"Why are you running?" Stefan asked her the moment she got inside his car. He pulled her close, checked her arms, her face and he was about to check her legs when she put a hand on his shoulder to stop him. "Is someone bothering you?"

  "Nope." Cayenne answered as she fastened her seatbelt. "Can you drive me to the mall? There's something I need to buy."

  "Okay." Stefan looked at her again before turning on the engine of his car. "Are you sure you are okay?"

  "I am fine." Cayenne stated while pulling her phone from her bag. There were several messages from her brothers and from David that she wasn't able to read during class, afraid that the teacher would catch her fiddling with her phone.

  Stefan looked at her from time to time. He was frowning and was thinking of getting her attention because she was wholly focused on her phone. It was the first time that she didn't care about him. "Why are you ignoring me?" Stefan couldn't help but ask.

  "I'm doing something important. Very important. Just give me a moment, okay?"

  "Is it something you can't tell me? I might be able to help."

  "I'm not sure how to let you know about this but once everything's settled, I'll inform you, okay?"

  "Who are you chatting with?"

  "Luiz, Kyle and David."

  "Oh." Seeing that she was only chatting with her brothers and David, Stefan didn't bother her anymore. Although, it really saddened him that she was just ignoring him.

  Cayenne's fingers fluttered over her phone as she typed her responses to whoever she was chatting with. Sometimes, he'd see her smile. Sometimes, she'd frown. Sometimes, she'd narrow her eyes and there were times that she'd look outside the window to contemplate. The changes of her facial expression brought the curiosity in Stefan's mind. He really wanted to know what she's doing.

  'Shall I ask Tristan to check her phone?' Stefan asked himself while glancing at her. 'No way. She'd be angry if she knows. And she told me that she'd tell me about it once she's ready.'

  Even when they arrived at the mall, Cayenne still ignored him as if he didn't exist. If he'd talk to her, she'd response but if he stopped talking, he won't say a thing either. He wasn't her priority today.

  "Can you buy me some sweets? I'll just buy something and get back to you as soon as possible." Cayenne told Stefan as they walked inside the mall.

  "Can't we get it together?"

  "It would be faster if we split up."

  "I'll have the bodyguards buy the sweets." Stefan stated. It was obvious that he won't leave her no matter what she says.

  "That's a good idea. I forgot about it. I am so used to you buying sweets for me personally." She mentioned which brought Stefan to a halt. "Why are you stopping?"

  "Nothing." For a moment there, Stefan was contemplating between buying the sweets for her or just ask the bodyguards to get them. He asked two bodyguards to get sweets for her as he continued to walk beside his wife.

  "What shall I do? He is not leaving me." Cayenne sent her message to the chat group and the three people who received it just couldn't help but sigh.

  "It's expected." Luiz told her sister.

  "To tell you the truth, if possible, Stefan might put you inside his pocket just to keep you safe." David added.

  "Why don't you let the guards get the items for you?" Kyle replied.

  This time, it was Cayenne's turn to stop walking. She pressed her finger on her temple and closed her eyes to calm herself. "I'm such an idiot." She muttered to herself.

  "Ayen, are you really okay?" Stefan asked in worry. "You've been ignoring me and you look tired and stressed to me."

  Cayenne looked at Stefan and smiled. "I just felt like an idiot today." She told him and laugh. "Anyway," she looked to one of the guards and handed him a piece of paper. "please go to this store and get something for me. I just have something to buy at the bookstore. Let's all split up to get things done as early as we could and go home."

  "Hurry up." Stefan told the guard.

  Seeing that things were going as planned, Cayenne finally relaxed. She went to the bookstore with Stefan and bought some books related to her course, even though she didn't really need them. She just needed to buy a little more time for the preparation to finish.

  At the Clover Company, Tristan and Erwin were going back and forth to the basement and the building's highest floor while carrying lots of boxes and paper bags of various sizes. Elena didn't go up and down with them, complaining that her legs would be too painful with the heels she was wearing.

  Both men understood and just left her to look after the office along with the two bodyguards while the two of them did their job.

  "Are these from all his business partners?" Erwin asked as he walked to his car.

  "These came from the business partners, employees and special people who he helped without really knowing."

  "Aren't they worried that the boss would feel bad after all that happened? I mean, this could bring him of that painful memory."

  "I heard from Chris, the previous secretary, that this really happens – like every year. Although, Stefan hates the date, it didn't stop people from showing that they cared for him and still send him gifts." Erwin answered the inquiry as he placed the boxes to his car. "Also, he's got lady boss by his side. I think he'd still be happy despite what this date would bring him."

  The two of them went back to Stefan's office to get the last batch of the gifts when suddenly, Tristan stopped on his tracks. Erwin followed the man's line of sight and found Elena talking to Britt, the guy from the finance department.

  "One step behind can make you lose the person forever." Erwin stated and walked past him. "Hi Britt. What brings you here?"

  Britt looked towards Erwin and smiled at him. "I thought we'd be having dinner together but she told me she has plans." Britt answered while pointing his finger towards Elena. "I'd be lonely eating alone."

  "I'll eat with you next time." Elena answered. "Make sure you go home directly."

  "I know. I know." Britt picked up the key of his car and walked away. "I'll see you tomorrow. Mwah!"

  "See you, mwah!"

  Tristan almost tripped on his feet when he saw them exchanging flying kisses. The surging waves in his heart grew a lot bigger and he thought of ripping that man's face and make him suffer from taking Elena's attention from him. He didn't like the thought of her being with another man but he couldn't get himself to confess either.

  "Damn it!"