Shine of my life.

"So both of you are in relationships?" Dante asked Victor and Dominic, after hearing all the details of both proposals. He felt happy for them and how everything had turned out. 

"Yep," Victor replied with a grin. "And when are you going to tell her how you feel?" Dominic asked, raising an eyebrow.

"She knows I like her, and it's mutual, but I haven't gotten a chance to ask her to be the love of my life," Dante said, his voice tinged with sadness. 

The boys, like the girls, often had their own phone calls to catch up and share life updates. 

"Man, the more you delay it, the fewer the chances she'll be yours," Victor said seriously. "She's smart, she's beautiful, and anyone could fall for her easily. So ask her out as soon as possible." 

"Hm... okay," Dante replied, the weight of Victor's words sinking in.

-----------------------------------------------------

Devotricks had risen to become one of the top three global IT companies in the world, and the news called for a celebration. A company dinner was arranged, and everyone was in high spirits, enjoying the evening.

Aurora couldn't bring herself to go up front and personally congratulate Dante on his success, so instead, she sent a text: "Congrats" with a heart emoji.

"Thank you" Dante replied, adding a heart emoji of his own. Their eyes met across the table, a silent confirmation that the message had been received.

Dante then texted her, "Tomorrow, meet me at 5 a.m. I want to take you to my favorite place." Aurora's eyes sparkled as she quickly responded, "Sure," anticipation filling her for their next meeting.

Just then, a tipsy, young, good-looking colleague of Aurora's called out her name. "Aurora!" The sound of her name was enough to catch Dante's attention.

"Why are you so kind? You're beautiful and intelligent, making me fall more for you," the tipsy colleague slurred.

Dante stood up possessively across the table, his posture clearly protective. But Aurora, with a calm demeanor, met his gaze and subtly reassured him with a silent look.

"Thank you, Sam, but I'm not searching for love right now. Thank you for your interest," she replied, her voice composed and firm.

Dante watched in admiration, amused at how effortlessly she handled the situation. But his thoughts quickly shifted to what his friends had said. "She's smart, she's beautiful, and anyone could fall for her easily." His mind raced. "I need to step it up, or I might lose the shine of my life."