Clara stood in front of the full-length mirror, adjusting her moss-green silk dress.
It was the kind of color that screamed "I have a healthy brokerage account and zero regrets."
"Okay, Clara," she whispered to her reflection. "Tonight is about cementing the 'friendship' with Arthur to keep the System stable. No drama. No Julian. Just a nice, civilized dinner."
At exactly seven, a sleek gold sports car pulled up. Clara stepped out of her manor, ready to greet the Golden Boy, only to stop dead on the porch.
Arthur was there, looking like a literal sunbeam in a tan suit. But sitting in the passenger seat, wrapped in a fluffy white pashmina and holding a single, wilted lily, was Daisy.
"Seraphina!" Arthur called out, hopping out to open the door. He looked slightly sheepish, his golden-boy glow dampened by a hint of panic.
"I hope you don't mind! Daisy was feeling terribly lonely after the 'fountain incident,' and she was worried that the cold air would settle in her lungs if she stayed home alone. I couldn't just leave her, could I?"
Daisy looked out from the car, her eyes wide and watery.
"I'm so sorry, Seraphina. I didn't want to intrude on your... business meeting. I'll just sit quietly and eat my unseasoned broth. Please don't be angry."
Clara stared at them.
The script was literally dragging the Female Lead along like a magnetic tail.
"Angry? Daisy, darling, I'm thrilled," Clara said, her voice dripping with sugary sarcasm as she climbed into the back seat. "Every billionaire dinner is improved by the presence of a Victorian orphan. It really keeps us grounded."
The restaurant was a five-star French bistro where the bread rolls cost more than Clara's old rent. They were seated at a prime window table.
Arthur sat in the middle, looking like a man trying to mediate a peace treaty between a panther and a marshmallow.
"So, Arthur," Clara began, leaning forward and ignoring Daisy, who was currently "struggling" to unfold her napkin. "About that AI integration—"
"Arthur..." Daisy whimpered, touching his arm with a trembling finger. "Is it drafty in here? I feel a sudden chill. Do you think the air conditioning is set to 'Antarctic'?"
Arthur immediately turned to her, his face full of programmed concern. "Oh! Let me get the waiter to change it, or you can have my jacket—"
"Arthur, she's literally wearing a pashmina made of a thousand clouds," Clara interrupted, taking a calm sip of her wine.
"If she's cold, it's because her blood is actually just sugar water. Let's focus. The tech acquisition—"
"I just... I don't want to be a bother," Daisy whispered, a single tear tracing a path down her cheek. "Maybe I should just go wait in the car. I'm sure Julian wouldn't want me to be a burden..."
"Speaking of burdens," Clara muttered, but she was cut off by a shadow falling over the table.
A dark, looming, very expensive shadow.
"What a coincidence," a familiar, icy voice rasped.
Clara looked up. Standing there, looking like he'd just stepped out of a funeral for Joy itself, was Julian.
He was holding a menu as if it were a weapon, and his jaw was set so tight it looked like it might shatter.
"Julian?" Arthur gasped. "What are you doing here? You said you had meetings!"
"The meetings were canceled," Julian snapped, his eyes locked onto Clara's wine glass.
He pulled out the empty chair at the end of the table and sat down without being asked. "I heard this place had excellent... security. I wanted to see it for myself."
Clara leaned back, a delighted smirk spreading across her face.
"Julian! How lovely. Did you come to make sure the waiter doesn't snap his pen while taking our order? Or did you just miss the sound of my voice?"
Julian's eyes flickered with a mix of fury and something he wouldn't admit was interest.
"I'm here to make sure you don't use Arthur's kindness to plot against Daisy. I know how your mind works, Seraphina."
"Oh, you do?" Clara laughed. "Then you should know that right now, my mind is thinking about how you're currently a 'Third Wheel' to a 'Third Wheel.' This isn't a dinner anymore; it's a support group for people who can't take a hint."
Daisy let out a soft gasp. "Julian... you came for me?"
Julian didn't even look at Daisy. He was too busy glaring at the way Clara's dress caught the light. "I'm here to observe," he muttered.
"Well, observe this," Clara said, turning to Arthur with a dazzling smile.
"Arthur, since Julian is here to babysit Daisy, you and I can finally discuss that merger in the lounge. The lighting is much better for... business."
The "System" hummed in Clara's ears, a warning static, but she didn't care. The look of pure, unadulterated shock on Julian's face was worth the risk of a total reality crash.