I travel my eyes around the classic restaurant Aiden and I step into. The place is dim-lit and feels extravagant with its tan leather banquettes, emerald green walls, and equestrian-inspired arts.

I spot men and women in formal attires having their lunch. This makes me feel even more out of place, especially when Aiden is also looking formal in his office suit.

I can't help but look down at my outfit and feel embarrassed. However, I barely have time to have a second thought because the waitress is already ushering us toward our seats.

Aiden sits down, and as soon as I do, he notices my uneasiness.

"Is there something wrong?" he asks with concern.

"I just--" I bite my lower lip. "I just didn't expect that we would be walking into such an exclusive restaurant. If I had known, I would have dressed more appropriately."

I expect him to respond with humor, but his eyes soften instead.

"I'm sorry if this makes you uncomfortable, but I'd thought about choosing a secluded place where we can eat without having to worry about reporters or nosy people around," he says. "I know how much it will trouble you if we're seen."

Now that he says it, I get his point. I'm the one who expressed my concern that whatever happened in the penthouse should be kept a secret.

It will lead to chaos if my parents know about it, especially when there's a picture of me and Aiden in the media. Dad wouldn't stop asking questions, and I don't know how I would be able to get out of it.

I almost forgot that Aiden is the son of one of our country's most loved superstars.

Even though he doesn't get as much spotlight as his mother does, he's still quite well-known.

Guilt begins to fill me, not only for my parents but also for Aiden.

On the day I met Aiden in Seattle, Aiden had suggested that he would tell my parents and apologize to them about the incident with the security guard, but I begged him not to. I'm the one who insisted on not telling the truth.

The waitress comes back to our table and hands us the menu. I order a cheeseburger, and Aiden's eyebrows raise.

Right. No matter how fancy the restaurant we're in, I still crave my favorite food. It doesn't help that the said food seems to be served more sophisticatedly in this restaurant. I just want to try a lot of versions of it. I feel like a kid.

After we finish ordering, Aiden says 'thank you' to the waitress, and I notice her cheeks turning pink.

Who can blame her, though? Aiden is the hottest man I've ever laid my eyes on. I'm even positive that he's the hottest man on earth.

My cheeks heat up at that thought. Did I just think...?

God, I need water.

I grab the glass in front of me and bring it to my mouth, only to find that it hasn't even been filled with water. I place it back on the table quietly.

Aiden's eyes are on our surroundings, so I don't think that he realized what just happened.

Please don't let him notice my stupidity.

A waiter approaches our table and fills our glasses with water. I sigh.

When he finishes filling my glass, I turn to him and give him a small smile. "Thank you."

The waiter looks starstruck, almost dropping the bottle and spilling its content. That's when Aiden snaps his head toward him.

The waiter gulps before walking away.

"How was the trip?" Aiden asks, now giving me full attention.

I huff. "We managed to collect the data for our project. It was smoother than we thought it would be. We didn't really find any difficulty, but during the first two days, there wasn't much to do other than inputting the numbers to our worksheets."

I must admit that those days were quite boring. Aiden nods in understanding. A soft smile touches his lips.

"You can just skip the boring part," he says, knowing what's on my mind.

I giggle. "Okay. We went to this concert that Ash has been talking about nonstop. The band is a newcomer, but they're so damn good." There's a drastic change in my voice, which is now full of excitement. "The three of us sang throughout the event, we almost lost our voice by the end of it."

I remember how we screamed like hardcore fans and danced. Aiden watches me with an intense gaze, and I can see the same happiness in his eyes.

I like that he listens intently to everything I say and that he asks questions to know more about it. And I just can't stop talking. It's like I want him to know every exciting thing I experienced there.

Maybe he thinks that I'm some kind of bird that has been freed from its cage. I don't know whether it's a good thing or not.

"It's like time flew so fast, and we didn't want the vacation to end." I chuckle. "What about you? What have you been doing these past few days? Is everything great?"

My question seems to snap him out of his daze. To my surprise, he looks down.

"There's nothing much going on. Just the usual routine." He clears his throat.

Before I can ask more about his day, his phone beeps. Aiden reads a message and frowns.

"Is everything okay?" I ask in a small voice, wondering about what suddenly bothers his mind.

"My employee forgot to hand me important documents to sign before we went out," he says with his eyes still focused on whatever he's reading. "They just arrived with the papers."

He turns to me and gives me an apologetic look. "Do you mind if you wait for a while? I'm going to sign the documents in the car and be back in no time. I promise it won't take long."

I don't understand why he feels guilty. I understand that he's a busy person.

"Of course," I say. "It's totally okay."

