The figure stepped out of the car, facing the spacious house. A soft smile lingered on her bright pinkish lips. She breathed in the air, eyes drinking it all in, and walked forward. Every rose along the path refreshed her steps. Her fingertips grazed across them. The architecture ahead carried a fragrance she had been savoring in her memory for a long time. Her smile brushed across her lips again.

A faint knock on the door.

And everything was exactly as she had anticipated.

The door opened — no rusted iron creak, just silence. A woman in a white, transparent night suit stepped out, shielding her eyes from the light with her palm. She gradually peeked at the guest — and froze. Her eyes went wide and she screamed.

"Oh my god! Honey! Oh my god!" She covered her mouth, unable to believe what she was seeing. She shook her hands in excitement and launched herself at the guest. "Ah~ I missed you so much, Honey~" She melted into the warm, long-awaited embrace. The guest smiled and pressed a kiss to her neck.

"I missed you too, my wifey." The guest woman held her wife at arm's length, hands still looped around her glass-hour waist, her wife's arms still around her neck. A blissful quiet settled between them — until,

"You should've at least changed into something, my wifey." The woman said. Perplexed, the other woman looked down at herself and gasped. She shot a wide-eyed look back at her, crossing her arms over her chest. "Oh my god — I completely forgot I was in a night suit," she whispered. The other woman chuckled softly, stroking her hair, leaning close to her ear.

"Yes. A transparent one." The woman in the night suit flushed with embarrassment, eyes dropping to the ground, teeth pressing into her lower lip. She glared at her wife and darted back inside.

Leaving a smirk behind. "I loved the welcoming gift."

"Welcome back, Ms. Kassandreau." The household staff stood in a neat line, bowing to her. She inclined her head and placed a hand over her chest — the gesture of respect she had long been taught.

Her eyes moved slowly around the house. The albums of shared memories. The trophies where her pride and glory lived. Knitted dolls from her wife. Her gaze caught on a photo from Switzerland — snow falling in the background, her wife laughing over her shoulder, and Kassan wearing her usual quiet smile. Frozen moments always carried a different kind of weight than the real thing.

"Do you like it, Honey?" Her wife embraced her from behind, pressing a kiss to her shoulder. Kassan nodded slightly. "Yes. I already miss that moment."

"Should we go back?" her wife asked. Kassan turned around. "No — we're going to Lapland. You've always wanted to go, right?" Her wife's eyes went wide, brows furrowing immediately. "Don't tell me you already—"

"Yes. I already filed a flight plan. We leave next week." Kassan gave her quiet victory smile. Her wife clapped both hands over her mouth. "No. No, no, no — really? You're just unbelievable, Honey!" She screamed and leapt at her spouse again. Their foreheads touched. Laughter passed between them. Her wife's fingers cupped Kassan's cheeks, thumbs brushing gently. The chemistry between them tightened around one quiet thread — trust.

"Do you like it, my wifey?" Kassan asked. An instant warmth flooded her wife's face, the smile stretching ear to ear — just gorgeous. She nodded quickly, followed by a soft kiss to Kassan's forehead. "Yes. I'm already excited." They settled into a shared, quiet smile.

Kassan drifted across the beautifully set dining table and into the kitchen doorway, watching her wife move with quiet focus. She rested her chin in her palm, eyes fixed entirely on her. Her wife glanced up briefly and smiled — the kind that stays with you, the kind Kassan replayed in her memory every time she was far away.

"Ms. Kassandreau, Mr. and Mrs. Thanapontharawiset are here." The maid stepped in. Kassan's lips curved into a small smile. She walked to the door and bowed to her in-laws, hand over her chest. "I hope we're not too late, sweetheart," her mother-in-law said. Kassan shook her head warmly.

"You could never be, Mom." Her mother-in-law laughed softly and pressed a kiss to Kassan's head. They walked together to the dining table. "Kassan — haven't your parents arrived yet?"

"They should be—" Before she could finish, the maid returned. "Ms. Kassandreau, Mr. and Mrs. Dupen-Lee are here." Kassan inclined her head and walked straight to her parents, a wide, shimmering smile on her face, embracing them lightly.

