Alex threw his pen onto the table, the sound sharp in the quiet room.
He leaned back against the couch, dragging a hand through his hair.
He tried again to focus on the file in front of him.
But the words blurred.
His jaw tightened.
Every time he tried—
those same words slipped back into his mind.
"At least it's better to try than doing nothing."
"Ugh…" he muttered under his breath, shutting his eyes for a second.
Why was that even stuck in his head?
It shouldn't matter.
She shouldn't matter.
Meanwhile—
Veronica sat in her room, her laptop open in front of her.
She stared at the screen for a few seconds before forcing herself to move.
"I need to focus…" she whispered quietly.
Her fingers hovered over the keyboard, but her chest still felt tight.
His words… his tone…
It lingered.
She exhaled slowly.
"This is just a contract marriage," she told herself again, trying to steady her thoughts.
After a moment, she finally pushed herself back into work.
Time passed quietly.
Morning slowly turned into evening.
And yet—
both of them stayed in their own rooms.
Separated by just a few walls…
but miles apart in silence.
Alex finally closed his laptop with a small sigh.
"At least that's done…"
He leaned back slightly.
Just then, his phone rang.
He glanced at the screen.
Yuna.
A faint softness crossed his face as he picked up the call.
"Hello…"
"Hey," Yuna's voice came from the other side, light and familiar.
A small pause.
"How was your day, princess?" he asked, his tone calm.
She replied cheerfully, talking about her day.
Alex listened, responding here and there—
but his eyes drifted toward the door without him noticing.
"Hmm… good girl," he said quietly.
"Just keep focusing like that, okay?"
They talked for a while.
Normal. Easy.
But something felt… slightly off.
A soft knock came from the door.
Alex looked up almost immediately.
"Come in."
For a brief second—
there was a flicker of expectation in his eyes.
The door opened.
His assistant stepped in.
"Sir, dinner is ready."
The small change in his expression faded.
"Hmm," he nodded.
He stood up, stretching his shoulders lightly.
Then he moved toward the doorway and stepped out, walking downstairs.
As he walked down the stairs, his gaze moved around the mansion.
Not directly.
Just… briefly.
As if searching without admitting it.
He took his seat at the dining table.
The food was already served.
He picked up his fork and started eating quietly.
A moment passed.
Then another.
His eyes lifted.
Toward the stairs.
Toward her room.
He glanced at the time.
It was getting late.
He cleared his throat slightly.
"Isn't she…" he paused for a second,
"…coming for dinner?"