Not Owed, Not Promised

A jet landed at a private airport early in the morning. Lian stepped out first. Then her. They descended the stairs. The air was hot. She smiled a little. She was back. He looked back and reached for her hand. A dozen people in black waited a few paces from the stairs. They greeted them with a bow. 

One man stepped forward. "Sir, Miss, welcome back."

Lian glanced at her. "My secretary, Vincent Young."

She looked at the man. She'd seen him before, with Lian at M.U.

Vincent smiled. "Honored to meet you, Miss."

She smiled back. "We've met before."

"Yes, we have."

Her lips curved a little more.

"Keep the entourage small," Lian told him. "The future madam hates crowds."

Iyana felt a few heads turn, then caught their eyes widening. They quickly looked away when her gaze met theirs. She gave a slow, quiet exhale. He's still got the energy to tease.

"No, I'm grateful for the hospitality," she said. "Thank you, Sec. Young."

Her words made Vincent flinch. He bowed, lower this time.

"Miss, please, this isn't hospitality. It's my duty. You're not a guest. You're our future madam," he said, his words swift. "I'll remember your preferences."

The group stood straight, heads down. Unmoved. She shot Lian a glance. He just gave a wry smile.

"Competent, isn't he?" Lian said. "Even when he's not ordered to be here, he shows up."

Vincent turned to him fast.

"Sir, I know I shouldn't be here. But I couldn't reach you," he said.

Lian arched his brow but said nothing.

"It's the facility project," Vincent continued.

"What time?"

 Lian's tone was flat, his face unreadable.

"At nine. Elder Jia says you'll head the meeting."

Lian silently waved him off.

Vincent bowed faintly and stepped back.

Quickly, the group began carrying their luggage and moved toward two silver Porsche cars in the distance. A black Rover pulled up. The driver stepped out. Much older. Still in black. He bowed. Lian said they'd ride the Rover. Just as the doors shut, he leaned in and pressed a kiss to her cheek. She blushed, glancing at the driver seated in front. The driver rolled down the screen.

"You—" she said, placing her hands on his hard chest.

"You're quiet," he said, his voice lighter.

"Don't nag."

"Madam," he smiled, "I'm just happy."

He pulled her closer, his lips brushed hers. Softly.

She rested her head on his shoulder.

"I'm back home," she said, almost to herself.

"I'm happy."

"I'm nervous."

 He laughed. "Nervous about what?"

"About Gosuico." About the Bloc.

"I am Gosuico," he said, then held her hand. "And you're next to me. Does that feel scary?"

She just sighed.

She'd miss the part where it was just the two of them.

Eating pancakes at breakfast.

Laughing at coffee shops over chess.

Or lying in bed, watching the rain slide down the glass.

They arrived at the façade of a sprawling villa. Palm trees lined the cobbled road that wound up to a circular driveway, a stone fountain at its center. Lian said the park was much closer to Gosuico Tower. Just a few minutes away. Lian had to leave for his office but said she should rest. Six servants greeted them in the front yard and began unloading their bags. She spent half the day wandering the house. What caught her the most was the library. It was huge, quiet, filled with tall shelves. And the courtyard. There, a tall pine stood at the center, surrounded by orchids.

"Master said you like orchids," said Mrs. Din, one of the househelps.

"Thank you," Iyana replied softly. "I'll take care of them."

She looked at them. There were purple, pale pink, and blue. All in pots.

It wasn't her who liked orchids. It was her mother.

She went to the master's bedroom. Everything that she liked—even the color of the bedsheets and the blue orchids placed in a vase. There was a faint scent of agarwood, Lian's perfume. She peered through the window. It was no longer a street park of children and dogs, but a landscape of hedge gardens on the wide estate.

She decided to take a nap.

________

Gosuico Tower

Inside a boardroom, some heads peered at their phones. Photos had surfaced on trending news: two people stepping out of a jet at Midnight Blue, the exclusive private airport of the elite. The taller figure was quickly recognized as Claude Maximilian, the enigmatic heir to the Gosuico Group. But it was the woman beside him who truly sparked the chatter. Her face was hidden behind his arm. But the way they stood said enough. She was likely the long-speculated girlfriend—finally caught on camera.