"Where is my daughter-in-law? Where is Sy?" her mother asked. "She's preparing the food — come in." Kassan guided them through, just as Sy rushed over and pulled her mother-in-law into a hug.

"I'm so glad you came, Mom. I was worried you'd refuse again." Sy said, smiling. The woman glanced at Kassan with a knowing smirk. "Yes — if your wife hadn't given us fair warning beforehand, dear." Sy turned to stare at Kassan, then walked off with her in-laws as though filing a quiet warning of her own. Kassan gulped, watching her wife slip seamlessly between both families.

"It's good you arrived early, Kassan," her mother-in-law said.

"I hadn't planned to — but someone was missing me, so I had to." Kassan said. Everyone at the table looked from Kassan to Sy. Sy blushed and cleared her throat pointedly.

"Ah, what I meant was—" Before Kassan could recover, her mother cut in. "We know exactly what you meant, baby." Laughter brightened the table. Sweet stories and cherished memories passed between them. Wine glasses clinked. The silence was never where things ended — it was always the small frozen moments in between.

Kassan leaned over the balcony railing, swirling her wine glass. Her mother-in-law walked out to join her. Kassan straightened. "You look better than before. The work must have done you good." her mother-in-law said, arms crossed. Kassan scoffed lightly. "I'd say the longing for your daughter did more for me than any work ever could." The woman smiled to herself. She walked over to Kassan and leaned against the railing beside her.

"You really love my daughter, Kassan?" she asked, her tone turning quiet and sincere. Kassan considered the question for a moment before answering. "I do, Mom. So much that I once threatened your husband into accepting my marriage proposal — right in front of you." The woman laughed genuinely.

"Yes — we were so frightened then, going back and forth wondering whether Sy would ever be happy with someone as bold as you." she said. "Did I prove you wrong, Mom?" Kassan asked.

"Yes, Kassan." she whispered, with the kind of smile that felt like something you could rely on. "I'm glad you proved to us you were exactly the right person for my daughter." Kassan smiled gently, leaning into the railing, passing her wine glass over to her mother-in-law.

"I'm happy you let me become part of your family, Mom." Kassan said. The woman touched her glass to her daughter-in-law's and drank quietly. Kassan smiled, something uncertain inside her dissolving slowly, like ink in water.

"They'll be waiting — we should head back in." Kassan said. Her mother-in-law nodded. Kassan handed the glasses to the maid and walked back into the living room, hand in hand with the older woman.

"Leaving already?" Kassan asked. Her mother glanced at her, patting her shoulder. "Yes, baby — early morning tomorrow." Kassan embraced her mother, then stepped back, hand over her chest, a slight bow.

"Safe journey, Mom and Dad. Come back whenever you can." she said, and meant every word.

An uneasy feeling settled somewhere in her chest. Before she could place it, the evening had already wound down around her. Silence crept into every corner of the house. Still, her attention drifted toward the sound of dishes from the kitchen. She rested her head back and let her eyes find Sy — baking something, as always.

"Ms. Kassandreau, the indoor pool is ready for your bath." the maid said. Kassan nodded, gaze still on Sy. "Get our things ready. Light the pool with blueberry scented candles and scatter rose petals over the water." She gave the instruction and walked straight into the kitchen — not waiting for a response.

Kassan grabbed her wife's waist from behind. Sy gasped, nearly screaming — until she caught Kassan's reflection in her watch. She turned around immediately, blushing. "Why are you always so unpredictable, Honey?"

Kassan leaned over her shoulder, grip tightening, and whispered. "Maybe because my wife loves surprises." Sy laughed quietly. "I love everything you do to me, Honey."

"Really? Everything I do *to* you — or *for* you, my wifey?" Kassan teased. Sy turned red instantly, realizing her slip. "Ah, I— I meant everything you do *for* me, Honey." She stammered. Kassan turned Sy to face her. Sy shivered, locked into her husband's gaze. "But I took the first version seriously, wifey."

Sy's pupils trembled. She had already imagined what the rest of the night was going to look like. A deep blush flooded her face and she escaped her husband's gaze entirely.

Kassan drew her chin closer, thumb brushing slowly across her lips. Sy's breath wavered. Their eyes found each other's — warm, familiar. Sy looped her arms around Kassan's neck. Blueberry fragrance drifted between them.

