The Game of Love (The hidden)

The Unexpected Encounter April furrowed her brows as she continued sketching on the paper in front of her. Frustration bubbled inside her—not sadness, but pure irritation. She had spent the entire afternoon trying to create the perfect concept for the wedding dress she was supposed to design, but nothing seemed good enough. It had to be elegant, unique, and perfectly tailored to her client's taste. And that client? Her friend—someone she once swore to-was destined for a life inside a convent. "Why the hell is she even getting married?" she muttered under her breath, shaking her head. With a loud sigh, she threw her pencil onto the table and leaned back in her chair, staring at the ceiling. Maybe if she closed her eyes, inspiration would miraculously strike her. It didn’t. Instead, the annoying ringing of her phone broke her thoughts. She groaned, grabbed her phone off the table, and answered the call with little patience. "Oh? What now?" she asked, her voice calm but laced with irritation. "Oof, is that anger I hear? Diane! I just called, and you already sound annoyed! You know, Seprel Diane Torre—the woman who's hates everything—maybe you need a little love in your life so you won’t always be so frustrated!" April rolled her eyes at the teasing voice of her best friend, Ellana. "Ugh. A man? Love? Please. What would I even do with that nonsense?" she scoffed, rubbing her temples. "Wow, so bitter! Anyway, I didn’t call to fix your tragic love life—I have an invitation! Nun Lara is treating us at her restaurant, and you are coming. No excuses. Its free, Diane! The whole squad is complete, so if you dare ditch us, I will kill you!" "A restaurant? Free food? Hmph. Fine." And just like that, the call ended before she could argue. Ellana always had a way of shutting down conversations before Diane had a chance to refuse. _______________________________ Despite her earlier irritation, April decided to head to the restaurant where her friends were waiting. The sun had already started setting, casting a warm orange glow on the streets as she walked down the bustling road. She was deep in thought, contemplating whether she should just quit designing wedding dresses altogether, when suddenly— A car nearly slammed into her. She stumbled back, eyes wide. Her heart pounded violently against her ribs as the vehicle screeched to a stop inches from her. Fury replaced her shock. "Hoy! Are you blind?!" she yelled, slamming her hand against the car’s hood with a force that echoed through the street. The car door swung open, and a man stepped out. Tall. Gorgeous. Sharp eyes, strong physique—like someone crafted straight out of a romance novel. But to Diane? He was nothing more than a walking inconvenience. "Miss, you were the one who walked into the street without looking," the man said, clearly annoyed. She scoffed, crossing her arms. "Wow! If I hadn’t moved, I’d be a pancake on the ground right now!" The man tilted his head slightly, a teasing smirk creeping onto his lips. "And yet, you're still standing. Clearly, I stopped on time." Her blood boiled. "Oh, you think its funny? Do you think you can just flash your smug little smirk and all will be forgiven?! News flash: I don’t fall for cheap tricks!" He chuckled. "No one said you had to fall for anything." That damn smile again. She was about to hurl another insult at him, but suddenly— "Diane?!" Ellana’s voice cut through the tension. Diane turned to see her friend standing outside the restaurant, looking at her with both amusement and confusion. "What are you doing? Picking a fight with a stranger in the middle of the street?" "HE ALMOST RAN ME OVER!" Diane huffed, glaring at the man. Ellana raised an eyebrow. "Hmmm… he's cute, though." "What?!" Diane scowled. The man let out a soft laugh, shaking his head. "Your friend is clearly more reasonable than you," he mused before stepping back toward his car. "And you clearly have a death wish!" Diane shot back. With that, he got back inside his car and drove away. Diane let out a frustrated breath. What a terrible start to her night. But deep inside her chest—somewhere beneath her irritation—she felt something she couldn’t quite place. __________________________ Later that night, as Diane joined her friends at the restaurant, she tried to shake off the frustrating encounter earlier. The air inside the cozy diner buzzed with laughter and conversations, yet she couldn’t fully enjoy herself. Ellana was busy chatting away about the latest drama in their friend group, while Lara ordered a round of drinks for everyone. Diane sighed, determined to distract herself. But then— The same man walked in. Diane stiffened. And as if the universe was playing some twisted joke on her, he casually strode toward their table and took the empty seat directly across from hers. Her eyes narrowed as she leaned closer to Ellana, whispering harshly, "You’ve got to be kidding me. What is he doing here?" Ellana glanced at the man, her lips curling into a mischievous grin. "Wow, the universe is working overtime! Fate wants you to fall in love, girl!" Diane snorted, crossing her arms. "Over my dead body." The man, who had been calmly scanning the menu, finally looked up and met her glare with an amused smirk. "You again," he mused, setting the menu down. "Unfortunately," Diane shot back. Lara, oblivious to the tension between them, smiled brightly. "Ah! Lucas, you made it!" she said excitedly. Diane’s eyes widened. "Wait. You know him?!" "Of course," Lara laughed. "Lucas is my soon to be husband's bestfriend and a dear friend of mine." Diane felt her stomach drop. Lucas leaned back against his chair, clearly enjoying her shock. "Seems like I’ll be sticking around longer than you expected," he said smoothly. Diane clenched her jaw. Diane forced herself to breathe as she clenched her fists under the table, willing herself not to react any further. This wasn’t just some irritating stranger anymore—he was someone Lara trusted, someone connected to her circle. Which meant escaping him completely was going to be a lot harder than she thought. Ellana, of course, was thriving off the tension, her grin only growing wider as she leaned forward. "Well, since the two of you have already met—dramatically, I might add—why don’t we do introductions properly?" she suggested, eyes twinkling with mischief. Lucas rested his chin on his hand, smirk intact. "Do we really need introductions? I think Diane and I already know each other quite well," he remarked, voice teasing. Diane scoffed, grabbing the menu aggressively as if it had personally wronged her. "Knowing someone implies there’s mutual understanding. You, sir, are simply a nuisance," she quipped, eyes glaring at the text on the page instead of looking at him. Lara chuckled, clearly not affected by the tension. "Lucas is one of the most generous person I ver know," she explained, smiling at Diane. "He's helped fund multiple projects for underprivileged communities. He's actually here tonight because I wanted to introduce him to all of you." Diane froze. No way. So not only was this man rich, but he was also charitable? That should have made her rethink her first impression, right? Maybe give him some credit for actually doing something meaningful with his money? It didn’t. In fact, she felt even more annoyed. Great. Now he wasn’t just a reckless driver—he was also Mr. Perfect Philanthropist. "Lucky us," Diane muttered sarcastically, finally setting the menu down. Lucas raised an eyebrow. "Not impressed, I see," he mused, his tone still light. Diane rolled her eyes. "Should I be? Do you want applause for being rich and helpful?" Ellana nearly choked on her drink, while the others exchanged amused glances. Lucas let out a small chuckle, clearly entertained. "No need. But I do love how skeptical you are. Very refreshing," he said smoothly. Diane wanted to throw her drink at him. Lara, sensing the rising heat between them, clapped her hands together. "Enough bickering! Let’s eat, celebrate, and have a peaceful evening," she said, grinning at them. Diane inhaled deeply. Fine. She would tolerate this man’s existence for tonight. But something in the pit of her stomach told her that this wasn’t the last time she’d see him. And that thought? That was the most frustrating thing of all.