Angela freshened up in the restroom and composed herself before waiting for William in the lobby. She could've just taken a cab or call an Uber, but the urge to refuse Gael's offer and have someone else take her home was strong. She did act on impulse, but she didn't regret it.

The night was cold, and the lobby was filled with couples and families on holiday vacation while she stood alone by the revolving doors. Rubbing her arms, she remembered that she left her coat in Nina's car and it was too troublesome to go back to take it.

"I'm sorry to keep you waiting. Ready to leave?" William asked as he approached her.

Angela turned and saw Gael and Giovanni walking with him and other men who looked like security. She tried to avoid Gael's gaze when Giovanni greeted her, saying, "You look beautiful tonight, Angela. Take care on your way home."

She lightly nodded, uncertain how to address him when she's mad at the man next to him. Turning to William, she curled the corners of her lips upward as she let him know she was ready to leave.

As they were about to step out, Lauretta came towards them, a broad smile planted on her face as she squeezed herself between the De Lucas and instantly hooked her arm with Gael's. "You're leaving already? You just got here."

Angela clenched her hands into fists, fighting the urge to grab Lauretta's hair and haul her out of the room. She glanced at Gael, and it wasn't lost on her that he swiftly retracted away from the woman's touch.

It was William who answered first, "My apologies Ms. Morelli. I'm needed somewhere, and I have to leave. So, they're leaving with me."

"That's too bad. I was just starting to enjoy the company." Lauretta pouted, then her eyes fell on Angela, who was standing next to William. "Angie… I didn't know you and Mr. Park knew each other. Are you guys dating?"

Gael stiffened, his eyes instantly sharpening as he stared at his Angel. He should receive an award as the most tolerant person in the room as he kept himself from reacting harshly. The thought of Angela being with another man was like having an anvil sitting on his chest—any moment, and it would crush his ribs and squish his heart.

William laughed, tilting his head at Angela and teasingly said, "What do you think? Should we tell them?"

Angela only gave him an eye, and that made him chuckle. Then he added, "Nah, we're just friends… We all have to start somewhere, right?"

She rolled her eyes. This William was such a smooth talker, no wonder he was a playboy. She shook her head and was about to clarify things when Lauretta giggled and hooked her arm with Gael's—again.

"That's cute. I mean, we all don't start like the textbook romance, yeah?" Lauretta pulled her lips into a wide smile. "Some of us start with a wedding first. Dating can follow later."

Would it be a crime if Angela strangled Lauretta to death in her head? Because she was itching to do just that in real life.

Having had enough, Gael roughly removed his arm from Lauretta's grasp and placed some distance between them. "Miss...Karen. I don't want to disrespect you, but you're making it hard for me to give you passes. I don't remember giving you any hints that I'm attracted to you in any way. This…" He waved his fingers between them. "There's nothing romantic going on here. The order between families is a marriage of convenience. I strongly suggest you don't cross the line."

Gael's cold tone made Lauretta flinch, not expecting him to be so icy. She swore the way he spoke shook her. "M-My name's Lauretta, not Karen."

The Morellis could believe the marriage would happen, but he didn't have to be nice about it. "Whatever." He gave Angela one last look before walking past them and leaving through the doors. Her gaze was soft and looking worried, and it made it harder for him to walk away.

Giovanni scoffed as he followed after his nephew, but Lauretta just had to throw one jab at him.

"You didn't expect to see Lia tonight, didn't you?" She folded her arms under her chest, a haughty smile plastered on her face. "I bet you wished it were you and Lia who were bound in this friggin' arranged marriage."

Giovanni's chuckle sounded so dangerous when he stopped in his tracks. He shook his head, but he left without as much as a rebuttal.

After a short goodbye to Lauretta, William led Angela out of the hotel and into a black Lincoln Town Car. He instructed his chauffeur to drive towards her apartment after she gave her address. She sunk back into the leather cushion of the luxury car.

William pressed a button, and the divider between them and the front seat rolled up, giving them privacy. Then he glanced at her. "Are you okay?" he asked.

Angela nodded. She didn't want to be rude to him—especially since he's kind enough to drive her home, but she wasn't in the mood to talk.

"How do you know Mr. De Luca?"

She shifted in her seat but did not answer.

Smiling, he loosened up his tie and reassured, "Don't worry, I promise this is out of the books. I'm just genuinely curious. Also… I think I deserve to know after you rejected his offer and asked me to give you a ride… You wouldn't want to start walking from here—" He chuckled when she widened her eyes. "I'm just kidding. I wouldn't do that."

Angela exhaled a long sigh. She guessed she did at least owe him something, but instead of answering, she decided to question him instead. 'Might as well get something out of it too, right?' she thought.

"Why are you with them? What do you have to do with their arrangement with the Morellis? And you can spare me the 'I-don't-know-what-you're-talking-about' spiel. I already know who and what they are, so there's no need to cover up." She kept her face straight and unreadable.

William was taken aback at first before a small smile ghosted his lips. He popped the compartment on the side open and pulled out two flutes and a bottle of champagne. Then he poured each of them a serving. "Alright. I trust that what happens in the car stays in the car." He winked. "Let's just say... I came tonight as the…peace officer between the two families. We want to keep Esmea as peaceful as we can, and having two of them here isn't ideal."

Angela couldn't fully understand what William was talking about, but at least she got him to talk.

"So, you and Gael De Luca? You fooling around or something?"

She drew her brows together. "Or something."

Taking a sip of her drink, she asked another question. "This...marriage between the two families… Is this necessary?"

"Honestly, for me? It's bullshit. But we don't have anything to do with their rules, so I don't really care what they do as long as they don't start a war here. They only came tonight for a meeting on a territory they can't touch. Of course, I have to report back that the Morellis are actually related to the Lopez family. Ugh. I hate paperwork."

"You mentioned you were invited last minute to the party. Did that mean you didn't plan to show up there?"

William tilted his head to Angela. "Yes. The Morellis didn't inform us about the party until we were about to leave." He leaned forward and narrowed his eyes, trying to study her. "Does that change anything? This...something between you and that...Italian… It's more than just physical, isn't it?"

She averted her gaze from him and downed the rest of her champagne. Angela didn't plan on telling him what's between her and Gael, but it wasn't as if it would affect anything at the moment. William seemed to not care about the thing between the two families. "It doesn't matter now… He's getting married."

The rest of the ride was spent in silence. When the vehicle pulled up in front of her building, William descended and helped her out. He looked around the area to check the surroundings—a habit he formed over the years—and spotted a black SUV parked across the street, but it looked harmless.

"Thanks for bringing me home, Will. I appreciate it," said Angela.

"It's nothing. Go inside. It's cold." He nodded at the glass doors.

She smiled at him and turned on her heel, but before she could take a step further, he called her back.

"Hey."

William leaned and circled his arms around her, giving her a quick squeeze.

"What are you doing?" She froze in his embrace.

"I don't know. I feel like you really needed a hug."

Letting her go, he patted her shoulder. The brief hug felt friendly and innocent—it was strange coming from him as she barely knew him.

"Angela, for what it's worth, I think you should give him a chance to talk." He smiled. "Take care of yourself, Su."

***

Across the street, Gael sighed as he sat in the driver's seat of the black SUV, watching William get in his car and drive away. He looked back at Angela and wished he could go home with her tonight.