Alexander’s POV
Time seems to pass slowly, and I begin to wonder if Daisy faced any difficulties in convincing Sophia to come. Just as I’m about to check on her, the door opens, and there stands Daisy with the biggest grin on her face.
“She said yes, Daddy! Auntie Sophia is coming with us!” she announces triumphantly.
Relief washes over me, and I smile warmly at Daisy. “That’s wonderful, sweetheart! Thank you for inviting her.”
Daisy nods proudly, and together, we finish preparing the picnic basket while we wait for Sophia to finish preparing and join us.
Finally, there’s a knock on the door, and my heart skips a beat. I rush to answer it. And there she stands, looking stunning and radiant in a casual yet elegant outfit, perfectly fitting for a picnic in the park.
Sophia is wearing a flowing sundress that complements her figure, and her hair cascades down her shoulders in loose waves, catching the sunlight like a halo. A pair of sunglasses rests on top of her head, adding an extra touch of charm. I’ve never seen her dressed like this before, and I can’t help but stare at her longer than I should.
She appears a little embarrassed under my gaze, shifting on her feet and adjusting her hair with a shy smile. “Hi, Alexander,” she calls my name, her voice soft and sweet, bringing me back to my senses.
“Oh, hey, Sophia!” I stammer, mentally scolding myself for getting lost in my thoughts. “You look… I mean, you look really beautiful today.”
Her cheeks turn a light shade of pink as she fidgets with her dress. “Thank you,” she says, trying to appear nonchalant, but the slight blush gives away her true feelings.
“Daisy came to me, and she said we were going on a picnic, so I decided to join,” Sophia explains, her eyes meeting mine.
I smile warmly, feeling a mixture of happiness and relief. “I’m glad you’re coming with us,” I reply. “The kids will be thrilled.”
Daisy, who has been waiting eagerly by the door, jumps at the chance to show off her excitement. They grab the picnic baskets and hurry outside, Sophia following them, graciously accepting the baskets from the kids. Daisy can’t help but compliment her again, saying she looks really beautiful today.
Sophia’s face turns even redder, and she brushes off the compliment. “Oh, it’s just so-so,” she says humbly, but her eyes light up at the genuine praise.
“Daniel, what do you think?” the little girl turns to her brother, seeking confirmation.
Daniel nods. “Yes, Auntie Sophia, you look beautiful,” he affirms.
She finally smiles, and I can’t help but laugh to myself, realizing how obvious it is that she is their mother.
“Well, shall we go then?” I say, breaking the sweet moment.
Sophia nods, her smile warm and genuine. “Yes, let’s go.”
I quickly grab my keys, and together, we head outside.
Tyler’s pov
I sit comfortably on the couch in our living room, controller in hand, engaged in an intense online game with Jake. It is a five player game, so we were teaming with some guys we found on the server to break the current dungeon record.
“What should we do next?” One of them exclaims in a loud voice that I nearly pull out my headphone. “They might contain us at this rate,” he shrills.
I sigh. “Just calm down and guard your turrets.”
“Don’t worry, Tyler is going to take down their ADC first,” Jake pipes in from beside me.
I laugh, crawling into a nearby bush to sneak up on the ADC. He was currently farming and couldn’t detect my presence, so I took him defenseless. As I land a perfect combo, I can’t help but chuckle at Jake’s reaction.
He grins mischievously and nudges me playfully, “Hah! You can’t beat the master!” He grins as he rushes along the mid lane to disarm a tank. “But I’m going to be MVP, just so you know.”
I raise an eyebrow, maintaining my cool and calm demeanor. “Oh, we’ll see about that, champ. I’ve got a few tricks up my sleeve.”
The game goes on, and we begin to take charge, turning the situation around. “Alright, I’ll distract them, and you go for the objective,” I suggest, keeping my voice low.
“Got it. I’ll cover you from the flank,” Jake replies with a wink, clearly enjoying the thrill of the game.
Our teamwork is seamless, and thankfully, although the other players are not exactly outstanding, they are not a burden, so it isn’t long before we win the game and I get the MVP badge.
The other three players on our team thank us for carrying the game, and I give a nod of appreciation. “Just good chemistry,” I say, acknowledging their compliments, but Jake beams with pride instead.
Just then, Jake’s phone starts ringing, interrupting our talk. He glances at the caller ID with surprise before sharing the news with me. It’s the apartment broker he contacted.
“Take the call,” I tell him, and he answers it, placing the phone beside his ear.
Jake takes the call, and I can see the expression on his face change as he listens intently to the person on the other end of the line. I don’t hear what they are saying anyway, so I continue to play the game, keeping an eye on Jake from time to time.
I can tell he’s both surprised and intrigued by what he’s hearing. The volume of his voice rises slightly as he asks, “Wait, so you’re saying only one person bought all the apartments in that building?”
I lean in, curious about the unexpected turn of events. Jake continues talking to the broker, trying to make sense of the situation. I can’t hear the details of the conversation clearly, but from his animated expressions, it’s evident that the broker’s words have caught him off guard.
After a few more minutes, Jake finally hangs up the phone, and I can’t contain my curiosity any longer. “What did the man say?” I ask, eager to know what’s going on.
Jake takes a moment to process the information before he begins to recount the conversation. “The broker said that the place we were interested in has been bought already. Can you believe it? One person bought the entire building and only Sophia’s place, and that guy’s apartment is left.”