Aurelia's POV
I returned to Los Angeles, California, with my legal tool gun safely with me.
After spending a few days with my family in New York, coming back to the office almost felt strange.
Too quiet.
Too normal.
The moment I entered, Carl looked at me.
"Welcome back."
"Thank you. Where is everyone?"
"Evelyn and Austin are still on leave. And, apparently, sir also took leave."
I raised an eyebrow.
"Vincent?"
"Yeah. Apparently, he had to go somewhere urgently."
"Where?"
Carl leaned closer. "Rumour has it that he left in a helicopter."
I stared at him.
"A helicopter?"
"Yes. Some people even claim they saw it."
I blinked. "Vincent is that famous?"
Carl gave me a look.
"Aurelia, don't be ridiculous. He is the future heir of the Montclair Group. The branches are spread across almost eighteen locations, and he is well known because of his family, his work, and—"
"His looks?"
Carl paused.
"Exactly."
I rolled my eyes. "Since Evelyn and Austin aren't here, you're filling their absence by gossiping about Vincent?"
"I'm simply providing information."
"You didn't even sleep properly, did you?"
"No."
"Work, work! Before you start another rumour."
I walked toward my desk.
An hour later, I heard footsteps.
I looked up.
Vincent.
Our eyes met.
And I immediately noticed something different.
He looked proud.
Not the ordinary Vincent kind of confidence.
Something else.
"What?" I asked.
"Nothing."
"You're smiling."
"Am I not allowed to?"
"You look suspicious."
He simply walked into his office.
A few minutes later, the reception area suddenly became noisy.
"Who is Miss Aurelia Vale?"
I turned around.
"I—I am Aurelia Vale."
A delivery man stood there with two other men carrying an enormous bouquet wrapped in a deep cherry-red covering.
"Ma'am, this parcel is for you."
I frowned.
"I didn't order anything."
"We don't know who sent it. But there is a letter attached."
My curiosity won.
"Give it to me."
I took the bouquet and opened the letter.
My eyes widened.
As promised, our second meet will be surrounded by your favourite flowers—Halfeti roses. I travelled all the way to Halfeti, Türkiye, myself to get them.
BY YOURS,
Vincent Montclair
For a moment, I forgot how to breathe.
Everyone was staring.
Carl walked toward me.
"Who sends black flowers?"
I looked at him.
"My admirer who knows me well."
I carried the flowers into my desk or we can say small cabin.
Then,
The moment I entered Vincent's cabin, he immediately switched the glass to opaque.
I folded my arms.
"How did you bring these?"
"Helicopter."
I stared at him.
"Vincent."
"And travelling took approximately fifteen hours."
"Fifteen hours?"
I walked closer.
"Are you crazy? I said it as a joke! Do you even understand how rare these flowers are?"
He stood from his chair.
His hands slipped into his pockets as he walked toward me.
"You said you liked them."
"That doesn't mean you have to cross half the world."
He stopped in front of me.
Then, without saying anything, he gently wrapped an arm around my waist and pulled me closer.
My heartbeat immediately betrayed me.
"Anything for my queen."
I swallowed.
Your queen? Already?
I looked up at him.
"You're getting very confident for someone who is still chasing me."
His lips curved into a smirk.
"You were my everything from the moment I saw you."
His voice dropped.
"And meeting you was one of the best things that ever happened to me."
For one dangerous second, I forgot every clever response I had prepared.
I looked at his tie.
Then his face.
Then quickly back at his eyes.
"Remember," I whispered, "you're still chasing."
I winked.
Then I stepped away before my brain completely stopped functioning.
That evening, I took the flowers home and sent a picture to the Questions group.
Guess who gave me these?
Elena replied almost instantly.
OF COURSE WE KNOW. OUR SOON-TO-BE BROTHER-IN-LAW.
I stared at the screen.
My cheeks became hot.
"Oh my God."
I threw my phone onto the bed.
Then I screamed into my pillow.
Why was I acting like this?
I eventually ordered a vase and carefully arranged every flower.
I even searched how to keep Halfeti roses fresh for longer.
Later, lying in bed, curiosity took over.
I searched:
"What does a bouquet of 101 roses mean?"
The answer appeared.
101 roses are commonly associated with deep, limitless affection and the idea of one person being your one and only.
I stared at the screen.
"Vincent is so my type. Why can't I just accept him and kiss him?"
I paused.
"No."
I turned off my phone.
"Flowers on the second meet are already a huge gesture. But do we really know if this butterfly love will last?"
I stared at the ceiling.
"Hmm."
A small smile appeared.
"Never mind."
I pulled the blanket over myself.
"When he asks me to be his girlfriend, I'll say yes."
Meanwhile, somewhere across the city, Vincent was staring at his apartment ceiling.
Did she understand what I meant?
Did she actually like the flowers?
What should I bring her next time?
He thought for a moment.
Then suddenly sat up.
"Wait."
He opened Instagram.
After scrolling through Aurelia's account, he found something.
Sour candies.
Sour food.
Anything sour.
Vincent smiled.
"So that's what she likes."
He leaned back.
Then another thought occurred to him.
"I'll bring her every sour thing I can find."
Apparently, the man had discovered his next mission.