"What does that mean?"Gray rubbed the back of his neck and leaned back into his swivel chair. His eyes wandered to the ceiling, then to the faint reflection of himself on the window.Selina and Lily had left earlier in the afternoon.Selina had offered to bring Lily along after her class so they could hang out while Gray was away. It was harmless at the time. He found it nice, even, since Lily liked her so much.Now, though... it kind of felt like he'd walked into another trap.Now it was a dinner trap.He scoffed under his breath."Meet the grandfather again," he muttered. "Of course."Still, Gray didn't want to overthink it.Even though Conrad could be scheming again, he was a nice man. He also seemed harmless, so Gray was just fine with it."This is just another dinner, right?"Gray feared the topic of the dinner more than the dinner itself."Oh well..." he exhaled."I just hope that man doesn't bring up talks about relationships again."---Later that evening, Gray arrived at the

"I apologize," Selina held his gaze. She pressed her lips together, guilt flickering across her face. "The truth is... I was the one who suggested it," she admitted softly. "After I visited her school.""You?" Gray asked Selina before turning back to Conrad slowly. He was still trying to process everything."It's not charity, Gray," the old man said firmly. "And it's not because I think Lily isn't being cared for. It's quite the opposite."Conrad smiled faintly, folding his hands neatly in front of him. His voice remained calm, yet there was something in his tone that said he was genuine."Selina told me about your situation. About how much Lily means to you. I respect that. Deeply. And I admire it."Gray didn't respond. He stared down at his bowl for a long moment. The steam from the soup rose steadily, curling into the air like smoke."I just think she deserves more," Selina added beside him, her voice gentle and cautious, as t

The system notification slowly faded, but the words lingered in Gray's mind.[Grow Your Business.]It seemed like the System was eager to make this investment possible.Gray glanced down at the black card again, then quietly slipped it into his wallet. He didn't say anything more, but his grip tightened for a moment."I guess I need to work harder this month."The dinner went on after that.The soup had cooled slightly, but it still tasted rich and comforting. Every course that followed was plated like art.For the main course, there was a silky fish dish with foam, a slow-cooked lamb medallion that melted in the mouth when you bit into it. Adding to that, the dessert was also top-notch. It looked like a snow globe made of sugar and filled with hazelnut cream.For the rest of the night, they ate, talked, and laughed.As the business talk died down, Conrad's demeanor changed entirely."So..." Conrad looked at Lily, his eyes filled with curiosity."Tell me, Lily, how long has your broth

"Yeah. That's it."Gray clasped his hands together after saying everything he had to say."So, a child, huh?" Owen gave a small and thoughtful smile at Gray's answer. He nodded briefly before closing the small folder he had in front.Gray leaned forward a little, resting his elbows on the edge of the table. The talk had gotten a little less formal now."I mean... this is my first time handling something this big," he admitted out loud. "When I took over, it was a mess."Gray paused for a second, his fingers tapping against the table before continuing."And as I've said, I'm trying to fix it. One thing at a time. So yeah, I guess this place feels like a kid I'm raising. Other than that, I don't want to be the kind of boss who only looks at numbers and forgets the people. I want the team to care and the customers to feel it."Owen studied him for a moment. His expression was neutral, but not unreadable. At that moment, it felt like he was assessing. Not to judge Gray, but to understand

The sunlight went from bright to dim across his office window as he spent the rest of the afternoon looking through the supplier documents he'd neglected for the past two days.Fortunately, it was already halfway done when he left it. Still, it took a lot of time, and by the time he finished, his fingers ached from gripping his pen too tightly.His back felt stiff from leaning forward for hours.Gray emailed the draft with a brief note. He slumped back in his chair and let out a breath that had been sitting in his chest since noon."Done," he mumbled. "Finally done."He stayed there for a second longer before dragging himself up from the seat. Marcus had already left for the day. Even the floor of his office was quiet.Without any other choice, he grabbed his bag and tossed in the last of his things before he finally stepped out of the building.Just as he'd expected, the sky was already dark. Street lights were already turned on, lighting the sidewalks. There were also only a few peo