Sylvia's shadow stretched over the pavement, a solitary figure in the embrace of the night. Yet, her beauty remained untouched, and Eric found her back alluring.

Eric parked the car and called out to her, but she didn't respond. He had to step out of the car and raise his voice before Sylvia finally glanced back, surprise shadowing her face. "You? I thought you were celebrating your victory with your colleagues."

She had read his message and expected him to return much later in the night. Why wouldn't he? It wasn't every day their company secured two projects from the city's major players.

"I thought a celebratory dinner would suffice. They wanted to go to a club or karaoke, but I'm not fond of those places," Eric replied.

That was his nature—direct and sometimes aloof. He had been declining such parties since he started working at Westman Technology.

"Do you want to go home or continue walking?" he asked, prepared to go home if she chose the latter.

Unexpectedly, she replied, "A