The clock struck 5:40 p.m., just as Kalix had said earlier when he announced he'd be hosting a small party to celebrate the success of his company's new brand. Now, employees were pouring into a restaurant not far from the office.
After exchanging a few words with his staff, Kalix and Naka quickly made their way to the VIP room. Kalix had actually wanted to dine with the employees, but every table was already full, making him slightly uncomfortable. So, he decided to eat in the VIP room with Naka instead.
Upon arriving at the VIP room, Naka was surprised to see Kalix ordering wine. It had been ages since Kalix last touched alcohol. He must have had a lot on his mind to suddenly crave something so strong.
------
An hour later
"Hey, stop, stop!" Naka said, snatching the wine bottle from Kalix's hand. "What's with you drinking all of a sudden—and so much of it, too?" he grumbled.
"Give me back my drink," slurred Kalix, already heavily drunk.
"No way. We have an important meeting tomorrow. Damn, I should've stopped you earlier. Come on, I'll take you home," Naka said, helping Kalix to his feet and heading for the door.
As they approached the cashier, Naka noticed a few employees still there. His attention landed on Dariella, who looked completely fresh—meaning she hadn't touched a drop of alcohol.
"Miss Dariella," Naka called.
Dariella, who was happily enjoying the food in front of her, looked up. "Mr. Naka!?"
"You're still here?"
"Yes, there's still a lot of food left. Would be a shame to waste it. Oh, is the boss drunk?"
"Yeah, he is."
"Man, you're heavy," Naka muttered under his breath as he struggled with Kalix's weight.
Suddenly, Naka's phone rang. "How am I supposed to answer like this?" he complained, still supporting Kalix.
"Here, let me help," Dariella offered, stepping over to prop Kalix up herself.
"Thanks, I'll take this call real quick," Naka said. Dariella simply nodded with a smile.
While Naka spoke to someone on the phone, Dariella noticed the worried look on his face. Her brows furrowed.
"Is something wrong, sir?" she asked once Naka returned.
"Ah, it's just… one of our investors suddenly wants to meet, but the boss is in no condition to see a client. They're already waiting. I don't know what to do," Naka said anxiously.
"How about this—I'll leave Kalix with you for a bit, okay? I won't be long. The meeting's nearby. Just a short while," he said, leaving before Dariella could even reply.
"Eh—Mr. Naka!" she called out, but he ignored her. "Ugh, I hate dealing with drunk people," she muttered, glaring at Kalix.
"There's no way I'm just going to wait here. His meeting won't be quick—it's definitely going to take a while," she grumbled again.
.
.
.
An hour and a half later
Naka finally wrapped up his business and immediately reached for his phone to contact Dariella.
But when he unlocked his screen, he noticed a message from her—sent an hour ago.
Mr. Naka, I couldn't wait for you at the restaurant, and I didn't know who else to contact since the boss's phone is locked with a pattern. So I decided to take him to the nearest hotel. Here's the address: Hotel XXXX, Room 405.
"She took him to a hotel?!" Naka hissed in shock.
He rushed over to the hotel, his mind racing—unsure if he should be more worried about Dariella taking advantage of Kalix, or Kalix doing something inappropriate to her while drunk.
When he arrived, Naka hurried to the room.
Inside, he found Kalix sprawled face-down on the bed. There was no sign of Dariella.
"She's not here… did she leave already?" Naka muttered, stepping closer.
"Kalix! Hey, wake up!" he said, patting his friend's cheeks.
Then his eyes caught something on the bed sheet—a dark red stain.
"Don't tell me… is that blood?"
A strong metallic scent hit his nose. "God, it smells like blood!" Naka exclaimed in horror.
"No way… no way Kalix did anything to Miss Dariella," he whispered, shocked.
"Ahhh, I'm screwed!!!"
"KALIX, I'M SORRY!!!" he shouted in panic.
.
.
.
The long night had passed, and morning had arrived. Every soul began their daily activities — including the woman whose looks did not meet her country's beauty standards.
Who else could it be if not Dariella — the career woman nicknamed "Lucky Beastie," or the "unattractive lucky one." While Dariella didn't have a beautiful face, she had a solid career. That's why people called her lucky — she possessed skills that made up for what her appearance lacked.
