You woke up this morning feeling like your head had been run over by a truck. The pounding behind your eyes was relentless, making every movement ache. Blinking slowly, you glanced around the room, your vision still a little blurry. Then, your stomach rumbled, and you caught sight of the small plate on the bedside table.

Pancakes.

Fluffy, golden pancakes stacked neatly, drizzled with syrup and topped with fresh berries—your absolute favorite.

Your heart softened a little despite the headache. Jeremy had left them for you.

You reached for your phone and quickly typed:

“Thank you for breakfast, me and Ava loved them xx”

You hit send and waited, barely a minute passing before his reply buzzed in.

“I bought them for you, not Ava.”

You smiled, the corners of your mouth curling up in amusement. Jeremy’s jealousy over your best friend was borderline adorable.

You texted back, teasing him gently:

“Still, thank you. Try not to kill anyone today, Mr. Caveman 💖”

You hit send, feeling light-hearted for the first time that morning. What you didn’t know was that at that very moment, Jeremy was pacing in the kitchen, Ilya—his stoic second-in-command—standing awkwardly by the counter.

Jeremy held his phone out, showing the pink heart emoji on the screen.

“I need you to explain this,” he muttered, brows furrowed. “What does it mean? Is it like a secret code? A trap?”

Ilya raised an eyebrow, clearly unimpressed by the emotional turmoil of his boss. “It’s just a heart, Jeremy.”

“Not just any heart,” Jeremy insisted, voice tense. “A pink heart. Is that serious? Casual? Flirty? A declaration of war?”

Ilya sighed, crossing his arms. “It’s an emoji. People use it to express affection, warmth, or care. she sent it after telling you not to kill anyone. I’d say it’s innocent.”

Jeremy looked unconvinced, scrolling back through the messages. “So… it’s not a secret weapon? Or some sort of emotional ambush?”

“No,” Ilya said flatly. “Just a heart.”