In Shine -
Ember woke up feeling refreshed. After getting ready, she went downstairs, but Dylan was nowhere to be found. She looked around before turning to Nana.
"Good morning, Nana. Where is Dylan?" she asked.
Nana smiled warmly. "He left early for the company. He had something urgent to take care of. Come, sit down and have breakfast."
"Okay," Ember replied before sitting down to eat.
As she finished her meal, Nana looked at her and asked, "Ember, did you finish packing for the trip?"
Ember frowned in confusion. "What trip?"
"Dylan didn't tell you? You both have a flight this evening to Country T," Nana informed her.
"Oh! Yeah, I knew about the trip, but I didn't know we were leaving today," Ember said, surprised.
Nana sighed. "That boy is really careless sometimes. You should go and start packing the things you need. There are some trolley bags in the wardrobe—you can use them."
"Thank you! I'll use them. I'm going to my room now," Ember said before heading upstairs.
Once in her room, she started packing the things she had bought for the trip, along with some clothes she wanted to take. However, she had no idea how long they would be staying there. Feeling uncertain, she picked up her phone and dialed Dylan's number.
At Dylan's Office -
Dylan was in the middle of a meeting when he saw Ember's call. He raised a hand, signaling a pause. "Let's hold this meeting for a while. We'll continue shortly."
After dismissing the team, he answered the call.
"Hello, baby. Did you wake up?" he asked, his voice soft and affectionate.
"Yeah! I woke up and had breakfast too," Ember replied.
Dylan chuckled. "Did you miss me that much? I'm sorry I couldn't join you for breakfast—I had some work to finish."
"It's okay," Ember said.
Dylan teased, "Just okay? I thought you might miss me."
The truth was, Ember did miss him when he wasn't by her side, but she was too shy to admit it. Instead, she huffed.
"Don't be so full of yourself. I'm actually mad at you right now."
"What happened?" he asked, amused.
"You didn't tell me we have a flight today! I haven't even started packing," Ember scolded him.
Dylan sighed. "I'm so sorry, baby. I've been so busy handling things at the company that I completely forgot to tell you."
"How many days are we staying there? I need to pack accordingly," she asked.
"One week," he replied.
"Okay, I'll start packing. When are you coming back?" she inquired.
"I want to come as fast as I can, but I need to finish things up here first. I don't want anything work-related interfering with our holiday."
Ember smiled slightly. "I'm waiting for you… and I miss you. Bye."
Before Dylan could respond, she hung up.
He stared at his phone in surprise. Then, a soft chuckle escaped his lips as he murmured, "So silly… so cute."
Shaking his head, he called his team back into the room, determined to finish the meeting as quickly as possible.
On the other side,
Ember's cheeks turned bright red with embarrassment. She covered her face for a moment, flustered by her own reaction. Just then, a sudden knock on the door startled her. She quickly composed herself and turned to look.
It was Adrien.
"Hey, Ember," he greeted with a warm smile.
"Hey, Adrien," she replied, forcing a smile.
Adrien tilted his head slightly, studying her expression. "Were you expecting someone else? That smile looks fake." He chuckled.
Ember sighed and laughed. "Was it that obvious?"
They both burst into laughter, sharing an easy moment of amusement.
After a beat, Adrien glanced at her half-packed bags and asked, "Hey, Ember, what are you doing? Are you going somewhere?"
"Yep! Emir invited us to his birthday party in County T, city Haliçis, Are you not going? " Ember replied.
"not now but will be there on his birthday ,So when's your flight?" he asked.
"It's this evening, I think."
Adrien's eyes widened slightly. "You're leaving today, and you haven't even packed yet?"
Ember pouted. "It's not my fault! It's your friend's fault—he didn't even tell me we were leaving today."
She expected Adrien to tease her back, but instead, he fell silent. His expression shifted slightly, as if something was bothering him.
Ember frowned. "Adrien?" she called his name gently.
He still didn't answer. Realizing she might have said something wrong, she reached for his hand. "Why don't we sit and have a chat?" she suggested.
They moved to the sofa near her bed and sat down. Ember turned to him with curiosity in her eyes. "So, tell me… what's wrong?"
Adrien hesitated before shaking his head. "It's nothing. Everything's alright."
But Ember could tell he was holding something back. She sighed. "I thought that after my injury and your frequent visits, you and Dylan had finally patched things up… but I guess I was wrong."
Adrien exhaled slowly. "Yeah… We still need to talk it out. But I'll try my best."
Ember grinned and raised her fist. "All the best!" she encouraged. Then, she clenched her fist firmly, bent her arm at the elbow, and moved it in a short, strong motion while saying, "You can do it!"
Adrien laughed at her exaggerated gesture, and soon, they were both laughing together, sharing a lighthearted moment.