"Were you making blueberry pie?" Kassan asked, tucking a strand of baby hair behind Sy's ear. "Yes. Your favourite." Sy nudged her with a raised brow. Kassan just smiled, brushing through Sy's hair.

"Hey — do you have any idea how long it takes to set my hair?" Sy protested. Kassan pushed her away with a palm to her face. "You're not going to kiss me?" Kassan smiled to herself when she heard that. She turned and said, "Not without consent."

Sy's head fell back against the cupboard door. Her fingers gripped the counter. She exhaled heavily, glancing at Kassan. "I never expected my decision about you would feel this right, Honey." It came out barely above a whisper.

"Come — let's bathe together." Kassan said, extending her hand. Sy smiled softly, taking it. It was warm and steady, exactly as she always expected it to be. "Why do you love me so much, Honey?" Sy asked.

"Because you were the only one who wanted to see me the way I see myself. You never tried to make me into someone else's version of me. You stood by me regardless of what I was passionate about or how much money I made from it. Everything I have today exists because you believed in my path. Tell me — isn't that enough reason to love you the way I do, wifey?" Kassan's voice softened around every word. Sy's fingers interlocked with hers. Her head came to rest against Kassan's chest and she looked up into her eyes.

"If I hadn't believed in you — if I hadn't stood by you — would you still have chosen to love me, Kassan?" Sy whispered. Kassan's eyes smiled serenely. She kissed her forehead. "I would still choose you, sweetheart. My life is more alive when you're in it."

"I'll forever love only you, Honey. We've been through so much — from falling in love to getting married. What a ride it's been. I love my life. Thank you for saving me that day, Honey." Kassan pulled her into an embrace and pressed a kiss to her bare shoulder.

***

Sy's laughter rang out across their lavender garden as she ran through it, carefree. Kassan chased after her, camera in hand — recording, snapping pictures. "Slow down, babe — you'll hurt yourself."

"That's alright. You're with me, Honey." Sy ran without a second thought, trusting completely that Kassan would catch her the moment she needed it.

"Just like your mom says — you really are a spoiled brat." Kassan replied, matter-of-fact. Sy stopped dead and spun around, eyes burning into her. "Say that again. I will break your legs, Kassandreau Dupen-Lee." The words landed straight. Kassan grabbed her own chest and gave a sheepish smile. "I'm sorry, my lady."

Sy looked away, savoring her win. "Fine. I forgive you, my hubby." She lit up and launched herself at her — and Kassan never missed the catch. The trust between them was unwavering.

"You really should stop doing that, sweetheart." Sy wrapped her arms around Kassan's neck and whispered, "Dare say that again — I'll shut down your gym." Kassan swallowed hard, pupils wavering. "You shouldn't threaten me, wifey." Her voice dropped low. Sy lifted Kassan's chin and smirked.

"You may be the one who built all of this — but I run it all in your absence. Show a little respect, Honey." Her voice touched every nerve. Goosebumps rose across Kassan's skin. She barely held her ground.

"Uh — Ms. Kassandreau—" Kassan's secretary walked in, completely unaware of what he was about to walk into. His heart lurched and he stopped mid-step. Kassan turned and set her wife down in one smooth motion. "Ah — James. What brings you here?"

What a perfectly timed interruption.

"Ms. Kassandreau, a number of parents are gathered at the company — demanding a refund." Kassan straightened, brows furrowing. "What kind of refund? Did we release a scheme?" She glanced at her wife. Sy was tense and confused, thumbs twisting against each other. Kassan noticed.

"Babe — are we going to the company together?" She kept her voice steady, careful not to make things worse. Sy didn't look at her but gave a short nod. "Prepare the car, James. We'll be out in a minute." James inclined his head and walked away.

Kassan caught Sy's wrist and pulled her inside. She guided her into the living room and then turned, direct and rough. "What did you do while I was away?"

Sy flinched, stepping back. "H— Honey, I didn't do anything wrong. I only launched an advance scheme." She stammered, trying to hold herself steady. Kassan tightened her grip on her wrist and pulled her closer. "How much did you charge those people, Sy? How much?"

"In advance... four thousand, five hundred dollars." Sy gripped Kassan's collar, trying to find somewhere to look that wasn't her eyes. Kassan let go, covering her mouth with her palm, then dragged both hands through her hair. She closed the gap between them and whispered, voice rough and low.

