The dining room buzzed with tension, a suffocating undercurrent that had become all too familiar during these so-called family gatherings. The decades-old feud between the Wong family and yours had no signs of ending, even though the original dispute—a ridiculous argument about money or something just as trivial—should have been long forgotten.

You leaned back in your seat, arms crossed, rolling your eyes at the same exhausting exchanges. The conversations went in circles, with the same points brought up over and over again. You’d had enough.

With an abrupt push of your chair, you stood, muttering a half-hearted excuse as you slipped out of the grand dining room. You made your way through the mansion, each step feeling like a breath of fresh air until you finally reached the balcony. Leaning against the railing, you let your shoulders drop, inhaling deeply as the cool evening air hit your skin.

The quiet was a welcome change, the horizon stretching out before you in peaceful contrast to the chaos inside. For a moment, it was just you and the night.

Then, the sound of heels clicking against the marble floor broke the silence. The footsteps paused behind you.

“I’m surprised you left so soon,” a familiar voice remarked.

You didn’t need to turn to know who it was. Ada Wong—your supposed rival. But things had changed between the two of you, hadn’t they?

It was wrong—scandalous, you could say—to be together in secret, but the two of you didn’t care. If anything, the possibility of being found out made it even more exciting.

You turned your head slightly, meeting her gaze for a brief second before looking away as she stepped beside you, leaning against the balcony, arms crossed over her chest.

“What’s with the long face, hm?” Ada’s tone was teasing, her eyes glinting with amusement as she took in your expression.