Lots of surprise

Charlotte lowered her gaze to the floor, unable to meet her friends' eyes, especially Kaiser's. She already knew he was staring at her now with sharp eyes.

Her intuition wasn't wrong; Kaiser narrowed his eyes, merely glaring at her silently as if his gaze could pierce her thoughts.

On the other side, Leonid slowly released a strand of Charlotte's hair and leaned back against the sofa. Despite his calm demeanor, his eyes revealed a hidden frustration, as if the word "boyfriend" that escaped her lips was a dagger plunged into his pride.

Once again, Charlotte continued to wound his pride without consideration.

"Even though I don't like him, I wouldn't mind if it's your wish."

Daniel's voice broke the silence, avoiding looking directly at Leonid. In fact, he stayed hidden behind Charlotte as if trying to evade Leonid's gaze from the start.

He added in a low, sharp tone.

"But if he tries to interfere in our relationship, I won't forgive him."

Charlotte smiled lightly, attempting to ease the tension, and clapped her hands to grab Daniel's attention.

"About our relationship, Daniel… actually…"

She continued with a playful smile:

"Did you know Leonid sees our relationship as a familial one?"

Daniel raised his eyebrows in surprise and replied slowly.

"Really?"

Charlotte nodded confidently.

"Yes, exactly!"

But Daniel didn't seem entirely convinced. When he glanced hesitantly at Leonid, the latter stared back at him coldly.

Studying Daniel's appearance, which resembled an innocent hedgehog ready to attack, Leonid finally said, while his icy blue eyes observed the situation.

"Yes, I said that."

He answered calmly, as if it didn't matter.

"Impossible…"

Daniel's gray eyes brightened momentarily before he shrank back and hid behind Charlotte again. He stayed quiet for a moment before whispering shyly.

"Then I suppose… I won't ruin your relationship."

"Oh, Daniel~!"

Charlotte covered her mouth with her hand as she turned to look at Daniel, who had buried his face against her back out of embarrassment.

So cute…

She wanted to scream it aloud but had always respected Daniel's masculinity in front of others.

"Perhaps the sweet taste of confessing love still lingers, but it's far too early to trust him, especially since you barely know each other."

Kaiser raised his hand and pointed at Leonid coldly, his voice as sharp as a blade.

"Besides, I don't trust this person personally."

Charlotte looked at him with indifference before raising her hand and pointing at him, speaking in a flat tone.

"That there is Kaiser. He talks too much and loves to annoy me, so it's best if you ignore him in the future."

Did she seriously just ask for him to be ignored?

Charlotte continued as she pointed to a woman with blonde hair, a calm smile lighting up her face.

"And there, that's Natalia."

Kaiser's brows immediately furrowed as if her words had poured salt into a wound. But what worsened the situation was the beautiful smile on her lips as she introduced Natalia.

First, she had coldly dismissed him, and second, she had belittled him in front of the person he hated most.

Natalia gently lowered Kaiser's still outstretched hand, holding it softly between her own. She looked at him with a tender gaze as if trying to calm the tension that seemed on the verge of exploding.

"Please, keep those hateful feelings to yourself until he leaves, alright?"

She whispered in a gentle tone, but it didn't reach his anger fueled heart. Kaiser was about to explode, wanting to express his rage immediately; otherwise, he feared he'd lose control in a more severe way later.

"Oh, I almost forgot! Charlotte, I have something to tell you."

Amid the burning anger in his amber eyes, Kaiser's gaze shifted to Daniel. The latter had lifted his head off Charlotte's shoulder, covering his mouth as he whispered something quietly into her ear.

Daniel continued whispering as if sharing hidden secrets, unable to stop himself from casting sideways glances at Kaiser and Natalia. It was clear he was saying something about them. With a wave of his free hand, Charlotte's eyes widened slightly in surprise.

"That brat is talking about us now."

"Yeah, I can see that."

"What do you think he's whispering to Charlotte so enthusiastically?"

"I think I know what he's talking about…"

Natalia focused her gaze on Charlotte's face as if trying to decipher the expression the situation would elicit. Would it be shock? Or perhaps just wide eyes filled with a hint of envy?

Daniel finished whispering and pulled away slightly, speaking confidently.

"And that's everything that happened."