"Why? Why would you do this? Has the wealth gone to your head, Ngawang Sy?"

Sy had no answer. Her fingers fidgeted in silence. Kassan turned away, facing the glass wall and the lavender garden beyond it. Her gaze didn't soften at the sight of her favourite flowers — the anger only deepened.

James appeared at the entrance. He waited there, reading the room. Kassan glanced at him and nodded. Without another word to Sy, she followed James out — and Sy fell into step behind them.

"How long has this demonstration been going on, James?" Kassan asked, scrolling through the company tablet. James met her eyes in the rearview mirror before turning back to the road. "A week now. The company tried to negotiate but it kept escalating, Ms. Kassandreau."

"Are any other companies backing them?" "Yes — VERITAS HARMONY is backing them." Kassan's gaze drifted to the windshield, thoughts moving fast and quiet.

"It started with a handful of parents raising concerns based on student speculation — but within four days it had become a full demonstration," James continued. "VERITAS HARMONY wouldn't touch this unless there was something in it for them. They don't move without a reason." Kassan said, her calm dissolving into something harder.

"Reputation." James said suddenly. Kassan tilted her head, brow arching. "VERITAS HARMONY is going after your reputation. Parents trust institutions through reputation — pull yours down, and VERITAS HARMONY rises to fill the space. It benefits them directly, Ms. Kassandreau." He finished.

Neither Kassan nor Sy said a word. They looked at each other and then lost themselves in thought. That James — quietly picking up what both of them had missed entirely — was almost too much to process.

"James, you're remarkable." Sy whispered, almost to herself. James glanced in the rearview mirror and scoffed. "Was that a compliment, Ms. Ngawang?"

"Obviously, James." Sy replied without hesitation. James smiled. "I'll take it, Ms. Ngawang."

Silence crept between them after that. No one made a sound. The drive was as quiet as the argument still running through Kassan's head. Her eyes moved across the city buzzing past the window, none of it reaching her. Sy stole glances at her, wrestling with her own thoughts. James kept his eyes moving between the road and the rearview mirror.

Kassan stepped out of the car and looked up at her company building. From out here it felt like a living thing slowly suffocating — something polluted beneath its own surface. She walked in through the back entrance. Sy and James felt the same weight but neither said so.

Kassan positioned herself at the front doors, blocked from the crowd outside. She scanned the people holding banners, protesting against her company. Her stomach didn't drop. Her breath didn't hitch. Nothing broke her posture — she was calmer than Sy had expected, or perhaps hoped for.

"Is Honey alright, James?" Sy whispered as they moved toward the media room. "She came here with a plan. That's confidence — not detachment. Don't worry, Ms. Ngawang." James gave a small nod with a quiet smile.

"A plan? What plan?" Her curiosity sharpened. "You'll see soon enough, Ms. Ngawang." James said, and moved to Kassan's side. He leaned in, posture perfect. "Everything is ready, Ms. Kassandreau."

She inclined her head and walked straight to the dais. She settled into the single chair prepared for her, gaze moving across the room — media, parents, students. She took the microphone.

"My greetings to everyone present here. I don't think my introduction is necessary." She began. "I acknowledge the matter circulating regarding AUREXIS and the so-called 'false scheme' conducted by my wife, Ngawang Sy Thanapontharawiset."

"So you admit your company had a hand in this false scheme?" a woman from the media asked. "I acknowledge the public's concern as an allegation. We did conduct a scheme — not a false one, but a beneficial one, specifically designed for students from lower-income backgrounds." Kassan replied.

"Beneficial for indigent students? You say that — yet you haven't delivered the same quality of education as you provide for your privileged students. What do you say to that, Ms. Kassandreau?"

"We promised equal access to education — we never promised identical content. Because the funding is not identical. Privileged students pay in millions. Lower-income students pay a fraction of that — and still arrive with the same expectations. When you want overnight success, it comes with a cost. I'm certain the parents in this room understand that." She gestured toward the front rows — well-dressed, organized, visibly wealthy parents of the so-called privileged students.

"That's fair — it justifies the difference in fees." one of those women said.