Feeling a little better, Ember stood up and continued packing. Adrien watched her for a moment before asking, "Are you feeling any pain?"
"Nope! I feel perfectly fine now, thanks to you, Doctor." She paused before adding with a teasing glint in her eyes, "By the way, you told me you're a scientist, but you're also my personal doctor? How does that work?"
Adrien chuckled. "You're too silly. A person can be both at the same time. I originally wanted to be a scientist, but due to personal reasons, I completed my doctorate first. Now that everything's settled, I can finally focus on my research."
Ember hesitated for a second before asking, "I know it's personal, but… did you become a doctor to treat a family member?"
Adrien's expression softened. "Yeah… My little sister. But now she's alright, and I'm really happy that she can smile again."
Ember's heart warmed at his words. "That's great. I hope I can meet her someday."
Just then, a familiar voice came from the doorway.
"Meet who?"
Dylan stood at the door, his gaze shifting between Ember and Adrien as he stepped inside.
"Oh! Dylan, you're back. I thought you'd take longer," Ember said with a smile.
Dylan walked closer, his gaze shifting between her and Adrien. "Yes, I am. So, what were you two talking about?" he asked casually.
Adrien leaned back slightly and replied, "Just some friendly chat."
Dylan's eyes twinkled with amusement as he turned to Ember. "Who are you so excited to see?" he asked, a playful smile on his face.
Ember's eyes lit up. "Adrien told me he has a little sister, so I was wondering if I could meet her," she said with anticipation.
But as soon as the words left her lips, Dylan's smile faded. His expression hardened as he cast a glance at Adrien before turning back to Ember. "You don't have to do that," he said, his voice unusually firm.
Ember blinked, taken aback by his sudden shift in demeanor. "But…" she started, but the coldness in Dylan's expression made her hesitate. She decided not to push further.
Dylan took a deep breath and exhaled slowly, composing himself. "Sorry… it's just been a tiring day," he said, attempting to explain.
"It's okay," Ember responded softly, though she couldn't shake off the feeling that something was off.
Dylan turned to Adrien. "I need to discuss something with you. Come with me."
Adrien nodded. "Alright." Then, he turned to Ember. "I'll be leaving now. I'll give Dylan your prescription so you can take your medicine on time. Don't forget to take it if you feel a headache, and call me if anything else feels off. See you soon."
Ember gave him a small smile. "Okay. See you soon, Adrien."
Outside the House -
As soon as they stepped outside, Dylan grabbed Adrien by the collar and pulled him close, his eyes dark with fury. "You. I trusted you, and yet you're talking to her about your sister? How dare you?" he growled.
Adrien remained calm, his gaze steady. "I didn't say anything about us. It was just casual talk."
Dylan's grip tightened before he let go abruptly, shoving him back. "I don't know what your motive is, but I've finally found something I want to cherish. And I'm not letting anyone ruin that."
Adrien sighed. "I know how much you care about her. I know I misunderstood you before… but I have no hidden motives, Dylan. I just want you to forgive me for my mistake."
Dylan scoffed, running a frustrated hand through his hair. "Ha! You think you can come back after all these years, say 'sorry,' and I'll just forgive you? Do you think I'm a saint or something?" he snapped.
Adrien's expression remained firm. "I know it's hard for you to forgive me… but at least give me a chance."
Dylan let out a bitter chuckle. "A chance? You lost it when you mentioned your sister to Ember. Now leave. If she hears us, she'll be shocked, and I don't want to ruin our first vacation together."
At the mention of Ember, Adrien hesitated. He reached into his pocket and handed Dylan a small paper. "Here's Ember's prescription. If she gets a headache again, make sure she takes these. And listen—your flight is in the evening, which means you'll probably reach there after midnight. Don't wake her up when you arrive. Given her condition, she was with her family the last time something like this happened. If she wakes up in an unfamiliar place at that hour, she might suffer a severe headache. Be careful."
Dylan took the paper, his expression unreadable. "I will."
Adrien walked toward his car, opening the door before turning back one last time. "Dylan… let's talk it out when you come back," he said with a small, hopeful smile before driving away.
After Dylan came back, Ember looked at him and asked, "Dylan, did you finish packing yet?"
"Nope," he replied casually.
"I'm done with mine, so I can help you with yours," Ember offered.
"Okay, let's go to my room," Dylan said.
They walked to his room together. Dylan opened his closet and turned to Ember with a smirk. "How about you pick the outfits, and I'll do the packing?"
Ember liked his suggestion, so they started packing. As she sorted through his clothes, something caught her attention. "Baby, why don't you have any black shirts in your closet?" she asked curiously.
Dylan shrugged. "Oh? I didn't even realize I don't have one."
"I think you'd look really good in a black shirt," Ember said with a thoughtful smile.
