Chapter 4: His fiance

The private room was elegant yet cozy, designed to exude exclusivity. Soft lighting glinted off polished wood and leather chairs, and the quiet hum of conversation from adjacent rooms was barely noticeable. The room was already occupied by a few individuals seated around a polished table, engaged in casual conversation.

Thalina Velyne, Kael's spirited and sharp-witted cousin, sat at the head of the table, her presence commanding as she leaned back, sipping a glass of wine. Opposite her, Adrian—a suave tech mogul—was arguing lightheartedly with Lian, a celebrated architect, over the merits of minimalist versus maximalist design.

The door opened, and the conversation halted. All heads turned as Elliot walked in first, his ever-present grin plastered on his face.

The group waiting in the room turned their heads at the arrival.

Among them was Thalina Velyne, Kael's younger cousin, her sparkling hazel eyes lighting up with excitement.

"Kael! You're here!" she chirped, bouncing up from her seat. Without hesitation, she ran over and flung her arms around him.

Kael stiffened, his expression unchanging, but he didn't push her away. "Thalina," he greeted curtly.

"Don't be so stiff," she pouted, stepping back to look at him. "I'm not one of your boardroom minions."

"Behave," was his only response.

Elliot chuckled, shaking his head as he flopped into a chair. "I swear, Thalina, you're the only person who can get away with that."

"Because I'm the favorite," she said with a cheeky grin, plopping down beside Elliot.

Kael's eyebrow twitched, but he said nothing, opting instead to take a seat at the farthest end of the table, as far away from the group as possible.

Just then, the door opened again, and Seren Delyth stepped in with her friends, Vivia and Maya. Seren's presence was striking as always, her rebellious demeanor evident in the casual confidence of her stride.

Thalina's gaze flicked to Seren, her curiosity immediately piqued. "Oh, are these your friends, Elliot?"

"Not exactly," Elliot said, standing up with a grin. "This is Seren Delyth, and those are her friends, Vivia and Maya. And..." He paused dramatically, glancing at Kael. "Seren is Kael's fiancée."

The room froze.

Adrian stopped mid-sip, his mouth hanging open. Lian's expression flickered between shock and disbelief.

The room fell into an uncomfortable silence. Thalina's jaw dropped as her wide eyes darted between Kael and Seren.

"Fiancée?" she repeated, her voice loud with disbelief.

"Not true," Kael said coldly, his frosty gaze fixed on Elliot, who raised an eyebrow innocently.

"Oh? My mistake," Elliot said, clearly enjoying himself.

Seren, unbothered by the awkwardness, broke the silence with a faint smile. "Hi. It's nice to meet you all."

Thalina recovered quickly, her shock replaced with excitement. "Hi! I'm Thalina. It's so nice to meet someone who can actually keep Kael on his toes!"

Kael's glare shifted to Thalina, but she brushed it off with a cheerful laugh. "Don't look at me like that. You know it's true!"

Kael, standing near the door, looked like he was reconsidering every decision that had led him to this moment. His eyes briefly met Seren's, and for a fleeting second, he caught a glimmer of amusement in her gaze.

Adrian cleared his throat, setting his drink down. "So... fiancée, huh?" He glanced at Kael, who responded with a withering glare. Adrian raised his hands in mock surrender, clearly not daring to press further.

Elliot, as usual, stepped in to break the silence. "Don't look so shocked, Adrian. You didn't think Kael would stay single forever, did you?"

"Actually, I did," Adrian replied dryly, earning a chuckle from Lian.

Thalina blinked, then broke into a wide smile. "Hi! I'm Thalina. It's so nice to finally meet someone who can make Kael this uncomfortable!"

Kael shot her a warning look, but Thalina simply giggled and gestured for them to sit.

Vivia and Maya exchanged wary glances as they followed Seren to the table. Kael didn't bother looking at any of them, his focus seemingly on his drink, though his rigid posture betrayed his irritation.

As everyone settled into their seats, Thalina leaned toward Seren. "So, Seren, how did you meet my cousin? Did he scowl at you the first time too?"

"Actually, yes," Seren replied with a smirk. "It's his default setting, isn't it?"

Thalina burst out laughing. "I knew it! You're perfect!"

Kael's jaw tightened, but he held his tongue.

Vivia, trying to ease her own nerves, turned to Elliot. "So, do you all meet up often like this?"

"Not really," Elliot replied. "Kael hates people, and I'm too busy keeping his social life alive."