The room shifted. "Those who lost money in this scheme are demanding a refund. What is your response?" a reporter pressed.

"I'm genuinely sorry your children felt overlooked for being taught fundamentals. But let me ask you something — when your child enters kindergarten, do you expect the teacher to open with university-level equations? Or do you expect them to start with the basics?" The question shut them down before anyone could form an answer. Glances flew across the room. Whispers broke out, uncertain and uncomfortable.

Then a voice came — not from the media. From a student standing at the back.

"We didn't pay four thousand five hundred dollars just to be taught basics! I want my refund! Your whole scheme was designed to rob us!"

Kassan looked at the student for a moment before responding. A second thought. The kind most people forget to take.

"Did you — or your parents — sign the scheme documents with our manager?" she asked, keeping every trace of anger completely buried.

"Yes. My parents signed them."

"Did your parents read the terms and conditions of the scheme?" Kassan asked.

The student glanced at their parents. The answer was written across their faces. She had what she needed.

"I see. Let me tell you what those terms state. Point five clearly outlines that the advance payment funds the first four months of your child's education — and that if, after those four months, you are unsatisfied, the advance will be refunded with interest. Point eight states that the first month covers foundational skills, and the remaining three months cover the major areas of study. This is what your parents agreed to — without reading it. So tell me: whose fault is this? The parents who didn't read the terms? The students who misread the programme? Or the people bought by VERITAS HARMONY to exaggerate this situation and revoke my wife's licences and my company's reputation?"

The room gasped. Whispers erupted. The tension stretched and didn't ease. Sy stood in the back, further from her own thoughts than anyone else in the room. Kassan, at the center of it, looked entirely settled. If anyone knew what she was about to do next — it was only James.

"What is happening right now, James?" Sy whispered, voice shaking. James chuckled softly. "To be honest, Ms. Kassandreau loves her wife so much that she just flipped the entire scandal on its head." Sy's jaw dropped.

"What exactly are you trying to say, Ms. Kassandreau?" the reporter asked.

"Just watch." The CCTV footage began to play on the projector behind her. Frame by frame, it showed exactly how VERITAS HARMONY had recruited a group of parents from within their own institution to manufacture and spread false claims about Ngawang Sy's scheme — and how that manufactured outrage had made it onto the front page.

Kassan leaned toward the microphone one final time. "You reap what you sow." she whispered — unhurried, unbothered — and stepped down from the dais.

No one chased after her.

She had swatted them away.

Like little mosquitoes.

But the atmosphere at the residency was something else entirely — too different to ignore. Odd, at certain moments, but she acted like she hadn't noticed. Puzzled by the way her wife stared at her for no reason.

Watched her from one doorframe to another but never stepped inside — didn't matter if Kassan was in the bathroom, the kitchen, the garden, the balcony, or even the gym.

The awkwardness only thickened at the dinner table. "Alright. What are you trying to do, babe? Just — tell me if something's bothering you." Kassan said, patience finally giving way. No immediate answer came. No defensive response either. Instead, Sy dragged her chair closer and leaned forward.

"There's a lot running through my head — but just answer me one thing, Honey." She said, flat and calm.

Kassan nodded briefly, eyes moving over her wife's expression. "At the conference — were you trying to protect your company, or your wife?" A clean, straight question, landing just above the heart. Not through it. Not yet.

"Both. Both of you matter to me, babe." Kassan replied.

"Why not just one, Honey?" Kassan took a moment before answering. "Imagining my life without either of you is the hardest thing I can think of. I need to protect both my company and my wife — because I can't afford to lose either." She took a bite of lettuce, glancing at Sy. Sy's fingers had barely moved over her plate.

"What if you had to lose one someday? Who would you choose?" Sy asked, looking into her eyes. Kassan chewed calmly, and then said, "I'd rather lose both than choose one."

Her composure landed somewhere soft and strange. Goosebumps bloomed at the back of Sy's neck. She watched Kassan eat without the slightest hesitation.

Her mind stayed entirely fixed on the small things Kassan did. "The salad's good. I'd like it again for tomorrow's breakfast." Kassan said it as simply as she'd just sprinkled salt over the bowl — but for Sy, that pinch of salt told a different story. She knew Kassan reached for it only once in a while, the same way she kept certain feelings pressed down for days at a time. Quietly. Just like that.

