinked. "Wait… you're starting the sketch now?"
"Of course! What if he randomly sends his free time tonight or tomorrow? I haven't even drafted the outline—let alone picked fabric!"
She was already pacing, grabbing her tablet and stylus like a woman possessed.
"You do know how unpredictable he is," Tiana added dramatically. "This is Ethan we're talking about."
Hannah sighed, sipping the rest of her smoothie. "Alright, alright. Just… keep me updated, okay? Don't go disappearing on me like last time."
"Promise! Love you, bye!"
Tiana beamed, already halfway out the door.
As she walked off, heart buzzing, the idea of crafting a one-of-a-kind outfit just for Ethan stirred something inside her—something dangerous.
That glowing, stupid smile wouldn't leave her face.
"I'm going to make you lose your mind over me, Mr. Perfect."
She grinned to herself.
"I'm coming for you, alright."
Getting home as she finally sketched her outfit.
"He better show me with an exclusive compliment ."
She puffed her cheek as she tucked her stylus behind her ear.
Just then a notice a notification from her phone. Just to be hit with a statement from lux.
"Tomorrow?!"
She blurted out in shock .
"This jerk really pull this?!"
Not only did lux want to have lunch with her tomorrow night in favour of her appreciation for paying the clothes at the mall, she sent the location too.
Just as her thumb hovered over the block button on Lux's Instagram page, she paused.
Her eyes narrowed. Her lips curled into a slow, wicked smile.
"Wait a minute... since we're both playing this little game..."
She leaned back against her chair with a mock-innocent blink.
"Why not entertain him a bit?"
The gears in her head turned like clockwork.
"Stir up a little confusion… lead him in circles… make him wonder what card I'm about to play next."
She tapped her finger against her lips, already savoring the idea.
"After all, it's all heading to the same destination, right?"
Her grin widened. Not only was she planning to string Lux along, but she was already two steps ahead—Operation: Ethan's Girlfriend was well underway.
And the best part?
"Just imagine Lux's face when he finds out I'm dating his oh-so-precious uncle!"
She clutched her phone, eyes glinting with pure mischief.
"Perfect scheme he'll never see coming."
She raised her phone like a toast, smirking like a villainess in a drama.
"Ahhh, take that!"
"I'm very much busy this week, how about next week?"
She texted.
"My date with his uncle comes first! Am never losing my operation uncle girlfriend scheme!"
She thought glancing at the write signal for his response.