Thirty minutes later, Naka and Dariella arrived at the Alano family mansion.
Dariella simply followed Naka, clueless about why they had called her there.
Kalix, seeing Naka's arrival, immediately stood up and approached him, ready to attack. But Naka moved quickly, hiding behind Dariella's small frame, forcing Kalix to stop.
"Kalix… I'm really sorry. I know I messed up," Naka said nervously, still hiding behind Dariella.
"Get away from her!" Kalix growled.
"What are you two doing?" Dariella snapped, annoyed as Kalix and Naka circled around her, making her dizzy.
"Will you two stop this right now!" Grandma Irina shouted.
Naka and Kalix halted their chase. Kalix chose to sit back down, his frustration growing.
"So this is the person?" Mommy Aila asked Naka.
"Yes, aunty," he replied.
Grandma Irina and Mommy Aila scrutinized Dariella from head to toe.
Kalix carefully watched their expressions. They must be shocked, he thought.
"Somewhat," Grandma Irina answered.
Kalix stared at his grandmother with a wide-open mouth, amazed. 'Somewhat'?! Seriously, Grandma? Well, I guess age really does affect eyesight, he mused bitterly.
"Sit here," Mommy Aila said, pulling Dariella to sit between her and Grandma Irina. "What's your name?"
"Dariella," she answered nervously.
Why do I have to sit here? This is so awkward, Dariella thought.
"You probably already know why we called you here," Grandma Irina said.
Dariella forced a shy smile, rubbing the back of her neck, feeling uneasy. "I'm sorry, ma'am, but honestly, I don't know why I was suddenly asked to come meet you."
Grandma Irina sighed deeply and held Dariella's hand. "Last night must have been traumatic for you. Please forgive my grandson for what he did to you."
"Did she just say 'did something to you'?! Did that annoying boss really tell his family that he kissed me?" Dariella thought in disbelief.
Now it was Mommy Aila's turn to hold Dariella's hand. "Kalix will take responsibility, so you don't need to worry."
Dariella frowned in confusion. "Responsibility? I don't think there's anything to be responsible for. I—"
"Dariella, whether you like it or not, you have to accept Kalix's responsibility. If not, this will get even more complicated, especially if you get pregnant," Naka said, looking at her with guilty eyes.
Dariella's eyes widened in shock. "What?! Pregnant? Who? Me?" She pointed at herself, looking around at everyone one by one, then laughed awkwardly. "There must be some mistake, I—"
"You have to accept Kalix's responsibility. Don't worry, we all accept you," Mommy Aila said firmly.
"Ma'am, I think you misunderstood. I—"
Her words were cut off as Grandma Irina interrupted sharply, "Kalix, prepare your wedding quickly. I don't want my great-grandchild to be born without a clear status."
"Born? What do you mean born? How could there be a baby if I'm still a virgin? Ugh, these people sure love cutting others off," Dariella grumbled annoyed.
"Fine," Kalix said flatly.
"Are you crazy?" Dariella snapped, glaring sharply at Kalix. "Why should I marry you?!"
"Of course you have to marry Kalix because you've already crossed the line—you might even be pregnant," Grandma Irina said firmly.
"Oh, God," Dariella groaned, frustrated.
"Please listen to me. I will not get pregnant because I have never had intercourse with any man, including Mr. Kalix. And I'm still confused how you could think that Mr. Kalix and I had a husband-and-wife relationship. Whatever the reason, the fact is we're not in that kind of relationship. Yes, I was with Mr. Kalix at the hotel last night, but what you're saying never happened," Dariella explained.
"Even if we did something, I would never marry Mr. Kalix," she added, annoyed.
"You think I want to marry you?" Kalix shot back, glaring at Dariella.
"Dariella, honestly, I—" Naka started to speak but stopped, looking at Kalix before turning back to Dariella. "I clearly saw blood on the hotel bed sheets, and it has to be your virginity blood," he said, lowering his head in guilt.
Dariella's eyes widened. She paused, realizing her own foolishness. "Oh God," she muttered, slapping her forehead.
"That's not penetration blood, it's—"
"It's my period blood," Dariella interrupted, scratching her itch-free neck.
"WHAAT?!" Naka, Grandma Irina, and Mommy Aila shouted in unison.
Dariella forced an awkward smile. "So they misunderstood because of that. How embarrassing. How could I forget that my period blood stained the hotel sheets? Ugh, I'm so dumb," she muttered, cursing herself.