Sy kept digging into her own thoughts. The weight of unnecessary overthinking piled up.

Kassan glanced over and caught a pattern that didn't sit well with her. "Aren't you going to say something?" Kassan asked — not sharp, not cold. Just even. Calm.

"It's been two years since we married. And when things got hard, you chose to leave — both me and your company — instead of choosing me?" Sy pushed back. Her voice burned as it came out. Kassan stayed unusually still. No raised voice. No fist against the table. She kept eating.

"You came into my life after I'd already built this company — but I never said I was choosing it over you. I said I was choosing both of you. And this is the argument you want to have with me?" Kassan said.

"Tsk." The irritation drained out of her. Sy pushed her plate aside and left the table.

Kassan watched the anger she'd stirred but made no move to stop her. "Ms. Kassandreau — should I go to Ms. Ngawang?" the maid asked hesitantly. Kassan shook her head.

"No. She's not in a state to hear anything right now. Just store the food — and leave out the blueberry pie ingredients. She'll find her way to the kitchen by midnight." She said, wiped her lips and headed upstairs.

She paused outside Sy's room for a moment, breathing in the familiar fragrance that lingered there. Then walked into her own.

"Proof that she's my wife," she murmured before going inside.

Meanwhile, Sy was enduring her hunger. She rolled back and forth on the bed, arms wrapped around her stomach. Obviously suffering. Before she could settle into any kind of peace, her eyes drifted to the clock above the door. Past midnight — two-thirty in the morning. Her right brow climbed.

"She must be asleep by now." she whispered. Excitement got the better of her. She slipped out of bed and crept downstairs, each step measured and careful — because she knew Kassan was a light sleeper, and the smallest sound would bring her down in seconds.

Sy looked at the dining table. Empty and tidy. "She didn't even leave me anything...?" A faint shadow of disappointment crossed her face. She let it go and opened the refrigerator. Her expression softened — dinner, neatly stored. "No. My wife is just unpredictable as always." she mumbled.

Her hand reached past the containers and landed immediately on the blueberry pie ingredients. That gave her a strange feeling — but she didn't linger on it.

Kassan came downstairs. Half-asleep, groggy, blinking against the light. She pulled her hand over her eyes, then gradually lowered it — and found her wife sneaking around the kitchen, assembling a pie. Kassan stood there, confused, rubbing her eyes.

"Babe — what are you doing at this hour?" Kassan asked. Sy jolted and spun around, heart hammering. "Ha — Ha — Honey?" The word came out in three pieces. "I — I was just—" She stammered, gesturing between Kassan and the half-made pie. Kassan tilted her head and pressed her fingers to her lips.

Right. "Just admit you were hungry. I knew you'd sneak down here." Sy groaned, tipping her head back in frustration. "Yeah, fine — are you going to lecture me for it?" she muttered.

"Not at all — as long as I get some of that dessert. Deal?" Kassan winked. Sy's expression broke into a smile and she launched herself at her. "I've told you not to do that, haven't I?"

"But I never listen. You go to the gym for a reason — if a hug is too much for your back, that's on you." Sy said, stepping back with complete innocence. She turned and mouthed, "Old woman." Kassan's brow furrowed.

"You really have no filter, babe. A little gratitude wouldn't hurt."

"Thank you! For saving me from losing my licence!" Sy called back, sarcastic, stamping her way out of the kitchen. Kassan narrowed her eyes after her. "Does that even count?" she mumbled.

She shrugged and leaned against the kitchen counter, arms crossed, gaze completely fixed on her wife. Sy glanced at her then back to the pie. "I thought you were going to apologize and offer the refund with interest. But you rewrote the whole story." Sy said.

"If I apologize now, there's no future left for us. I won't let our enemies win while I'm still standing." Kassan replied — same steady, rough tone she always carried when it came to business and VERITAS HARMONY.

"What if they win one day... even while you're still standing?"

"They won't." She said, and dismissed the thought.

"Hey — I said, 'what if?'"

"They won't!" Kassan said, louder this time, already walking out of the kitchen.

"Fou." Sy muttered. She turned back to the pie, cutting it into slices. "I'd have had better luck talking to the wall."