Maya remained by the rooftop railing long after finishing the slice of red velvet cake, the cool evening breeze brushing softly against her skin while Manhattan glowed beneath the deepening sunset.
The city looked unreal from up there.
Golden light reflected against towering glass buildings while streams of headlights slowly awakened below like rivers of moving stars. The rooftop itself felt detached from reality entirely, wrapped in roses, soft candlelights, drifting petals, and quiet luxury.
For the first time in a very long time—
Maya felt peaceful.
Not anxious.
Not overwhelmed.
Not exhausted from constantly thinking.
Just... peaceful.
Her fingers rested lightly against the railing as the wind carried strands of her loose long dirty blonde hair across her face. She tucked them behind her ear absentmindedly while staring at the skyline thoughtfully.
Then movement behind her caught her attention.
Maya turned.
And blinked.
Rege had returned carrying another enormous tray covered carefully beneath a protective glass lid. This time, red roses surrounded the edges of the covering beautifully, making the entire thing look almost absurdly romantic beneath the rooftop lights.
Maya watched him silently as he placed the tray gently beside the flower-covered seating arrangement in front of the tent.
Everything about him felt deliberate.
Controlled.
Even the way he moved.
He rearranged the dessert setup quietly afterward, folding the picnic-style mat neatly before placing it into a storage container. The used plates disappeared next, followed by the leftover pastries, which he carefully transferred into smaller containers before organizing everything perfectly.
Then he glanced briefly toward her.
And smiled faintly.
Maya immediately smiled back before blinking repeatedly afterward like an idiot.
Because how was someone capable of smiling so little and still completely destroying her sanity every single time?
Rege carried the storage container away calmly.
Maya watched him leave with an embarrassingly soft smile lingering across her lips.
He returned minutes later carrying another large tray and disappeared briefly into the rooftop pool house. Through the glass doors, Maya watched him place bottled water and wine into the refrigerator inside before eventually returning with two water bottles.
The moment his gaze landed on her again—
he smiled.
Softly.
Naturally.
And Maya genuinely forgot how breathing worked for a second.
Her own smile widened instinctively.
The brightness in her expression visibly affected him too.
"Dinner is ready?" she asked cheerfully.
Rege nodded once.
They walked back toward the tent together beneath glowing rooftop lights while rose petals drifted occasionally through the evening breeze.
Maya moved automatically to sit down—
only for Rege to lift her effortlessly again by the waist before she could.
This time, however, she had subconsciously expected it.
So instead of startling, she burst into a delighted grin.
Rege chuckled softly at her reaction while placing her gently atop the flower-covered seating arrangement.
"You're really giving me the princess treatment today," Maya teased with a laugh.
Rege sat beside her, his aquamarine eyes fixed entirely on her face.
"You deserve all the best things in the world."
The words slipped out absentmindedly.
His jaw tightened immediately afterward.
Because he had not intended to say them aloud.
But the look on Maya's face afterward made him unexpectedly glad he had.
Her smile softened beautifully while her gaze lowered shyly.
"You can be so sweet sometimes."
Something warm settled heavily inside Rege's chest.
Maya reached for the protective covering, but Rege removed it first.
Her fingers traced lightly across the roses decorating the glass before her attention shifted fully toward the food beneath it.
Then she gasped.
Actually gasped.
"No way," she whispered in complete disbelief.
Spread before her was nearly every food she had ever casually mentioned loving during their late-night conversations. Steak from the famous Manhattan restaurant she once admitted wanting to try.
Her favourite Kentucky Fried Chicken.
Potato fries.
French fries.
Chicken nuggets.
Even her favourite junk foods.
Things she had only mentioned casually in passing conversations.
Things he remembered anyway.
Maya stared at the food speechlessly.
Meanwhile, Rege calmly prepared her plate.
He cut the steak carefully into smaller pieces before adding portions of everything else onto the plate and handing it to her.
Then he prepared his own.
Maya accepted hers slowly, still staring at him.
Her chest genuinely hurt a little.
Because nobody had ever listened to her this carefully before.
She tasted the steak first.
Then nodded thoughtfully.
"It's okay."
Rege immediately noticed the hesitation.
"You don't like it?"
"I do," Maya answered quickly with a smile.
But Rege continued studying her expression carefully before quietly taking the plate from her hands again.
Maya blinked in confusion.
