Time passed quickly. My mother's cooking was almost ready, and my father returned home right on time, as if the moment had been orchestrated with precision.

"Dinner's ready," my mother called out.

My father washed his hands and took his seat at the dining table. I couldn't hold back my curiosity."Dad, what's the reason you asked me to come back?"

He remained silent for a moment, seemingly searching for the right words. Finally, he spoke,"I wanted to ask you again about your thoughts on Elena."

"Is her family pressuring you?" My heart tightened, an instinct telling me that things weren't as simple as they seemed.

"Not exactly. It's just that her father offered to help me revive that abandoned real estate project," my father said, his tone laced with both helplessness and hope.

"Have you found a business partner?" I asked, unable to suppress my concern.

"How did you guess? Not yet, but there are some leads. It's been Elena's father helping me look for one," he replied with a weary sigh, his eyes reflecting his exhaustion.

"I don't want to become family with Elena," I said nonchalantly as I took a bite of food.

"I knew you'd say that," my father said with a resigned shake of his head, accompanied by another sigh.

My mother, her gaze earnest, spoke gently,"Ryan, I don't think Elena is the kind of person you think she is."

"Mom, you've only met her a few times. How can you say that?" I retorted, a trace of dissatisfaction in my voice. Deep down, I felt she was too quick to trust.

"These days, Elena has been coming over almost every day," my mother said firmly, as though presenting evidence to support her view.

"What? What's she doing here?" I asked, surprised, my thoughts growing increasingly chaotic.

"Alright, Ryan, stop overreacting. Elena has been helping me with things around the house. She's quite good at cooking, and she even gives your father advice. She's not an idle, frivolous girl. She also asked us to tell you that your prejudice against her is too deep. Yes, she likes having fun, but she's not shallow," my mother said, her gaze filled with a mix of expectation and helplessness.

My thoughts were in turmoil. What was going on? Unable to win me over, she had come to my parents and swayed them instead. I looked at my mother and said,"Is that all it takes for you to think she's a good person?"

"A few days ago, I was sick, and she stayed with me every day, caring for me as if she were already your wife," my mother said, her voice tinged with gratitude and warmth.

I widened my eyes in shock."Mom, you were sick? What happened?"

"Nothing serious, just appendicitis. I had surgery. If it weren't for Elena insisting on taking me to the hospital, I would've tried to endure it. I didn't realize it was appendicitis," she said lightly, but her words made my heart clench with worry.

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"Why didn't you tell me?" I asked, my tone laced with reproach, guilt gnawing at me.

"Elena said she went to your company, and they told her you were on a business trip. She suggested not telling you at the time," my mother explained with a mix of understanding and resignation.

My head spun. I had tried so hard to avoid owing her anything, yet here she was, earning my mother's favor."Dad, Mom, I need to be honest with you. I met someone in Virelia, and we're dating now. What do you want me to do?"

My parents exchanged a glance, their eyes filled with a complex blend of emotions."Really? Does her family know about our situation? Will they accept it?" my mother asked, her voice heavy with concern.

"I've told them. They didn't say much. Her father's also in the construction business. He even mentioned that if Dad's project gets revived, a million won't be a problem. He said the key is finding a partner and getting them to sign off on the transfer," I explained, keeping my tone calm, though anxiety churned within me.

My mother turned to my father."What do we do now? I already told Elena everything would be fine."

After a moment of silence, my father finally said,"He's grown up. Let him make his own choices. Everyone has their own fate, their own path." His voice carried a hint of resignation and quiet acceptance.

The more my father acted this way, the heavier my heart felt. I had contributed nothing to the family, and that thought weighed on me as we finished the meal in silence. Rising from my seat, I said,"I'll head back now." My mother wanted to stop me, but my father held her back.

Stepping out of the house, my mind was a chaotic storm. Images of Elena Carter kept flashing through my thoughts—her smile, her gentleness, her persistence. Could she really be as wonderful as my mother claimed? For the first time, I began to doubt my own judgment.

But now there was Celeste Harrington. Though it had only been a few days, I felt as though I had truly fallen for her. Yet, the feeling was not quite like the one I once had for Sophie Summers. Sophie—my first love. Her shadow still lingered in my memory, vivid and unshakable. Her smile, her gaze, every small gesture had once set my heart ablaze.

Returning to my rented apartment, a wave of loneliness washed over me. There wasn't a single friend I could turn to, no one to confide in. Tonight, my phone was eerily quiet, as though the entire world had conspired to isolate me. The intertwining threads of restlessness and solitude tightened around me, leaving me breathless.

Then, the phone rang. Glancing at the screen, I saw Sophie Summers' name."Have you had dinner?" Her voice was as familiar as ever, laced with an undeniable assertiveness.

"Already finished. I'm back at the apartment," I replied, though an inexplicable surge of emotion swirled within me.

"Come pick me up at the airport," she commanded, her tone as imperious as always, as if her request were a matter of course.

"Sophie, you could've told me earlier. It'll take me forever to get there. Why not grab a cab instead?" I said, a hint of exasperation creeping into my voice.

"Stop wasting time. I want to ride in your car. Get moving," she snapped before abruptly hanging up, leaving no room for argument. This woman was as domineering as ever.

I sighed, vowing to demand gas and toll money later. Grabbing my car keys, I headed out. The drive to the airport was filled with memories of Sophie Summers—her arrogance, her willfulness, her tenderness, her smile. Each moment played vividly in my mind, as though no time had passed.

At the airport, I called her."Sophie, where are you?"

"KFC," she said, her voice still firm, still unmistakably hers.

"Alright, I'll come find you." I hung up and walked into the restaurant, spotting her from a distance, biting into a burger with no hint of elegance. She was still the same carefree Sophie Summers.

When she saw me approach, she pushed the tray of fried chicken toward me and said,"Eat."

I stared at her in surprise."You ordered all this?"

"For you," she said casually, as though it were the most natural thing in the world.

A wave of emotion stirred in me."Thanks, but you still owe me gas and toll money," I joked, trying to lighten the complicated feelings within me.

She shot me a disdainful look."Such a cheapskate. Eat. I'm not paying you. I was starving—I haven't eaten all day." Her voice carried a hint of weariness, but her innate authority was unshaken, a force so natural that even exhaustion couldn't diminish it.

I looked at her curiously."You've been that busy today?"

Rolling her eyes, she sighed, her tone tinged with helplessness and reproach."Whose fault is it that you left for Eldoria first thing in the morning?"