Kael shot him a look, but Elliot ignored it.

Meanwhile, Thalina was still grilling Seren. "So, what do you do? Are you also in the business world?"

"I run my family's company," Seren answered, her tone cool but polite.

"And do you like tormenting Kael as much as I do?" Thalina asked with a mischievous grin.

"I wouldn't call it torment," Seren said, her eyes briefly flicking to Kael. "But he does make it easy."

Kael's gaze was cold enough to freeze a volcano, but Seren met it without flinching.

"Fate, I guess," Seren said, her tone teasing, though her expression remained cool.

"I don't believe in fate," Kael interjected, his voice sharp and cutting.

"Good thing I didn't ask for your opinion," Seren shot back, meeting his icy gaze with her fiery one.

Thalina gasped, then laughed. "Oh, I like you!"

Vivia and Maya exchanged cautious glances, unsure whether to laugh or remain silent. Kael, meanwhile, sat in stony silence, clearly regretting his decision to come.

Kael's frown deepened, and Elliot, sensing the tension, decided to intervene. "Alright, how about we order something? Drinks? Food?"

Vivia, always eager to lighten the mood, raised her hand. "Anything sweet for me. Do they have cake here?"

"They better," Thalina said, waving down a waiter. "And get something for Kael, too. He looks like he needs it."

"I'm fine," Kael said curtly.

"You're not," Elliot quipped, earning a glare from his friend.

As the conversation shifted, Thalina kept engaging Seren, firing off question after question. "So, are you in the same line of work as Kael? Or do you just enjoy driving him crazy?"

"I run my family's business," Seren replied smoothly. "Driving him crazy is just a bonus."

Vivia and Maya stifled laughs, while Thalina clapped her hands in delight. "You're perfect!"

Kael's patience was wearing thin, but he held his tongue.

Meanwhile, Elliot leaned closer to Maya, his charming grin in full force. "So, Maya, what do you think of all this chaos?"

Maya glanced at him, unimpressed. "It's entertaining, I suppose."

"Entertaining? I'll take it," Elliot said with a laugh. "You know, you're hard to impress."

"I'm not trying to be impressed," she retorted.

"Good. Then I'll have to try harder," he said, leaning back with a wink.

Vivia, meanwhile, couldn't contain her curiosity any longer. "Thalina, how do you deal with Kael? He's so... intense."

Thalina shrugged, her smile never fading. "He's not so bad once you get used to him. Plus, I'm the only girl in the family, so he has to be nice to me."

"Nice isn't the word I'd use," Kael muttered, though his tone was devoid of malice.

Elliot, sensing the rising tension, clapped his hands. "Alright, let's lighten the mood. Drinks? Games? Or should we start by picking on Kael some more?"

Thalina's face lit up. "Games! Let's play something fun!"

"I don't do games," Kael said flatly.

"You'll survive," Thalina said dismissively, already pulling out a deck of cards.

As the games began, Vivia and Maya gradually relaxed, laughing at Thalina's antics and Elliot's shameless flirting with Maya.

"I think you're cheating," Maya said as Elliot won yet another round of cards.

"Cheating? Me? Never!" Elliot placed a hand over his heart, feigning innocence.

Maya narrowed her eyes. "You're way too good at this."

"Or maybe you're just distracted by my charm," Elliot shot back with a wink.

"Distracted, no. Annoyed, maybe," Maya retorted, though her lips twitched into a smile.

watching their banter, raised an eyebrow at Vivia. "Those two are something else."

"They are," Vivia whispered, glancing at Elliot and Maya. "You don't think they... you know?"

"Not yet," Seren replied, smirking.

Vivia, emboldened by the relaxed atmosphere, turned to Seren. "Can you believe we're sitting here with Kael Velyne? Like, the Kael Velyne?"

Seren smirked. "Believe it or not, he's not as scary as he seems."

Kael's glare told a different story, but Vivia was too busy fangirling to notice.

Thalina, ever the social butterfly, kept the group entertained with her bubbly personality, ensuring that even Kael's frosty aura couldn't dampen the lively atmosphere.

By the end of the night, the group had shared enough laughs and teasing to melt even the iciest tension—except for Kael, who remained as cold and aloof as ever

Not too long later, Kael received a call from his office. "Excuse me"

As soon as Kael left the room, all eyes turn to Seren.

"What?" Seren asked as she sipped he drink.