He replaced it moments later with another plate filled mostly with KFC and junk food instead.
Maya burst into soft laughter immediately afterward.
Maya stared at him.
Then smiled helplessly.
This man noticed everything.
She took a bite of chicken before laughing again because Rege was still watching her instead of eating.
"Eat your food," she mumbled shyly.
Rege chuckled softly before finally beginning to eat too, though his gaze remained fixed on her most of the time anyway.
The entire dinner felt strangely intimate.
Warm.
Comfortable.
Dangerously domestic.
Maya kept her eyes mostly lowered toward her plate because every time she looked at him, her heart behaved irrationally.
Unfortunately for Rege—
he noticed that too.
And unexpectedly found himself missing her eyes on him.
After dinner, Rege cleaned everything again with the same calm efficiency while Maya remained seated beneath the rooftop lights admiring the evening sky.
The roses surrounding the rooftop swayed softly beneath the wind while candlelight flickered across the tent fabric nearby.
Below them, Manhattan continued moving endlessly beneath the night sky.
Everything felt unreal.
Beautiful enough to hurt.
Like existing inside a dream too beautiful to survive reality.
Rege eventually returned carrying three bottles of wine before sitting beside her again.
"What is going on inside your pretty head?" he asked softly.
Maya laughed quietly.
"Nothing. Just thinking about how little I actually know about you despite you knowing nearly everything about me."
"You know me, Krasota."
The name still affected her embarrassingly every single time.
Rege opened one of the wine bottles before pouring wine carefully into two glasses.
Maya took a sip curiously.
Then blinked.
"Mmm. It's sweet."
She looked at him suspiciously.
"Is this even alcoholic?"
Rege nodded once.
"But I thought wine was supposed to taste sour."
Rege smiled faintly.
"Some wines are sweet. This one is from my family's vineyard."
Maya's eyes widened instantly.
"So your family is insanely rich-rich?"
Rege chuckled softly.
"My family is comfortable."
Maya immediately pointed at him dramatically.
"That is exactly what filthy wealthy people always say."
Rege burst into genuine laughter this time.
Not restrained.
Not controlled.
Real laughter.
And Maya stared shamelessly.
Because his laughter honestly felt lethal.
She would never understand how one human being could look that beautiful while laughing.
"But seriously," Maya continued after recovering slightly, "this wine is amazing. Tatiana and Adela would love this."
"It's vintage, I'll send as many as you want."
Maya smiled brightly before finishing her glass entirely.
Rege chuckled softly while pouring more for her.
"I know wine is meant to be savored," Maya defended immediately, "but wine this good deserves enthusiasm."
Rege shook his head lightly with amusement.
Then Maya narrowed her eyes.
"What? Why are you looking at me like that?"
Because your lips are distracting me.
Because your smile is becoming dangerous for my self-control.
Because you are making it increasingly impossible for me to think rationally around you.
Instead he only answered softly:
"Do whatever makes you happy, Krasota."
Maya looked away shyly afterward before taking another sip.
"So what exactly is your family into?"
"Quite a few things."
"Tell me everything."
Rege studied her quietly for a moment before answering.
"Oil. Farming. Livestock. Pharmaceuticals. Medical equipment. Logistics. Clothing. Restaurants. Airlines. Jewelry. Investments. Casinos."
Maya stared at him with parted lips long after he finished speaking.
The wind drifted softly across the rooftop, carrying the scent of roses and the distant hum of Manhattan below them, but for several seconds she genuinely could not process everything he had just listed so calmly.
Oil.
Airlines.
Jewellery.
Pharmaceuticals.
Casinos.
It sounded less like a family and more like an empire.
The stem of her wine glass rested forgotten between her fingers while her wide eyes remained fixed on him beneath the golden rooftop lights.
"Wow..." she breathed finally.
Then she laughed softly in disbelief and dragged her free hand through her hair.
"No, seriously... wow."
Rege watched her quietly over the rim of his wine glass, the faintest trace of amusement softening his features.
Maya blinked repeatedly.
"I don't even know what to say anymore." She shook her head slowly. "Before meeting you, I genuinely thought Adela's family might be the richest people I'd ever encounter."
A smile tugged faintly at her lips.
"They're old money too, but they've also made modern money. I mean, they literally own and live in an estate." She paused before looking back at him again with complete disbelief written across her face. "But your family... your family is somehow everywhere."
