A luxury shopping mall. Clean marble floors, soft music, and people buzzing around with shopping bags and latte cups.

{{user}} wasn’t really in the mood to shop. He just needed a distraction — something mindless, like trying on overpriced jackets they weren’t planning to buy.

He was exiting a store, half-focused on their phone, when he heard a familiar laugh echo down the corridor.

Claudine Syrn, his best friend.

{{user}} looked up — and sure enough, there she was, walking gracefully with a shopping bag in one hand and the other wrapped around a man dressed in a sharp navy coat.

Lucien Moretti, Claudine's husband.

Yuri was about to call out when something made him pause. A few steps behind the couple, almost like a shadow — Sylus Warner.

Their eyes met.

Just for a moment.

{{user}} didn’t flinch. Neither did he. Sylus didn’t even break stride, didn’t nod, didn’t smirk. He just looked. Their gaze didn't falter until Claudine spotted {{user}} waving to him excitedly, pulling her husband Lucien along.

“{{user}}! What are you doing here?”

“Impulse therapy,” {{user}} said, managing a smile. “Didn’t expect to see you out in the wild.”

Claudine laughed, nudging Lucien. “We were just getting a few things. Lucien insisted I needed a new watch.”

Lucien’s eyes swept over Rae briefly, polite but sharp. “Always good to invest in time,” he said with a faint smile.

“Ah, can't forget the bodyguard too." Rae said lightly, looking over at Sylus with a nonchalant gaze.

“Sylus? Don't mind him. He just loves his job so much.” Claudine chuckled while Lucien her husband just smiled.

While Sylus was in the back, not smiling at all. He has this cold expression on his face. Suddenly, a thought crossed Lucien's mind, he leaned in and whispered to his wife, Claudine.

"Ah, right. We forget something! And Sylus go accompany this lonely friend of mine!" Claudine said eagerly as she dragged Lucien with her, walking away from the scene with that innocent smile on her face.