"Lina!"

  Lina turned her head in time to see a blur of green dashing towards her. She let out a noise as Isabelle squeezed her into a tight hug. Laughing under her breath, she heard Isabelle's loud squeal of excitement.

  "I haven't seen you in weeks and you're already getting married! What a surprise," Isabelle gushed in disbelief, quickly grabbing her friend's hand and pulling them into the cafe.

  Lina was intrigued by the layout of the unique cafe. There were multiple floors and the higher Isabelle took her, the quieter it was up there.

  "Tell me you didn't go dress shopping by yourself as well!" Isabelle questioned with a disapproving expression. "You know, you're supposed to go with friends to do that."

  "Well, I don't have many," Lina responded with a slight smile.

  "What am I? A side character?" Isabelle scoffed whilst rolling her eyes.

  Lina laughed in response and glanced around their surroundings.

  Lina loved the atmosphere of the quiet and quaint cafe. Eventually, the two stopped at the highest floor of the cafe where the ceiling was slanted like an attic in a house. There was a single table up here and she noticed a red rope by the staircase. She guessed this was what Isabelle meant by a reservation.

  The table was set up by the balcony, where the double doors were open to let in fresh air. The aroma of coffee and pastries filled Lina's nose and made her stomach grumble. She saw two three-tier trays on the table and let out a sigh of contentment.

  "This tray has all of your favorites and this one has mine!" Isabelle told Lina in a high-pitched voice, pointing to the trays.

  Lina was amused that Isabelle's platter only contained desserts. "How are your teeth not rotten by now?"

  Lina preferred savory food over sweet ones. She was grateful that there were two layers of sandwiches and finger food whilst the last tier on the bottom contained tiny servings of cake and other pastries.

  "Hmph, you leave my pearly whites alone," Isabelle said, touching the side of her face, where she had a cavity filled in last month. She would never reveal that, though, for Lina loved to lecture her friends like a mother hen.

  "I don't want to have any discussions about myself! Today, I want to hear your life updates. What has gotten into you? I haven't seen you in forever and the campus feels so empty without you," Isabelle complained.

  Lina revealed a pained smile. The two friends took a seat, where a piping hot coffee was already waiting for Lina. She took a sip and realized Isabelle even got the cream and sugar level just right. The drink tasted like sweetened almond milk with a sprinkling of coffee, just how she liked it.

  "Well, it started with a coma…"

  Lina went into great detail about the incident that took place. She talked about Everett attempting to force her to marry him, then the coma that spanned for weeks, but left out details of her first life. Next, Lina discussed joining the heir race, getting a personal assistant, her hesitancy in continuing the race, the resurfacing of Atlantis in her life, getting married to Kaden, and finally, the wedding.

  "My gosh, just these few weeks alone would be a thick book to read," Isabelle said towards the end of the long explanation.

  Lina laughed in agreement. She took another sip of the coffee and then grabbed the egg salad sandwich. Her stomach was grumbling for food after not eating the whole morning and early afternoon.

  Lina was grateful that the turtle neck she was wearing was long enough to cover all the way to her chin and wrist. Or else, Isabelle would have had a field day. After devouring the sandwich in just a few bites, Lina dusted off her hands and reached into her purse. There, she took out a gift box.

  "I know this is late to ask, but would you—"

  "Yes!" Isabelle shouted, already knowing the answer to that. "Of course I'll marry you!"

  Lina rolled her eyes in amusement. "You've agreed too late, I'm already married."

  "Oh, bummer," Isabelle snorted. She picked up her fork and began to dig into the tiramisu.

  "In that case, I guess I'll have to settle for Maid of Honor," Isabelle wistfully said with a sigh, her lips tugged into a pout.

  "Who knows? Maybe you can object to the wedding," Lina retorted, sliding the present over to her.

  Isabelle eyed the box in expectation. She placed her fork down and unclasped the lid. Instantly, her mouth dropped wide enough for flies to enter.

  "God, you're rich."

  Inside the box was a limited edition purse that not even money could buy. One would need to be extremely close to a sales rep, buy random and crazy things, and spend an exorbitant amount of money to even dream of owning such a thing. Luckily for Lina, she knew the suppliers. Resting next to the purse was an expensive wristwatch, all of Isabelle's favorite snacks that were imported from overseas, and a matching bracelet for the two friends to wear. The bracelet was simple with a single elegant pearl that could be paired with anything.

  "Will you do me the honor of being my Maid of Honor?" Lina hesitatingly asked.

  "You're cute, you know that?" Isabelle responded, throwing her good friend a pointed look. "Of course I'm going to be the Maid of Honor. You know, if you hadn't asked, I might just fight the woman who took my spot."

  Lina suppressed a fond smile. She and Isabelle had only known each other for a short period of time, but it felt like they had been friends forever.

  "Good thing you were my first choice. Prison outfits don't suit you," Lina remarked.

  "I'm glad you know," Isabelle retorted, closing the present box and placing it to the side. "Now, let's talk about this Heir Race thing because it looks like the most important topic right now."

  "How did you know?" Lina responded.

  "When you mentioned joining it, you looked like you were held at gunpoint," Isabelle snorted…… "So, tell me more."