"Hmm…"

Charlotte smirked mischievously, her gaze flickering between Natalia and Kaiser before asking in a speculative tone.

"Is what Daniel said true?"

"What did that brat say to you?"

Kaiser narrowed his eyes slightly before replying coldly.

"Whatever he said, don't believe it. It's not true at all."

"You liar!"

Daniel challenged him, before hugging Charlotte from behind and resting his head on her shoulder, staring at Kaiser with a sly grin.

On the other hand, Leonid's eyes darkened as he watched Daniel lean so comfortably on Charlotte, but he said nothing.

"You'd better shut your mouth before something bad happens to you, brat,"

Kaiser said in a calm tone laced with a veiled threat.

"Charlotte, did you hear that? He keeps calling me a brat all morning!"

"Oh, brat, are you complaining now? It's time for you to prove you're a man and face me instead of acting spoiled!"

"Charlotte, look at him—!"

Ring!

The ringing of Daniel's phone interrupted his relentless complaints, making him pull back slightly.

"One moment."

He glanced at the caller ID, "Lyudmila," and a wide grin spread across his face.

"Oh my God, my girl is calling me~"

He exclaimed happily before standing up excitedly and heading to a quiet spot to take his girlfriend's call away from the commotion.

Charlotte, Natalia, and Kaiser all watched his movements until he exited the apartment with his phone to his ear.

Natalia and Charlotte exchanged silent looks filled with questions.

[Why is she calling him?] Natalia's eyes asked.

Charlotte narrowed her eyes to confirm if Natalia truly meant her, then responded with a slight shrug indicating ignorance.

Kaiser sighed in frustration, slumping against the sofa as if the day's events were weighing heavily on him.

"By the way, why didn't you tell me?"

Charlotte broke the silence suddenly, this time with no mockery in her tone.

"Are you two really together, or did Daniel misunderstand?"

"Actually…"

Natalia hesitated for a moment. She had long waited for this opportunity to proudly declare her relationship with Kaiser in front of Charlotte. But now, it felt harder than she had imagined.

"Yes,"

Kaiser answered Charlotte's question.

"Really~!"

Charlotte clasped her hands together with a wide smile as if celebrating the news. However, Natalia hadn't expected Kaiser's swift and confident response.

Kaiser continued speaking while staring at the ceiling.

"Natalia and I spend most of our days together. Isn't it obvious that we're in a relationship?"

Natalia turned to Kaiser in astonishment, her eyes widening. It was true their relationship existed, but it wasn't as serious as Kaiser always reminded her after every night they spent together.

"Hmm, you're right. How did I not notice?"

Charlotte smiled, tilting her head, appearing calm but deeply lost in thought. Suddenly, she felt Leonid's hand gently slide across her back and settle on her waist.

Leonid leaned in close and whispered softly into her ear.

"I'm heading back to my apartment. Can you take care of my pup?"

Warmth rushed to her face, her cheeks turning a shade closer to beetroot.

"Of course, I can, but… can't you stay a bit longer for breakfast together?"

Charlotte had been secretly hoping for a warm moment of breakfast with Leonid.

She fluttered her lashes hesitantly, awaiting his response. But he merely gave her a gentle smile, making her wonder if he was truly taking her words seriously.

"I can't stay."

Leonid replied calmly, placing another kiss on Charlotte's forehead.

"But I promise I can spend the night with you if you'd like."

He said it as if it were nothing significant. Rising from the sofa, he leaned over the coffee table to grab his keys and phone.

As Leonid left, Charlotte watched him go, her cheeks still flushed. Suddenly, she stood up and walked after him toward the door.

Meanwhile, Natalia sat next to Kaiser, still in disbelief at what had just happened moments earlier. Kaiser had admitted their relationship, meaning she had finally achieved her dream.

Charlotte bid farewell to Leonid, leaning for the millionth time against the doorframe, watching his back as she waved at him. This time, Leonid stopped in front of his own door, turned, and waved back before entering his apartment. That simple gesture made her heart skip a beat.

Before entering her apartment, Charlotte turned around in the hallway, searching for Daniel, but found no trace of him.

She closed the door behind her and headed toward the living room. Natalia was still there, along with Kaiser, who was still staring at the ceiling.