chapter 5

Amidst the bustling dining hall, Jane let out a deep sigh, shaking her head at the chaos unfolding before her. "Ugh, Serra..." she muttered under her breath, exasperation evident in her tone.

Meanwhile, Nicholas was practically doubled over, clutching his stomach as he laughed uncontrollably at Diana's misery.

Jane shot him a glare, arms crossed. "Stop laughing, Nick..! Why don't you ever forbid her from doing these things?"

Nick wiped a tear from the corner of his eye, still grinning. "Jane, babe… let her do whatever she wants. She's just teasing, not committing murder, so it's not a big deal."

Jane huffed, unimpressed. "Not a big deal?" she echoed, narrowing her eyes at him.

Nick immediately softened, holding his hands up in surrender. "Hey, don't be a Hitler… give me a smile."

Jane tried to resist, but as soon as Nick flashed his signature heart-melting smile, she caved, her lips curling into a warm, loving expression.

Nick chuckled, reaching out to tuck a strand of hair behind her ear. "That's my girl. I love you."

Jane's eyes softened. "I love you too, Nick."

From the other side of the table, Serra dramatically rolled her eyes. "Hey, you two! Stop being so lovey-dovey first thing in the morning."

Nick turned to her with a teasing smirk. "Hey, Mother-in-law, what's our fault if you're single?"

Serra gasped, placing a hand over her heart in a mock offense. "Ouch, Nick… you're so mean..!"

Jane shrugged, sighing. "He's just stating facts."

Serra sniffled dramatically. "You don't need to remind me that I'm single."

Nick chuckled, shaking his head. "You know, in China, single people are called 'single dogs,' and 11/11, November 11, is a special day dedicated to them."

Jane smirked. "Then we should start celebrating that day for our dear Serra."

Serra shot her a glare. "Shut up, you traitor."

Jane, still amused, leaned closer. "Cutie pie, you're single because of your own attitude."

Serra groaned, already sensing a lecture coming. "Oh no, here we go again..."

Ignoring her, Jane continued, "You're beautiful, attractive, and modern… but the problem is your attitude. You always pick fights, argue, tease others endlessly… honestly, how do you expect to get a boyfriend when you act like a wild cat?"

Serra huffed, crossing her arms. "Why should I change myself for someone? I'm not going to change. My destined man has to accept me the way I am..!"

Nick chuckled, leaning back in his chair. "Jane, sweetheart, it's not called being problematic… it's called being badass. And honestly, I'm proud of my Mother-in-law."

Serra smirked, holding out her hand for a high-five. "Well said, son-in-law."

Nick met her palm with a loud smack. "That's why I approved you for my girl."

Jane rolled her eyes at the two troublemakers but couldn't help but smile. "You two are impossible…"

Jane let out another exasperated sigh, shaking her head as she glanced at Serra. "Come on, Serra, be a lady. Because of your attitude, boys stay away from you. And then you sit there complaining about being a single dog."

Serra scoffed, crossing her arms. "I don't want all the boys to run behind me. I just want Charles to show interest in me…" She sighed dramatically, her eyes drifting toward the balcony where Charles sat, looking effortlessly handsome as always.

Jane followed her gaze and immediately rolled her eyes. Without warning, she reached out and flicked Serra's forehead—hard.

"Hey!" Serra yelped, rubbing her forehead. "Jane, that hurt!"

Jane smirked. "Good. Maybe that will knock some sense into you."

Nick, who had been silently observing, also spoke with a smirk. "You know, Serra… even though he's kind of my friend, I still won't give my approval for him to be my father-in-law."

Serra gasped dramatically, placing a hand over her chest as if Nick had just insulted her entire existence. "Excuse me?! Nick, how could you?"

Nick shrugged. "Serra, he's not suitable for you."

Serra glared at him. "And you're not suitable for my friend..!!" She flipped her hair dramatically. "I reject you as my son-in-law if you say anything about Charles again." she huffed dramatically.

Jane chuckled at their childish banter. "Alright, enough of this. I'm taking my girl." Before Serra could react, Jane grabbed her hand and started dragging her toward the dining hall.

"Huh? Hey—wait for me, Hobbits." Nick called after them, hurrying to catch up.

Serra barely had time to register what was happening before Jane suddenly stopped in her tracks. From the corner of her eye, Serra noticed Diana heading toward the terrace—the same direction where Charles was sitting.

A mischievous glint flickered in Serra's eyes. Without wasting another second, she grabbed Jane's hand and rushed toward Charles' table before Diana could reach him.

Jane looked at Serra's back with confusion. "What are we doing? What's happening? Should I be worried?"

Nick smirked. "Just stay quiet and watch the show."

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Serra grabbed Jane's hand and rushed to the table where Charles was sitting, making sure to take a seat directly across from him. "Good morning, Charles!" She greeted him with a bright smile.

Charles looked up from his plate and returned the greeting, but—his eyes weren't on Serra. "Good morning, girls." He said, his attention completely on Jane.