They looked up at the tall man in the dark suit. He sat in front of them, gaze fixed on the large screen as a voice spoke ahead. Another approached and whispered behind his ear. His chin lifted slightly. His eyes shifted sideways, still expressionless. When they finished and walked away, he turned his gaze back to the screen and flipped through the folders as if he had already moved on.

"This is awkward for Miss Coquia," one whispered.

Later, a knock sounded on Claude' office. He pushed the button.

It was Alexa.

She smiled, her gaze on him.

He only glanced at her, his face didn't change.

He continued signing papers.

"Claude, actually—" Alexa stopped.

Alexa's smile froze.

She waited for something. But he said nothing.

Only the sound of his pen.

"It's just…" Alexa's voice trailed off.

"Say it."

His voice was flat. Unhurried. Just loud enough.

Alexa watched him, then exhaled.

"About the facility project... Father said there's a good area in Ipang City. Near the bay. It doesn't cost much."

"How admirable—the generosity of Chairman Coquia," he said lightly. "But we've already decided on Plaridel."

"You—you have?" Alexa blurted, eyes widening. "Why? I mean—Father offered a better area, maybe even cheaper. Ipang's a growing tech hub."

"The meeting has just ended," he said. "You're a little late."

"You rejected it." Her voice rose, shaky. "Father really worked hard to make that happen. He even turned down other offers. Claude—why—I? Is it because you both don't see eye to eye?"

He sighed, bored, still signing papers.

"You're not involved in the facility project, Alexa. You don't know it."

She gave him a long, searching look.

"Claude, really," she said, her voice trembling. "I'll inherit Coquia. Father will—"

"None of my business."

"Gosuico and Coquia are both part of the Bloc," she pressed, hands wringing. "They have so much to gain together. There's hardly anything to change—if they just unite."

His hand paused.

"I'm not the clan head, Alexa. Make that pitch to the Elder."

"But everyone knows you're the de facto leader. You hold more weight than anyone. Gosuico is just waiting for you to make up your mind."

"You speak like someone who understands," he said dryly. "You don't."

Alexa flinched.

Her jaw tightened.

"So you really don't like us," she whispered. "You'll go to any length just to stay away."

She grimaced.

"Have you forgotten how we saved the old man's life?"

He looked at her.

"First of all," Lian said, voice stayed flat, "you don't ask for anything in return for saving someone's life." He gave a faint shrug. "That's worse than a straight-up scam. But Gosuico isn't cold. It paid what was fair. And it did. So I don't know why Coquia keeps bringing it up."

His eyes went back to the paper.

"No—I mean—why avoid us like this? Why… so cold? So heartless?" Alexa's breath hitched. "All we ever wanted was to hold on to what we had. To make it stronger. That's what the old man wanted too. And now it just feels… cruel. Like you don't care at all."

"That's a bit much," he said, almost amused. A faint snort. "Even when you barged in here, I didn't take it personally. But now, seeing your… energetic behavior... I can only assume you've read the news."

She flinched but stayed silent.

Her hands clenched the corners of her dress.

A brief silence.

She swallowed. "You're marrying your girlfriend?" she asked, the words slow, heavy.

Claude didn't flinch. His eyes were quiet. Remote.

"Have I not been very clear about that?"

She snorted, almost like a laugh.

"So that's it. You're really throwing it all away—over her?"

He looked at her.

"What is it exactly I'm throwing away, Alexa?"

"Everything. What our families built. The possibility of us. A future alliance. You're avoiding it."

His smile was faint.

"Funny," Claude said. "That's what she thought too. Three years ago."

She tightened her hands.

The room held only the sound of flipping pages.

"Have you seen enough?" he said. "Tell your father there'd be more opportunities to work together. It's just one project."

But before Claude could even turn to look, Alexa had already spun on her heel and fled. Her chest was tight and heavy. Her mind was blank. She didn't know what to think first. Claude. Claude Maximilian. After everything… 

A female secretary entered, shaking.

"Sir, I apologize. Miss Coquia was very insistent."

She didn't want to lose her job over a spoiled heiress. But she was still just a nobody. 

"You were hired to manage appointments," he said, without at her. "The slip system is still good?"

"Y-yes, sir."

"Then let it run. Get out."

She respectfully bowed and left the office.

Claude paused. He opened the drawer. The box was still there. He flicked it open. A ruby ring sat inside. Deep red. The Gosuico insignia etched faintly into the gold. He closed the box. Slid it into the inner pocket of his suit.