The next morning, the office buzzed softly with the clatter of keyboards and the hushed voices of coworkers.
Mary sat hunched over her desk, eyes glued to the screen, when the sudden chime of her phone broke her private silence.
Helen's name flashed across the screen. Mary's lips curved into a gentle smile as she answered.
"Hi, Mary. How are you?" Helen's warm voice flowed into her ear.
Mary replied kindly, "I'm good, sweetheart. And you?"
"I'm fine… but honestly, I'm a bit worried." Helen's tone turned serious. "I talked to Young. She said the issue with Mr. Parker is resolved and I don't need to return the money. Are you sure you're not hiding something from me?"
Mary's smile softened, as if she could transmit reassurance through her voice.
"No, dear. Why would we hide anything from you? Everything's been taken care of. Don't worry about the money. Oh, and by the way—Nicholas and I are renovating the gallery."
Helen's voice sparked with excitement. "Really?! That's amazing! Count me in. Just let me know when you go."
Mary chuckled. "Will do. Bye for now."
As she set her phone down, Deniz appeared with a playful smirk.
"I heard you got a loan yesterday. If you needed money, why didn't you tell me? I've got some savings."
Mary hesitated for a moment before replying.
"Thanks, but I didn't want to borrow from anyone."
Deniz tilted her head with a friendly grin. "I'm not just anyone—I'm your friend."
Mary smiled faintly. "Well, the loan I took didn't end up being used for what I intended."
Deniz's eyes gleamed with curiosity. "And what was that for?"
"Never mind… but now I plan to give the money to Nicholas for the gallery repairs. We'll pay it off together later. Just… no one knows about this, so don't tell anyone."
Deniz laughed and shook her head in mock disbelief.
"Wow, helping Nicholas like that? I'm about to get engaged to James and I still wouldn't do that for him, and you say you're just friends?"
Mary laughed. "What don't you believe?… Wait—what did you just say? You're getting engaged?"
Deniz froze, caught off guard. "What?! I said that? You must have misheard."
Mary caught her by the wrist and sat her back down.
"No, missy, you said it loud and clear. Ever since you met James, you've been hiding things from me."
A few minutes later, their teasing shifted into genuine talk. Deniz spoke about her feelings for James, while Mary silently wondered: Liking Nicholas… is that love? Or something else?
That afternoon, Nicholas came by. Together they went to the gallery.
When they stepped inside, Nicholas's gaze lingered on the charred walls, regret clouding his eyes. Mary gently took his hand.
"Don't worry. We'll bring it back to life."
Nicholas's lips curved faintly. "When you're by my side, nothing worries me."
The next day, their small team gathered. Yong even arrived earlier than everyone else to start. Together they cleared away debris, scrubbed the floors, and collected the remnants of burned paintings.
When Nicholas arrived and saw everyone working, his eyes lit up.
But things took an unexpected turn as everyone began to leave. Nicholas quietly caught Mary's hand.
"Stay a bit."
Mary blinked. "Why?"
"No reason. Just… let's spend a little more time together."
Mary shooed Ava and Deniz away, then turned back.
Nicholas grinned. "Well, everyone's gone now."
Mary smiled back. "Yeah. How about we go grab a coffee?"
"Better idea—come to my place. I'll make you the best coffee you've ever had… then I'll show you my bedroom."
Mary raised a brow. "Better yet, I'll take my loan money, fly to Switzerland, and have coffee there… and you can show your bedroom to someone else."
Nicholas burst out laughing. "I'm kidding! But your face was priceless."
Eventually, after plenty of playful back-and-forth, Nicholas convinced her to have dinner with him.
Mary sighed, smiling. "Alright… but only because you insisted."
Hand in hand, they left the gallery.
About an hour later, the taxi pulled up beside a quiet, dimly lit park. A cool breeze rustled through the trees, carrying the scent of damp grass.
Mary looked at Nicholas with wide-eyed curiosity.
— "Nicholas… why are we getting out here?"
With that same mysterious smile, he replied:
— "I told you I wanted to take you to dinner."
Mary glanced around. The faint glow of streetlights, the silence… and no sign of a restaurant.
— "But… there's nothing here."
Without answering, Nicholas gently took her hand. The warmth of his touch sent an unexpected flutter through her chest.
— "Come on… just trust me."
In silence, they walked along a narrow path, the branches overhead forming a leafy canopy. Light spilled through the leaves, painting shifting shadows across their faces.
Then, Mary's breath caught.
Before them lay an open space adorned with hundreds of colorful lights.
In the center stood a round table with two chairs, the tabletop scattered with red rose petals, glowing candles, and fine dinnerware.
The flames swayed gently in the breeze, and their light shimmered in Mary's eyes.
— "Nicholas… what is this?"
Nicholas raised a teasing brow.
— "No idea. I think we stumbled in here by accident. We'd better leave before we ruin someone's romantic evening."
Mary crossed her arms.
— "Yeah, I agree. Let's go before the owner shows up. Only you could walk right into someone's special moment like this."
Nicholas chuckled, but instead of turning back, he tugged her into the middle of the scene.
Her heart pounded harder as he looked straight into her eyes—eyes that now held nothing but sincerity and feeling.
— "Mary… I don't want to be just friends anymore. I want you to be my girlfriend."
Mary blinked, caught off guard, a faint frown creasing her brow.
— "For heaven's sake… I'm sure you're messing around again. But this time, you're starting to upset me."
Nicholas slowly reached into his pocket and pulled out a small velvet box.
He flipped it open to reveal a delicate necklace with a heart-shaped pendant, glinting softly under the candlelight.
— "This time, I'm serious, Mary… Will you?"
Mary's eyes widened, her breath quickened. For a moment, the rest of the world faded away—leaving only Nicholas's gaze and the thunder of her own heartbeat.