The skyline glittered behind them while red rose petals drifted lazily through the evening breeze around the rooftop.
Rege only shrugged lightly as though she were discussing something ordinary.
That somehow shocked her even more.
Maya stared at him another second before lifting her glass and drinking more wine.
Not because she was drunk.
Because she truly needed a moment to absorb him.
Rege noticed immediately.
His gaze sharpened slightly.
"Are you okay?"
Maya laughed softly at the concern in his voice.
"I'm okay," she assured him quickly. "Just speechless."
The corner of Rege's mouth lifted faintly before he reached for the bottle again and calmly poured more wine into both their glasses.
Maya watched the movement of his hands for a moment.
Even that looked elegant.
Everything about him felt composed. Controlled. Intentional.
Which somehow made him even more dangerous.
Then another thought suddenly struck her.
She looked at him again.
"And you're still somehow single?"
Rege's brows lifted slightly.
Maya leaned back against the flower-covered seating arrangement, still staring at him like he made absolutely no sense.
"No, because I genuinely don't understand," she continued. "You're handsome—"
Rege sighed softly beneath his breath.
"—ridiculously calm, terrifyingly attentive, and filthy wealthy."
That finally pulled a quiet chuckle from him.
Maya pointed at him immediately.
"There. Even your laugh sounds expensive."
Rege shook his head slowly while bringing the wine glass to his lips.
The sight distracted Maya for half a second longer than it should have.
"You know," she continued thoughtfully, "if I met someone like you in London, I would immediately assume he had at least three secret fiancées hidden somewhere."
That earned another deeper laugh from him.
The sound wrapped warmly around her chest.
God.
She loved hearing him laugh.
"I noticed something though," Maya added curiously as she tucked one leg beneath herself. "Everything you mentioned was connected to your family."
Rege nodded once.
"So what about you?"
His aquamarine eyes settled fully on her.
"What are you into?"
The rooftop lights reflected softly inside his gaze while the evening wind moved strands of Maya's long dirty blonde hair across her cheek.
"I built my own path," he answered calmly.
Maya immediately leaned closer with interest sparkling inside her eyes.
"Which is?"
"Construction. Architecture. Real estate." He paused slightly before adding, "And a few other investments."
Maya blinked slowly.
Then again.
Then she took another sip of wine before muttering helplessly:
"I suddenly feel extremely poor."
Rege chuckled softly as he shook his head faintly.
"I absolutely am compared to you."
That pulled another quiet laugh from him.
Maya smiled instinctively at the sound.
It was becoming impossible not to.
Maya stared at him for a long moment before bursting into soft laughter.
Rege shook his head faintly while watching her with unconcealed warmth now.
It still stunned him how easily she made him smile.
How naturally she softened something inside him he had stopped recognizing years ago.
Maya noticed his gaze lingering on her again and quickly looked down at her wine glass before her heartbeat betrayed her completely.
Then she cleared her throat lightly.
"So..." she began again, deliberately changing the subject before her nerves consumed her. "Are you an only child?"
"No."
"How many siblings?"
"Six."
Maya's eyes widened instantly.
"Seriously?"
Rege nodded calmly.
"I have four older brothers and one younger sister."
Maya stared at him with open fascination.
"That actually explains a lot."
"You have the patience of someone who grew up surviving chaos daily."
A soft chuckle escaped him again.
Maya grinned triumphantly.
"I knew it."
The wind picked up gently around them again, carrying rose petals across the rooftop floor while the city lights below Manhattan glowed brighter beneath the darkening sky.
For a few seconds neither of them spoke.
Then Rege said quietly:
"My mother invited you to dinner tomorrow."
Maya froze.
The wine glass nearly slipped slightly inside her fingers before she steadied it quickly.
"Oh."
Her pulse skipped once unexpectedly.
"O... okay."
Rege watched her carefully.
"You can refuse."
Maya shook her head almost immediately.
"No."
Then more softly:
"I want to go."
Something warm flickered briefly through his expression.
"She seems lovely," Maya admitted honestly. "And..." She smiled shyly before lowering her eyes briefly. "I'd like to meet your family too."
The silence that followed felt strangely intimate.
Not awkward.
Just full.
Rege nodded once before gently brushing his thumb against the side of his wine glass.
"I think I actually have alcohol tolerance," Maya declared proudly after another sip.
Rege chuckled quietly.