Jane, oblivious, simply nodded. "Morning."

Serra's smile twitched slightly when he ignored her.

Nick, who had just caught up, Charles greeted him with a casual fist bump. "Morning, dude."

Serra who felt mildly ignored took a sigh and then took out her mobile, and focused on her scrolling it instead.

Nick returned it smoothly. "Morning. Btw, what are you eating? Is it any good?" he pulled the chair out and sat opposite him.

Charles glanced at her while answering Nick. "Yeah, it tastes good."

Serra felt his gaze on her and instinctively looked up, expecting to meet his eyes. But—

he wasn't looking at her anymore. Instead, he was still casually talking to Nick, his expression unreadable. Even though it was just a fleeting moment, she couldn't help but keep looking at him.

And then—Charles suddenly looked at her meeting her Hazel eyes.

For a second, everything around her blurred.

Her heart skipped a beat. 'Oh shit…' Serra thought. 'Why did it feel like he caught me staring?'

Her breath hitched, and before she could embarrass herself further, she quickly averted her gaze to the side, pretending to be unbothered.

Meanwhile, Charles simply sipped his coffee with a faint smile, as if he had seen everything.

The bustling streets of Paris were alive with excitement—cafés filled with laughter, street performers drawing crowds, and the scent of freshly baked pastries drifting through the air. Tourists flocked around, snapping pictures of historic buildings and intricate fountains, their voices blending with the city's ever-present hum.

Amidst the lively scene, Serra, Jane, and Nicholas strolled through, soaking in the beauty of the city.

Jane twirled slightly, her cozy pastel pink oversized sweater complementing the soft hues of the Parisian morning. The hem was tucked slightly into her high-waisted white skinny jeans, giving her a casually chic yet effortlessly elegant look. Her white sneakers padded lightly against the cobblestone street, and as she brushed a strand of her caramel waves behind her ear, the silver bracelet on her wrist caught the light.

She paused near an elegant vintage lamppost, the contrast of old-world charm and modern style making it a perfect backdrop. "Nick! Take my picture here!" Jane called out, flashing a bright smile.

Nick grinned, adjusting the camera in his hands. "Anything for you, love," he said, lifting the camera and capturing shot after shot of Jane's radiant joy.

His fitted black turtleneck accentuated his lean, athletic frame, and the brown suede jacket draped over it added an extra touch of sophistication. Paired with dark jeans and black Chelsea boots, his effortlessly stylish look blended seamlessly with the refined Parisian atmosphere.

After a few more clicks, he turned toward Serra with a teasing smirk. "Alright, come on, mother-in-law..! I'll take your pictures too."

Serra tilted her head, her black wavy hair with brown streaks catching the golden daylight. Her usual tomboyish yet stylish aura shone through as she stepped forward, adjusting the sleeves of her fitted leather jacket over a casual yet edgy cropped top. The distressed denim jeans she wore hugged her figure just right, paired with chunky black combat boots that added to her effortlessly bold look.

"Oh, cool!" she said, striking a confident pose with an amused smirk.

Nick clicked a few pictures before flipping the camera around with a knowing grin. "Look, Serra! I captured your most breathtaking picture."

Serra leaned in, inspecting the gallery with a pleased nod. "Not bad, Nick. I might just hire you as my personal photographer."

Nick scoffed. "Ha ha, very funny."

Jane giggled, watching their playful exchange.

Serra scrolled further. "Okay, now stop messing around and take pictures of me and Jane together." She held the camera out for him.

Nick folded his arms. "Excuse me? I am not your personal photographer, Miss Calderon."

Serra flashed him an innocent smile. "Come on, can't you do this simple thing for your dear mother-in-law?" She batted her lashes dramatically.

Jane, shaking her head, chimed in. "Yeah, babe. Just take them already."

Nick groaned, shoving the camera into Serra's hands. "Fine. But you take our couple pictures too. It's only fair."

Serra, smirking, lifted the camera—and then promptly lowered it. "Nope."

Nick blinked. "What?"

"I said no." Serra repeated, twirling a strand of her wavy hair with a smug look.

Nick narrowed his eyes. "You little troublemaker! Didn't I just take your pictures?!"

Serra shrugged. "Yeah… but I never asked you to. You did it on your own." She smirked.

Nick's jaw twitched. "Fine, then I'll just delete them." He hovered his finger over the camera gallery, feigning nonchalance.

Serra's smirk vanished in an instant. "Nick—don't you dare!"

Nick waggled his brows. "Oh? Suddenly, you do care?"

Serra's eyes flickered with warning. "If you delete my pictures, I swear I will kick your—" She cut herself off, scanning for a better word. "—your shin so hard you'll limp through the rest of Paris!"

Nick snickered. "Ooooh, I'm scared." He waved the camera in the air, dodging as Serra lunged. "You want your pictures? Come and get them!"

"You little—!" Serra growled, attempting to snatch it back.

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To be continued

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