Aiden sighs and stands up. After I see him walk out through the main entrance of the restaurant, a waitress comes to serve our food.

I hope that Aiden won't take long, because I'm afraid that the food will get cold. I don't want to start eating without him, so I'm going to wait until he returns.

Time passes. When I glance at my wristwatch, I realize that it's only been five minutes.

Now that I've observed the people here longer, I notice that most of them might be here for business luncheon. They're not many people here, but they all look professional. Even the women I catch sight of are wearing formal blazers.

The longer I'm here, the more I feel like a stranded kid.

I scroll through my phone to kill time and find the notes I saved after visiting Aiden's therapist, Mr. Bennett. My eyes stay on the fourth feeling Aiden can't feel anymore.

Longing.

If you like someone, sometimes you just can't help but miss their presence, even if it's just to see them or be around them.

This triggers something in me, because I wasn't being completely honest when I said that time flew fast while my friends and I were in LA.

For the past few days, I felt a longing so deep that I had to distract myself. I immersed myself in those experiences with my friends so that I didn't think too much about Aiden.

I missed him, more than I should have.

Did he not feel the same way...even just for a tiny bit?

I shake my head in denial, tucking my phone back into my bag. I shouldn't have these thoughts. Why am I thinking this way?

Another five minutes have passed, but Aiden still hasn't returned. I know that it may take a while to review the documents before giving his approval. He can't just sign contracts involving billions of dollars with his eyes closed.

I take a gulp of my water again, and that's when I see a middle-aged man approaching me. Just like the other men here, he wears a formal suit jacket.

He takes a seat next to me, and that startles me.

"Hi," he starts, and I swallow. He eyes me like I'm the most interesting thing in this place. "You look so young. I don't see girls like you around here that much."

Should I respond to that? I wouldn't step into this place alone if it weren't because of Aiden.

The man's eyes focus on my handbag. I pull it closer to me protectively.

What is he doing?

"Did your daddy give you that bag?" he asks. His voice has suddenly turned low.

My eyebrows shoot up. I stare at my handbag. It's my favorite because it's not only beautiful but also classy and elegant. It's a gift from Dad for my birthday.

"Yes, he did," I say. I can't help the smile on my face because I remember how delightful Dad looked when he knew that I loved it so much.

The man's eyes are glinting with something I can't make out. Something like curiosity and excitement.

"I can give you more," he whispers, and the way he speaks almost makes me shiver.

"No, thanks," I decline.

Why would he offer to give me more bags?

"Your daddy," he starts again, tilting his head as he stares at me with a look that makes me feel more uncomfortable. "How many are they?"

I don't understand why he asked me such a strange question. Of course, there's only one daddy for me. Dad. There's no way that Mom would have another man in her life other than Dad.

"I can be your daddy too," the man speaks again in a low voice, and this time it almost makes me snap.

He's rude and disgusting.

Jesus Christ, Mom's charm works wonder. This man is hitting on her even though he hasn't even met her.

"That's not possible," I say coldly, wanting him to leave me alone.

"Why?" he squints, and there's humor in his tone. His presence is getting on my nerves. "Where's your daddy, huh? I've been watching you for a while, and I don't see him around. He might have just left you--"

"I am her daddy." Aiden's icy voice echoes slowly and clearly.

I look up, only to find Aiden glaring at the man. He looks like he wouldn't hesitate to break the man's neck.

"Do you have any problem with that?" Aiden's voice is so low that it makes the hair on the back of my neck stand.

I've never heard him speak like that, it makes me wonder if I know him at all.

The man stands up, clears his throat, and steps away, as though he just realized that he'd stepped into dangerous territory.

Aiden takes a seat beside me. Even though the man has already left our table, Aiden still has his eyes on him.

"Did he actually believe that?" I whisper in amazement, watching as the man walks away. "No way. He actually believed that."

Aiden turns to me. Both of us stay silent for a while, but then I ask hesitantly, "You don't care about that?"

He frowns.

"I mean, you're way older than me, but you don't look old enough to be called my dad," I blurt out the truth. "Are you not offended?"

Perhaps, age doesn't concern him that much. But I know that I would cry if I were in my late twenties and were thought of in my late forties instead. Like, I would definitely purchase more antiaging creams.

At first, Aiden looks lost after hearing my words. But then, he looks like he's trying to bite his smile.

"Your daddy?" He watches me intensely, and I feel like being hypnotized by his piercing amber eyes. "No, I'm not offended. At all."

I stare at him with a lost expression.

He's joking.

"Okay then," I chuckle, playing along.

Aiden stares at me with pure amusement.

"Daddy."