Tristan sat on the couch, his laptop balanced on his knees as he typed away, finishing some last-minute work. The dim lighting of the living room cast shadows across his sharp features, making him look even colder than usual. His focus was unwavering until he heard footsteps coming from the stairs.

Irene descended gracefully, not sparing him a glance as she made her way to the kitchen. She opened the fridge, grabbed a water bottle, and turned back toward the stairs, hoping to slip away unnoticed.

But Tristan's cold gaze followed her every move. Just as she turned to leave, his voice cut through the silence like a blade.

“Why are you here?”

Irene halted mid-step and looked at him, confused. “What do you mean?”

Tristan leaned back on the couch, a smirk tugging at the corner of his lips. “I mean, you have a mansion of your own. So why are you still here?”

Irene tensed under the weight of his gaze. She hated how easily he could read through her, as if her every thought was written across her face. She swallowed nervously and tried to keep her voice even. “My parents are on vacation.”

Tristan tilted his head, eyes narrowing in disbelief. “Don’t lie. There’s more to it than that. Tell me the truth.”

Taking a deep breath, Irene finally admitted, “Fine. They are on vacation… but I also wanted to give Andrew and Eva some space. They just got married.”

The mention of Andrew and Eva seemed to spark something in Tristan, his expression darkening. “We’ll be going there tomorrow,” he said abruptly. “Eva invited me.”

Irene blinked, caught off-guard. “Okay. That’s fine.”

Tristan gave her one last cold glance before turning back to his laptop. Irene seized the chance and hurried back upstairs, clutching her water bottle.

As she reached her room, she exhaled deeply, trying to calm her racing heart. He’s so cold and scary sometimes, she thought with a shiver. I hope I don’t have to face him too much.

Meanwhile, the next day over at the King mansion, Eva had wandered into the home gym, curious to see if Andrew was still working out. The moment she stepped inside, she froze in place.

There he was—shirtless, his sculpted muscles glistening under the low lights as he finished a set of exercises. His toned body moved with fluid precision, every flex of muscle captivating her.

“And… Andrew,” she stuttered, feeling her cheeks heat as her eyes lingered on his powerful form.

Andrew turned at the sound of her voice, locking eyes with her. “What?” he asked, his tone as cold and unaffected as always, though a flicker of amusement sparkled in his gaze.

Eva tore her gaze away from him, her heart pounding. “Please… wear something,” she muttered, avoiding his eyes.

Andrew noticed the way her cheeks flushed and couldn’t resist a secret smile. He slowly stood, towering over her as he crossed the room with quiet confidence.

He stopped just in front of her, his breath teasingly close. “What did you say?”

Eva stepped back nervously, but before she could retreat further, her back hit the wall. Andrew took another step toward her, caging her between his arms.

She looked down, her voice barely above a whisper. “I mean… you should really put on a shirt…”

Andrew tilted her chin up with his finger, forcing her to meet his gaze. “You mean…” he trailed off, his eyebrow raising in playful curiosity. “Go on, finish.”

Eva swallowed hard. Her heart raced, and heat spread through her body as his eyes drifted toward her lips. “Please let me go, Andrew,” she whispered.

But he didn’t move. He leaned in, their faces just inches apart, his gaze still lingering on her lips. Eva closed her eyes tightly, feeling his warm breath brush her skin.

“Please, Andrew…” she whispered again, her voice trembling with a mix of nerves and something else she couldn’t quite name.

Just as the tension reached its peak, the moment was shattered by the sound of Evander’s voice calling from down the hall.

“Andrew! You in there?” Evander shouted.

Eva’s eyes flew open, her face still burning with embarrassment. She looked up at Andrew, her pulse racing, and took the opportunity to slip away.

“I need to go. Evan is here,” she mumbled quickly, brushing past him.

Andrew smiled smugly, his arms falling to his sides. “Who’s stopping you?” he teased, though he didn’t make any effort to stop her escape.

Eva hurried out of the room, her heart still thundering in her chest. As she passed Evander, she gave him a quick, flustered smile and rushed upstairs to her room.

Evander poked his head into the gym and found Andrew standing there, a smug grin plastered across his face.

“What’s with that look?” Evander asked mischievously. “Did I interrupt your romance or something?”

Andrew glared at him, annoyed but amused. “Romance…?” he muttered to himself, scoffing. “That was the closest I’ve gotten to her. It’s not even romance yet.”

Evander laughed, catching the frustration in Andrew’s voice. “Don’t pout, big guy. Put on a shirt already. No one wants to see you showing off that body like you’re the only one who has one.”

Andrew smirked. “Then prove it,” he challenged, flexing slightly just to provoke him.

Evander rolled his eyes. “Not now, show-off. Get cleaned up. I’ll wait for you downstairs.”

As Evander left the room, Andrew’s smug smile returned. He brought a hand to his lips, brushing his fingers lightly over them, replaying the almost-kiss with Eva in his mind.

He chuckled softly to himself. I should’ve kissed her when I had the chance, he thought with regret. But no worries… there will be more chances.

Just as he was lost in his thoughts, Evander reappeared at the door, catching Andrew grinning like an idiot.

“Hurry up, lover boy,” Evander teased. “Or you’ll be late for your next chance to mess things up.”

Andrew shot him a playful glare. “Fucking bastard,” he muttered under his breath. “You ruined my moment.”

Evander just laughed, knowing full well that he’d be hearing about this incident for days. And as Andrew headed off to wash up, one thing was certain—he wasn’t going to let the next opportunity with Eva slip through his fingers so easily.