A scream made both of us turn towards the door.

"Sir Carlooo - oh, damn, he's handsome!" We both looked at the entrance of Carlo's office. I saw my gay co-worker, who looks more like a girl than I do, welcoming us and gazing at Alex.

"Francine, Sir Carlo isn't here," I tried to divert her attention from Alex, who was already starting to be quite uncomfortable. Francine was her nickname, but in real life, her name was Franco. Despite her effeminate appearance, her actual name was very masculine. She didn't even remove her gaze from Alex, getting closer to me before taking my arm and squeezing it.

" ~Hey, I'm not seeing someone like you, my handsome friend, hehe~" She said in a flirtatious tone, giggling bashfully. I just smiled at her and rolled my eyes.

"Alex, she's my co-worker - Ouch!" She pinched me, making me grab my messy hair before giving her a quick glare.

"FRANCINE! My name is Francine! This crazy girl," she flipped her invisible hair. She did look like a girl, but her haircut was masculine. At first glance, you might think she was a tomboy because of her feminine features, but yes, she was a man based on her certificate.

I turned to Alex, locking eyes with him. "Okay, I'll finish my shift first. You should leave before Francine gets infatuated with you. You won't be able to escape."

"Girl, you're too much. Let him stay for a few minutes," Francine protested, trying to reach out to grab Alex's wrist. I couldn't let that happen, so I quickly pulled him away and placed myself between them.

"No. Don't bring him into your flirtations, Francine. He is not available," I declared with unwavering seriousness.

In response, Francine dramatically covered her mouth, feigning shock. "You... do you really have to be territorial, Bela? Are you in a relationship? Did you say yes to someone? Why didn't you tell me?!" Her voice, now raised to a shout, attracted the attention of our co-workers, who began to curiously look in our direction. I panicked because that wasn't what I meant to say at all.

Amid the growing audience, I struggled to find my voice, my cheeks burning with embarrassment. "That's not what I meant, Francine..." I muttered under my breath, realizing that this confrontation had taken an unexpected turn.

Their exits happened one after the other, and due to my flustered state, I pulled Alex and led him outside until we reached the bar counter. He just went along with it, going with the flow as I tugged him to exit the office.

I glanced back at where we had come from before facing Alex, who had been keeping his gaze on me. I was getting more and more uncomfortable, but I tried not to show it.

"Don't show yourself yet; my co-workers will tease me relentlessly. I don't have a good excuse," I responded with irritation, feeling frustrated at the thought of facing them without a valid reason.

Alex suddenly suggested, "Why don't you just tell them I'm your boyfriend?" My face turned beet red. There was no way I could imagine Alex as my boyfriend. We were polar opposites, and he wasn't my type.

"They'll tease me even more... I've never had a boyfriend, so they tend to overreact," I admitted, surprising Alex with my confession. He raised an eyebrow in genuine astonishment.

"Really?" he asked, his eyes showing genuine curiosity as they locked onto mine.

"Yes, and like I've said before, don't use common phrases like, 'You're pretty, but you still don't have a boyfriend?' I'm tired of hearing that," I asserted, the frustration of constantly dealing with such remarks evident in my voice.

He quirked his right eyebrow, a subtle but noticeable sign of curiosity. His gaze remained locked on me, searching for my reaction. Then, he spoke with a hint of playful defiance.

"I won't beat around the bush, though," he began, a half-smile playing on his lips. He stepped closer, closing the distance as if to underscore his sincerity. "Let's skip the formalities. Straight up, want to be my girlfriend?" The words were flirty yet carried a hint of playful boldness.

I playfully hit him. Girlfriend right away? Can't there be some courtship first? But it was just a tease.

He quickly caught my hand and held it. I felt a chill from his action because he was staring at me too intensely.

What's happened to him? He's being obvious! But I couldn't bring myself to get mad. I withdrew my hand and turned away quickly.

"Let me finish my shift first. See you later, Alex." And with that, I started to step away, leaving him behind.

I looked around the crowded bar, trying to locate Alex to tell him I had finished my shift, but he was nowhere to be found. There was no sign of him. The bar was still packed, even though it was already midnight, and note that these weren't our regular customers but rather guests from the private event. I even spotted some famous actors and actresses, but I didn't care because I was looking for one person right now.

Alex likely went home or somewhere else. I shrugged it off and decided to head home alone since I didn't have any means of contacting him yet. I hadn't even had the chance to ask him how he had found me so quickly.

I walked aimlessly on the dark side of the road while scrolling through my social media when I heard voices not far from the bar.

"Stop it, Lavinia! Don't do things that could ruin my plan," I hid behind a nearby post, trying to pinpoint the source of the voices.

"You said that was the last time, why did you still do it?!"

"Ask yourself, Lavinia. After that accident, you haven't been paying attention to me, and now that I want to do something, you're still upset?"

"There's another way! Cut that damn Matchmaking!"

I tightened my grip on my bag as I discreetly watched them. I knew I was being nosy, but I couldn't help but be intrigued by their argument. I didn't catch the rest of their conversation as a passing car's sound drowned out their voices.

The woman turned and walked away, disappearing into the night. I remained hidden for a moment, giving them space, before slowly stepping out of the shadows.

Alex wiped his face with his hand, looking annoyed as he kicked a poor stone. "Is everything okay?" I hesitated, uncertain whether I should bring up what I had witnessed just now.

He was surprised to see me. "Isabella, I didn't realize you were here." I offered a sympathetic smile, still carrying the weight of their conversation in my heart.

"I overheard the argument. Are you alright?" I explained gently, not wanting to pry but unable to ignore the unpleasant situation I had witnessed.

