We were only staying at the Kim family's villa for two days and one night, but of course, Lola showed up with three full suitcases.
I ended up helping her carry one, so we each had two in hand. We headed down to the parking lot together since Mark was already waiting for us there. Lola kept going on and on about something—I don't even know—something about French cuisine? I didn’t really get it and honestly, I stopped trying halfway through.
As soon as the elevator doors opened, Lola stepped out first and I followed right behind. We immediately saw Mark leaning coolly against his Ford Raptor, looking like some kind of K-drama lead. When he noticed us approaching, he walked over to meet us. I thought—and I’m pretty sure Lola thought the same thing—that he was going to help her with her bags. She held out her two suitcases expectantly...
But nope. Mark completely ignored her, walked right past, and took my bags instead.
“Wow, seriously? I’m your childhood friend and you help her first? Are you two close now or what?” Lola said dramatically, her eyes narrowing as she watched Mark toss my bags into the back of his car.
Mark walked back toward her, unfazed, and grabbed one of her bags.
“You talk too much,” he muttered under his breath.
I couldn’t help but laugh.
“You totally play favorites!” Lola complained before hopping into the passenger seat with an annoyed huff.
“Let’s go?” Mark said, snapping me out of my thoughts. I didn’t even realize I’d been standing there staring at the two of them like I was watching a scene from a series.
I slid into the backseat, and guess what? Lola still wasn’t over it. Ten minutes into the ride and she was still ranting about how Mark helped me first. The best part? Mark kept throwing back sarcastic remarks, making her even more worked up.
“You’re so sensitive, Lola,” I chimed in from the back, leaning forward between the front seats.
She turned around to glare at me. “You! If you weren’t so pretty—” she cut herself off, rolled her eyes, and slumped back into her seat with a loud sigh.
“Oh yeah? And what if I am pretty?” I teased, making sure she could see the smug look on my face.
“She’s just jealous, Fiorice. It’s because she’s ugly,” Mark said without missing a beat.
Lola gasped like someone just stepped on her dignity.
“Just so you know, Mark, you are the ugliest one out of all your cousins!” she snapped, clearly offended.
I sat back in my seat, trying not to laugh too loudly.
At this rate, I swear, I’m going to go deaf because of these two.
---
The ride was super long, but honestly, it was worth it the moment we arrived.
You could immediately tell how rich the Kim Family was. There was this massive open field in the middle of nowhere, and right in the center stood a huge mansion. Even from a distance, I could already see a lake shimmering behind it. The grass near the house was perfectly trimmed, but farther out, the wild grass grew tall and swayed with the wind. There was also this giant cherry blossom tree standing proudly like it came straight out of a movie.
Mark parked his car in one of the designated areas, and a few helpers came over to carry our stuff—which was kinda fancy, not gonna lie.
At first, I thought we got there too early because everything seemed quiet. But turns out, the party was happening at the back of the house.
And let me just say—Kim Family genes? No joke. I literally stopped in my tracks. I felt like I just walked into a K-drama. Everyone looked like models. It was unfair.
“Lola, you’re here!” I heard someone call out excitedly. It was Chelsea. First time I’d seen her up close, and wow—magazine photos did not do her justice.
Chelsea greeted me politely too, then gave us a quick tour around their place.
“Our great-grandmother planted that tree,” she said, pointing to the enormous cherry blossom tree.
I was honestly amazed. We were much closer to it now, and with the wind blowing, the tall grass around it looked like waves. It was peaceful, almost surreal.
Then out of nowhere, a girl stood up under the tree. I didn’t even notice her there—she was completely hidden by the grass. She was laughing, wearing a white sundress, and her hair was blowing wildly in the wind. She looked like she stepped out of a painting.
Then she reached out and pulled someone up from the grass. A guy stood up, laughing with her as he brushed off the bits of grass stuck to her dress.
“That’s Catherine. She loves hanging out over there,” Mark said, probably noticing I was staring.
“Who’s that with her?”
“Oh, that’s Xandree—”
“Xandree?” I almost shouted.
“Yeah. Cha Xandree. He’s her boyfriend. But shhh, okay? Only the Cha and Kim families know. You know how insane fans can get these days, especially since Xandree’s one of the top actors right now.”
I just nodded, eyes still glued to the two of them. And then, of course, we noticed another tall guy approaching them.
“Who’s that?”
“Oh, that’s Samuel. He’s the half-brother of Catherine’s half-brother.”
“Wait, what?”
“I know. It’s complicated,” Mark said with a shrug. “Let’s just say Samuel has a thing for Catherine, but she doesn’t know.”
“For real?”
“Yeah, it’s a rumor among the cousins. Chelsea even asked him once, but he didn’t answer. Honestly though, it’s kinda obvious. He’s way too protective of her for someone who’s not even related by blood.”
I raised a brow. Didn’t know Mark’s a gossip. I shook my head, laughing, and grabbed his arm to pull him toward the food.
“Let’s mind our own business.”
“Bro!” he suddenly said—and just like that, he ditched me.
I followed his line of sight, and I’m glad I did because apparently, he was calling over James.
“This is Fiorice, by the way,” Mark introduced, casually cool.
James held out his hand, so I shook it without thinking.
“Nice meeting you again, Fiorice.” He smiled.
Wait… again?
Did he just say again?
He remembers me?
Does he remember what happened at the hotel?