Maya giggled softly before turning toward him again.
"This is the most you've spoken since meeting me."
Her smile widened instantly.
"I love it."
The honesty inside her voice hit him harder than expected.
Because she meant every word.
And somehow that mattered to him far too much already.
Maya turned back toward the skyline afterward while soft wind moved through her long dirty blonde hair in loose waves behind her.
The rooftop lights glowed warmly around them while drifting roses occasionally crossed the space between them.
Everything felt impossibly beautiful tonight.
"This is so beautiful," Maya whispered softly.
But Rege's eyes never left her face.
The oversized sweatshirt hanging loosely around her shoulders.
The soft pink tint warming her cheeks from the wine.
The sparkle inside her eyes.
The peacefulness slowly replacing the sadness he usually caught hiding beneath her smiles.
And before he could stop himself—
"Yes," he murmured quietly. "Beautiful."
His jaw tightened instantly afterward.
Because once again—
that had not been meant aloud.
Maya looked at him immediately.
And smiled.
That smile hit him like something physical.
Warm.
Blinding.
Dangerously genuine.
Rege returned it before he could stop himself.
And Maya's chest tightened instantly at the sight.
His smiles genuinely felt unfair.
She looked away first this time because she suddenly couldn't breathe properly again.
The wind drifted softly between them.
"I feel like tomorrow everything becomes real again," Maya admitted quietly after a while.
Maya rested her chin lightly against her knee while staring toward the city.
"I don't know," she admitted softly. "It feels like today exists separately from reality."
Her voice lowered slightly.
"Like tomorrow I become regular Maya again."
"There is nothing regular about you."
The words escaped him immediately.
Maya's breath caught faintly.
Slowly, she lowered her eyes toward her wine glass while shy warmth spread through her chest.
Rege realized what he had said seconds later.
But strangely—
he did not regret it.
Not even slightly.
"I also don't want today to end," he admitted quietly afterward.
That confession settled heavily between them beneath the rooftop lights.
Maya looked at him slowly.
Then smiled again.
Smaller this time.
Softer.
The kind of smile that felt terrifyingly intimate.
And for several seconds neither of them looked away.
The night deepened gradually around them afterward.
They talked.
Laughed.
Sat quietly together beneath drifting roses and glowing city lights while finishing the wine slowly.
Maya remained completely sober.
Relaxed, yes.
Warm from the alcohol, yes.
But fully aware of every emotion moving through her chest.
Which honestly frightened her more.
Because nothing clouded her judgment.
And still—
she wanted him impossibly badly.
By the time the final bottle emptied, her cheeks carried a soft flush while laughter escaped her more easily now.
"I'm sleepy," she admitted quietly.
Then she looked at him again and giggled softly.
"But I don't want to stop looking at your handsome face."
Rege chuckled beneath his breath.
Maya sighed dramatically.
"It's honestly unfair that you look like this."
That finally broke him.
Real laughter escaped him fully now, deep and genuine enough that his shoulders shook slightly.
Maya immediately joined him.
And while trying to lean back against the pillows, she nearly tipped sideways.
Rege caught her instantly.
Within seconds he had lifted her effortlessly into his arms and carried her into the tent.
Maya smiled helplessly against his shoulder while the rooftop lights glowed softly behind him.
God.
Being held by him felt dangerous now too.
Rege placed her carefully onto the makeshift bed beneath the soft blankets.
But the moment he tried pulling away—
Maya's arms wrapped around his neck.
And held him there.
Their breaths collided instantly.
The space between their mouths disappeared almost completely.
Rege froze.
Completely.
Maya stared directly into his aquamarine eyes while dangerous warmth flickered openly inside hers now.
And something inside Rege snapped quietly.
"I think," Maya whispered softly, "trying alcohol with you was a very good decision."
Then unconsciously—
she licked her lips.
Rege's jaw clenched impossibly tight.
Because he noticed everything.
Every breath.
Every movement.
Every flicker of longing hidden inside her gaze.
And suddenly all he could think about—
was kissing her.
Actually kissing her.
Finding out what those beautiful lips tasted like after imagining it endlessly for days even weeks now.
The terrifying part for Maya—
was that she wanted it too.
Not because of the wine.
Not because she was reckless.
But because somewhere along the way—
Rege had slipped beneath her skin completely.
And for the first time in her life—
desire no longer frightened her.
Especially when it came from him.