Lots of surprise (part2)

Charlotte stood in the middle of the living room, her eyes darting between Natalia and Kaiser as if analyzing the scene before her. She clasped her hands lightly behind her back, then took a step toward Natalia, a small smile playing on her lips.

"So… how are things between you two?"

She asked in a soft voice, though it carried more curiosity than it should.

Natalia briefly raised her eyes before lowering them to the floor, whispering.

"Fine… sort of."

Her voice was barely audible, but the hesitation in her tone was unmistakable.

"Fine?"

Kaiser, leaning confidently on the armrest of the couch, wasn't about to let her reserved answer slide. He leaned forward slightly, his tone dripping with arrogance.

"Is that all you have to say? You were saying something entirely different last night."

Natalia's eyes widened in shock, and her face turned crimson as if his words had ignited a hidden spark within her. But she didn't have the chance to respond; her tongue stumbled before Charlotte interrupted with a gentle tone.

"Please, Kaiser, let's not get into details in front of me. I just wanted to make sure you're not causing her trouble."

Kaiser raised his eyebrows in obvious mockery, his voice brimming with confidence.

"Me? Trouble? She knows I'm the best thing that ever happened to her."

Charlotte quickly intervened, her gaze sharpening slightly.

"Arrogant as ever."

Then she turned to Natalia, leaning toward her as though offering friendly advice.

"If he's being bad to you, you can always break up with him. You know… there are plenty of men better than him."

Natalia froze for a moment, narrowing her eyes as Charlotte's seemingly innocent advice stirred something deep within her. Was it a veiled boast?

Anger surged through Natalia, and she suddenly stood up from the couch. Her voice was cold, carrying an undertone of suppressed bitterness.

"If you think that, perhaps you should try breaking up with your dull boyfriend first."

Charlotte's eyebrows shot up in surprise, her wide eyes staring at Natalia. For a moment, the words seemed to cut through her.

"Huh?"

She said faintly, as though she couldn't believe what she'd just heard.

Ignoring her, Natalia added coolly.

"I'm leaving now. Actually, I'm late for work because of your endless drama."

"Natalia, wait!"

Charlotte called after her, taking a quick step toward her, but Natalia had already opened the door and slammed it shut behind her.

Charlotte stopped in the middle of the hallway, her eyes fixed on the closed door. She took a deep breath and covered her face with her hand.

"What did I say to make her this angry?"

She whispered to herself uncertainly, unable to find a clear answer.

"Are you seriously asking?"

Kaiser's voice came from behind her, his tone laced with sarcasm. He stood now, arms crossed, and said.

"Your words weren't just advice. To Natalia, they were a cold slap."

Charlotte furrowed her brows, guilt seeping into her heart. She hadn't meant to hurt Natalia's feelings at all. Her eyes dropped to the floor as she murmured softly.

"I didn't mean to…"

Suddenly, Kaiser invaded her personal space, his hand slamming against the wall beside her head, his piercing gaze darkened with an unsettling intensity.

"Twenty-six days."

Charlotte blinked, her eyes widening in confusion.

"What?"

Kaiser whispered low, as though reciting a prophecy.

"You've got twenty-six days before you realize you're in over your head."

A wave of unease washed over Charlotte. She tried to step away, but he gripped her shoulder, pinning her in place against the wall.

"Ow!"

She gritted her teeth, wincing as his free hand held her shoulder firmly.

"What's wrong with you now? That hurts!"

"I'm sorry."

Kaiser pulled his hand away as though snapping out of a dark trance, his gaze piercing as he leaned closer.

"Anyway, your time is running out."

Charlotte felt suffocated by Kaiser's sudden proximity. She raised her hands and pushed against his chest with all her strength, but he didn't budge.

"Heh."

Kaiser chuckled sweetly before stepping back, raising his hands in a mock gesture of surrender, though mockery glimmered in his eyes.

"Girl, you make me feel alive."

Before she could respond, he walked toward the door and added nonchalantly.

"Don't forget twenty-six days. It'd be a shame if you didn't take it seriously."

He shut the door behind him, leaving Charlotte in her confusion.

"What is he trying to say…?"