"I heard part of your conversation."

His exhaustion was evident as he ran a hand through his hair, his gaze momentarily dropping to the floor. "It's complicated, Isabella."

I understand," I replied softly. "If you ever want to talk, I'm here."

Our conversation was tinged with the unspoken emotions lingering in the air. I hadn't intended to intrude on his private matters, but the glimpse I had caught of his exchange with a woman left me uneasy.

Thankfully, Alex didn't scold me for eavesdropping. We were matched, but our connection didn't run deep in terms of feelings.

We rode in silence in his car. I didn't plan to say anything because it might make the atmosphere even more awkward. I pointed out where I lived, and he drove straight there.

"I will fetch you here tomorrow afternoon; just bring your essentials. We have a stop to make before traveling to Hawaii," he casually informed me. I blinked in surprise at his last statement.

"H-Hawaii? Did I hear that correctly?" I stammered, my eyes widening at the unexpected revelation. He chuckled, clearly amused by my reaction.

"Yes, we're really going to Hawaii. We're attending my friend's wedding," he explained, his smile warm and reassuring. I nodded in agreement, still slightly in disbelief, before finally getting out of his car.

"Thank you for the ride," I said, giving him a grateful smile. He returned the gesture with a smile of his own and started the engine, preparing to drive away.

I couldn't contain my excitement when I heard that. Maybe I should enjoy this, especially since Alex seems to be adventurous. It's new for me since I'm not much of a traveler. I'm the type who stays at home, goes to school, and works, even when I was younger. I'm not really into going out.

But one of my dreams has always been to travel abroad because even though I'm not much of a traveler, I still want to experience the different atmosphere of other countries.

I eagerly entered my apartment, took off my shoes, sat on the couch, and quickly grabbed my phone from my bag. I dialed Shena's number.

After a few rings, she answered the call.

"Shena, you won't believe what happened today!" I couldn't hide my excitement. It's my first time traveling abroad in my 22 years, and I couldn't wait to share the news.

"Oh, please tell me that you met the elusive billionaire?" I could imagine Shena raising her eyebrows as she said that.

I laughed, "Not exactly. But he invited me to a wedding in Hawaii." I suppressed the urge to shriek with excitement.

"Hawaii? Is he proposing on a beach with a ukulele serenade?" She said with a dramatic flair. I rolled my eyes.

"Oh, stop it. It's not like that. We're just going as FRIENDS." I emphasized the word "friends" just to make sure Shena remembered my role in this.

"Yes, yes, as friends. So, what's the dress code? Grass skirts?" She teased.

"I don't know, he hasn't told me yet."

"Hmmm, you'll definitely go shopping tomorrow. You can't possibly show up at a wedding in a grass skirt."

"I really don't know, but I'm excited!"

"You should be! I'm excited for you to... um, enjoy yourself there!" Shena's voice wavered for a moment, and I couldn't help but notice.

"What's that? Why do you sound like you're about to say something else, Shena?"

"N-nothing, I just said to enjoy yourself while you're still alive."

As we continued to talk, I felt a newfound excitement bubbling within me. But at the same time, I was curious about my decision to match with a billionaire who had a reputation for being demanding. With a wrong move, he might put me in an uncomfortable situation. I hoped he was genuine about getting to know me, as he claimed during our contract discussion.

Why was I even thinking this way? I just wanted to fulfill the contract and give him what he wanted. I didn't want to pay millions for this event. First of all, I didn't have the money, and secondly, I didn't really want it.

I woke up early as usual, and I almost forgot that Alex and I had plans for the day. I quickly finished my morning routine and went out to buy some food.

As I was about to touch the gate, my phone vibrated, indicating a call from Alex. He had taken my number before dropping me off.

"Hello?" I answered.

"Isabella, it's Alex. I have a proposal for you," he said. A proposal?

"Oh, really? Should I be worried?" I replied with a hint of laughter.

I heard him softly chuckle. Was he in a good mood today? "No, don't worry. I just thought you might want to go shopping today."

"Shopping?" I raised an eyebrow. "I wasn't expecting you to be a shopaholic, Alex."

He laughed again. "Believe it or not, I do have my moments. And besides, I thought it would be a fun way to spend the afternoon."

I couldn't help but smile at his suggestion. "Okay, I'm interested. What's the catch?"

"No catch, I promise," Alex assured me. "I just figured we could check out some shops, maybe find something nice for the wedding in Hawaii."

"Okay, you got my attention. But I warn you, I can get aggressive during a sale." I didn't want to ruin his mood, so I decided to go with the flow for now.

"Challenge accepted," Alex replied, and I laughed. "Alright, I'll join. Where do we meet?"

"I'll be downstairs in my car in about ten minutes," he said. "Ready to embrace the world of shopping, Isabella?"

"I'm ready!" I said, my excitement building.

Alex kept his word and arrived at the building in a shiny black car. I stepped out of the gate with a playful expression on my face as I approached the car.

"Nice car," I commented as I got into the seat next to the driver's seat.

"Thank you. It's not every day I get to chauffeur a shopping expert," Alex said with a wink.

I grinned. "Don't say I didn't warn you."

As he drove us towards the mall, we engaged in conversation about various topics as if nothing had happened. He even smiled widely, as if he had heard some good news today.

"We're here," Alex announced when we arrived.

After parking the car, I quickly got out and surveyed the surroundings. How many months had it been since I last visited a mall? I had no plans to buy anything, so why bother going, right? I guess I've been too busy that I didn't notice I hardly had time for myself.

"Let's go?" I smiled at Alex, who returned the gesture as we headed into the mall.