"You think so? I'll get one if you want," Dylan said.
"No, you don't have to," Ember replied quickly.
"But why?" he asked, sensing something behind her words.
She hesitated for a second before saying softly, "Just don't."
Dylan looked at her for a moment, then sighed. "Okay."
At the Airport & On the Flight -
After lunch, they left for the airport.
It was Ember's first time traveling by plane, and as the flight prepared for takeoff, she felt her heartbeat quicken. She tried to take deep breaths, but her hands trembled slightly. Dylan noticed right away. He reached out, holding her hand gently in his own, trying to comfort her. But her breathing remained unsteady.
Without a second thought, Dylan leaned in and pressed a soft kiss on her lips. The sudden warmth of his lips against hers caught her off guard, but as the plane steadied, so did her breathing.
When he pulled away, her face was burning red. Her breath was even now, but her heart pounded even harder—this time, not from fear but from something else entirely.
As she calmed down, Dylan chuckled and said, "You should've told me this was your first time flying."
Ember looked away shyly. "I'm sorry."
"You don't have to be sorry," Dylan reassured her, brushing a strand of hair from her face. "Just tell me everything you're feeling, okay?"
"Okay," Ember whispered.
After a while, Ember glanced at Dylan, who was talking to the flight attendants. They were smiling, excitedly handing him a notepad. He signed autographs for them with a charming grin.
When he was done, he turned to Ember. "Hey baby, what do you want to drink?"
"Just some orange juice, thank you," she said with a smile.
Dylan ordered a red wine for himself and leaned back in his seat. As he drank, he noticed Ember still staring at him.
He had noticed it for a while, but this time, her gaze was intense.
"What is it, Ember? Why do you keep staring at me?" he asked. "If you have something to say, just ask."
Ember hesitated before asking, "Dylan… is something bothering you?"
Dylan frowned slightly. "Why do you ask?"
"Your eyebrows have been furrowed all day. Even when you were smiling while giving those autographs, it was obvious your mind was somewhere else. Are you okay?"
Dylan was taken aback. She noticed? He thought he had hidden it well—the conversation with Adrein had stirred up unpleasant memories from the past. But Ember had seen right through him.
"Ember..." he started, but before he could find the words, she pulled him into her arms.
"I know work must've been hard today, but everyone has tough days. It's okay. I'm here by your side, and whenever you feel like talking, you can tell me anything," she whispered.
She knew about the quarrel he had with Adrein back then, but she didn't know what they talked about. At that time, she couldn't hear a word.
Dylan remained silent, holding her tightly, letting her warmth seep into him. The tension in his chest loosened, and for the first time that day, he felt like he could breathe again.
When he finally pulled back, he looked at her—her bright smile reminded him of sunlight breaking through stormy clouds.
"Are you feeling better now?" she asked softly.
Dylan smiled—this time, it wasn't forced or heavy. It was real.
"Yeah… I am."
Ember looked at him and asked, "Dylan, can I ask you something?"
"Yes," he said, turning his attention to her.
"You've never told me about your parents, and I haven't even seen them at your home," Ember said, curiosity evident in her voice.
Dylan leaned back slightly and replied, "Didn't I tell you? My parents are also from the entertainment industry. My father is a famous actor and the president of Elysium Arts, while my mother is his secretary and the vice president of the company."
"Elysium Arts… That's the company you work at too, right?" she asked.
"Yes, that's the same one. Actually, when I went to study abroad, my parents moved there with me. To make things easier, my father opened an international branch of Elysium Arts in Country A. The main branch here in Shine is run by my uncle, Lu Ming," Dylan explained.
"Oh, so the boss is your uncle?" Ember said, realization dawning on her.
"Yes," he confirmed with a nod.
Ember tilted her head slightly and asked, "But you're back here in Shine now. What about your parents? Where are they?"
A soft chuckle escaped Dylan's lips. "My parents are like free birds. They travel whenever they feel like it. I honestly don't even know where they are today. But no matter where they go, they never forget to call me every night to check in on me and came back after two, three months and spend rest of the year with me ,, so they are on vacation right now "
Ember smiled warmly. "What a sweet little family you have."
Dylan's eyes softened. "Yes, I do. A really beautiful family. What about you?"
"My family? Well, we're a family of four—my parents, my little brother Zen, and me. My father runs a convenience store, and my mother is a government employee. I love spending time with them," Ember said, a fond expression on her face.
"Sounds like we both have lovely families," Dylan said, smiling.
"Yeah, you're right."
After dinner, they curled up together to watch a movie. As the film reached its intermission, Dylan glanced over and found Ember fast asleep beside him. A gentle smile touched his lips. He carefully pulled a blanket over her, turned off the movie, and placed a soft kiss on her forehead.
Holding her close, he, too, drifted into sleep.