At that moment, Dariella was getting ready to go to work. For a moment, she froze, staring at her reflection in the mirror.
An outdated style and an unattractive face — people would sneer at her just because she looked different. But Dariella didn't care. She felt comfortable with how she looked.
"So lovely," she murmured with a smile.
Her smile faltered when something flashed in her mind. Her eyes blinked repeatedly as she touched her lips. Suddenly, she remembered last night.
That moment at the hotel when Kalix had kissed her — a little roughly.
"My first kiss?!" Dariella blurted in outrage.
"Damn you, Kalix Alano," she muttered, scrubbing her lips harshly. "I just hope he doesn't remember. If he does, he'll definitely accuse me of something absurd. He's the one at fault — going around kissing people like that!" she fumed.
Ding-dong, ding-dong.
Dariella furrowed her brows. "Who's visiting this early in the morning?" she muttered.
She quickly walked to the door and opened it.
"Mr. Naka?" Dariella was both surprised and confused. The visitor at her door so early turned out to be her boss's secretary.
"Is he here to scold me for leaving his friend drunk and alone?" she wondered nervously.
"Miss Dariella… you're okay, right?" Naka asked, looking at her with a guilty expression.
"Huh?" Dariella was confused by the vague question.
"Yes, I'm fine, sir. Oh, I'm sorry I didn't tell you that I left the boss al—"
"It's fine, I understand," Naka quickly interrupted.
"Miss, I really want to apologize. If I hadn't left the boss in your care, none of this would have happened," he said, looking remorseful.
"What on earth is this guy talking about?" Dariella thought, puzzled.
"Uh… what do you mean, sir?" she asked aloud.
"Today, you don't need to come to work, but you have to come with me to meet the Madam," Naka replied.
"The Madam?" Dariella frowned.
"Yes — the boss's mother."
Dariella nodded slowly. "And why exactly do I have to meet the boss's mother?"
"You'll find out when we get to the boss's house. They'll explain everything there," Naka said.
Though she was still bewildered, Dariella agreed to follow him.
--------
The Alano family mansion
"NAKA YAMAMOTO!" shouted a man angrily.
"Stop yelling! The one to blame isn't Naka, it's you! Who told you to drink so much? Since when did Mama teach you to drink alcohol, huh?! That's not good for your health, Kalix. Mama is disappointed in you," his mother scolded.
Grandma Irina sighed deeply. "What's wrong with you that you resort to drinking? Haven't we always taught you to avoid bad habits, even when life is tough? Using alcohol to escape your problems isn't a solution—it only creates new problems."
"And see the proof of it, huh? Because of your foolishness, you took a woman's virginity. Oh my God, poor girl—she must be deeply traumatized," the grandmother said sadly.
Kalix remained silent, pulling at his hair in frustration. He was supposed to be at the office this morning attending an important meeting. But because he drank heavily last night, he overslept and felt unwell.
As his mind slowly cleared, a memory suddenly flashed—something he never expected to happen.
He remembered clearly how he had dragged that woman onto the bed and kissed her roughly. After that, his memory went blank. Did he really touch Dariella or not?
His mother and grandmother, having already heard the whole story from Naka, were furious with him.
Kalix wanted to deny everything at first—he was sure he hadn't touched Dariella. But when his mother mentioned that Naka had found bloodstains on the bed sheets, doubt and frustration crept in.
"Sorry, Mom, Grandma. I have to find Naka. Because of that damn wedower, I got stuck with some ancient, unbelievable woman," Kalix muttered as he tried to stand up.
"You don't need to look for Naka. He'll be here soon. And don't worry about your office matters — your father is already handling them," his mother said, confusing him further.
"Your father ordered Naka to bring that woman here and discuss a way out of this," she added.
"WHAAAAT?!" Kalix yelled.
"That beastie is coming here?!" he shouted again.
"No matter what, you have to take responsibility. And we also want to apologize for your behavior," Grandma Irina said, staring sharply at her grandson.
Kalix massaged his temples, feeling a pounding headache. "Responsibility?! What kind of responsibility?! Oh God, out of all women, why does it have to be that beastie?" he thought bitterly.