Charlotte stood in place, staring at the closed door. She thought she had built an unbreakable bond of friendship, but everything had changed in a moment. Natalia was angry with her, and Kaiser whom she thought she knew so well was acting strangely ever since she got into a relationship.

Charlotte felt as though events were spiraling too fast for her to catch her breath or understand what was happening. She moved to the couch and sat next to Hunter, who was sleeping soundly, her mind swirling with conflicting thoughts. Kaiser's cryptic words didn't make sense, but for some reason, she felt he was serious this time, in a way she couldn't ignore.

"Twenty-six days?"

She muttered to herself, trying to decipher his mysterious statement.

Suddenly, her eyes widened.

"My birthday!"

Charlotte jumped off the couch and paced around, replaying Kaiser's dark, ominous words in her mind.

"That jerk! He just wanted to scare me for a reaction!"

She pursed her lips and stormed toward the door, ready to confront Kaiser immediately or she'd explode with frustration.

She flung the door open, but abruptly stopped mid step.

"Daniel?"

Charlotte was surprised to see Daniel standing at her doorstep, holding a bouquet of fresh, fragrant flowers.

"What are you doing here?"

"I was just about to knock, but I found these on your doorstep."

Daniel handed Charlotte the beautiful bouquet, along with a small card.

"I also found this card under the bouquet, and, well, I read it out of curiosity."

He smiled sheepishly, placing his hands on his hips as Charlotte took the card.

Charlotte examined the card's fine material before looking at Daniel instead of reading its contents.

"Why are you back? I thought you weren't coming back."

"Well, I came to say goodbye properly it'd be rude to leave like that."

"Hmm, someone's become quite the obedient boy~."

"I'm not obedient."

Daniel denied the notion with a charming smile before saying.

"By the way, Lyudmila wants to have her birthday party at the camp, and she asked if you guys would like to join since you're my close friends."

"Her birthday…"

Charlotte whispered softly, recalling Kaiser's approach again. She quickly shook her head and replied with a bright smile.

"Well, if Daniel wants that, I don't mind going to Lyudmila's birthday party."

"Really? That's great! By the way, you can bring the ghost guy along. Lyudmila said she doesn't mind."

"Bringing Leonid…?"

Charlotte paused, narrowing her eyes as she pondered Lyudmila's peculiar invitation.

"Leonid? Are you kidding?"

She asked, her tone a mix of sarcasm and astonishment. Yet, something about it all seemed strange. Lyudmila wasn't someone who did things without reason.

"Not at all. She just said she wants everyone there. Maybe she's trying to keep things friendly, you know."

Daniel replied with a simple smile.

Charlotte took a deep breath and nodded.

"Fine, I'll think about bringing Leonid… but let Lyudmila know I'll be there."

Daniel laughed and nodded.

"Got it. I'll let her know."

He gave her a thumbs-up before stepping back.

"I need to go now. See you later, Charlotte."

"Hmm…"

Daniel quickly headed toward the elevator, while Charlotte closed her apartment door.

She returned to inspect the card in her hand, placing the bouquet on the dining table.

Slowly opening it, she found a few elegant letters written inside.

[Mr. D.]

Charlotte narrowed her eyes at the word "Mr." and felt a slight twinge of offense.

"Is someone trying to mess with me?"

She muttered aloud, tearing the card into small pieces before tossing them into the trash.

At that moment, Leonid immersed his body in cold water, and the water flowed over his white skin, highlighting the contours of his taut muscles. His muscles were well defined and flexible, as if the result of long hours of training and persistence.

His silver hair scattered gently around his face, with strands glistening between wetness and shine, while his fingers moved delicately to massage his scalp, the mixture of soap and water blending through his hair before dripping down to his body.

He slowly turned off the water, then wrapped the towel around his waist, surrounded by water droplets that trickled down his white skin as he stepped forward with a calm movement, his muscles naturally flexing with each stride.

Leonid entered his bedroom with steady steps, holding a small towel in his hands to dry his damp hair. He sat quietly on the edge of the bed and raised his phone to begin checking it. His icy blue eyes sparkled with a mysterious gaze, quickly scanning the screen as if they were capturing every detail. The atmosphere was calm, but there was something unseen in that moment, something hidden behind those contemplative eyes.