(Michelle POV)
The Lui mansion had never felt so… intimidating.
Which was ridiculous, because I had lived here my entire life. Marble floors, high ceilings, oil paintings of ancestors who probably would have judged my life choices — all painfully normal.
And yet today, every polished surface felt like it was silently whispering:
Your boyfriend is coming.
Boyfriend.
The word still felt surreal.
Not Steven-who-fetches-me-to-class.
Not Steven-who-politely-waits-at-the-gate.
Not Steven-who-is-courting-you.
But Steven Sy.
Officially.
Here.
As my boyfriend.
And my mother?
Was having the time of her life.
"He's really coming, right?" Mama asked for the fourth time, hovering behind me like an overly invested stage mom. "The Steven Sy?"
"Yes, Mama. The Steven Sy. The same one who's been here more than ten times already."
"That was casual," she waved dismissively, smoothing her silk blouse. "This is different. This time, he's coming as your official significant male figure."