--------
Flashback
Dariella took Kalix to a hotel because she couldn't wait for Naka any longer at the restaurant.
Once inside the hotel room, Dariella was about to head to the bathroom to relieve herself when suddenly Kalix pulled her close and kissed her, even pushing her down onto the bed.
Of course, Dariella resisted, but it didn't last long—Kalix suddenly lost consciousness and collapsed on top of her. Quickly, Dariella pushed him off and hurriedly got up. She muttered under her breath, trying to calm herself, then was about to head to the bathroom again when her attention was drawn to a bloodstain on the bed.
Panic-stricken, Dariella immediately checked her underwear. She had forgotten that this week was supposed to be her period. Without giving Kalix another thought, she left the hotel and went straight to her apartment.
After arriving at her apartment, Dariella didn't return to the hotel because she assumed Naka was probably already with Kalix.
She relaxed at home, forgetting one important thing—the bloodstain on the bed. A stain that could easily cause a huge misunderstanding.
End of flashback
------
"So I didn't do anything to you? And that blood was your period blood?!" Kalix asked, looking at Dariella.
Dariella just nodded in response.
"Ahh, thank God," Kalix sighed in relief, rubbing his chest.
Dariella grumbled, annoyed by Kalix's expression. "If you had tried anything on me, I wouldn't have stayed quiet. At least a few of your teeth would've been knocked out."
"Tch, you think I'd willingly touch a creature like you?" Kalix snapped back sharply.
Dariella laughed bitterly. "Not willing? Tch, you even kissed me with passion."
Kalix's eyes widened. "What? Don't make stuff up!"
"Make stuff up?" Dariella shot back, glaring at him.
"Wait—didn't you say nothing happened between us?" Grandma Irina asked.
Dariella pressed her lips together, cursing her own stupidity silently.
"No way! Kalix has to take responsibility," Mommy Aila said firmly.
"N-no, ma'am. I admit Kalix kissed me briefly, but I reflexively hit his head until he passed out," Dariella explained, making Kalix glare at her.
"Sorry, ma'am, but I don't think there's anything else to discuss. I have a lot of work at the office, so I'll take my leave," Dariella stood up and tried to walk away.
Grandma Irina quickly grabbed her hand, forcing Dariella to stop. "Why keep refusing? My grandson is handsome and wealthy. He may be cold at work, but he's a good man at heart. We just want him to take responsibility for what he's done. Even if he didn't take your virginity, he did touch you, didn't he?"
"GRANDMA!!!" Kalix shouted, outraged.
"Sorry, ma'am, but Kalix didn't do more than that, and he doesn't need to be held responsible. Besides, honestly, he's not my type," Dariella said.
Naka tried to stifle a laugh at Dariella's words.
"Ugh, this ugly one really…" Kalix thought bitterly.
"This is the first time I've seen a woman reject my grandson," Grandma Irina said.
"Why do I feel a little hurt?" Mommy Aila murmured.
"Even a woman like her rejects my son. Was my past behavior really karma for Kalix?!" Daddy Vano suddenly chimed in from behind Kalix.
"Dad!!!" Kalix protested.
Daddy Vano sighed. "Forgive me, boy. I think this is karma for what I did in the past. What to do now…" he muttered.
Naka, overhearing Daddy Vano, couldn't hold back his laughter anymore but quickly stopped when Kalix shot him a sharp look.
Kalix stood up and grabbed Dariella, pulling her out of the room.
"Hey, hey, hey, can you go a little slower? It hurts, you know," Dariella grumbled.
Kalix roughly let go of her hand, crossing his arms and glaring at her. "How dare you lower my dignity in front of my grandma and parents?"
Dariella ignored him, busy rubbing her sore wrist from his grip.
"Did you hear me or not?!" Kalix shouted.
"What's wrong with you, boss? I don't feel like I insulted your dignity. I'm just stating the facts—you're not my type," Dariella said.
"Oh, or maybe you're just disappointed because I rejected you?" she teased with a flirtatious smile.
"Besides your weird appearance, your confidence level is also insane," Kalix snapped.
Dariella tucked her hair behind her ear. "Admit it, Sir. You like me, don't you? Considering that kiss last night—"
"Shut your mouth!" Kalix interrupted sharply, glaring at her.
Dariella chuckled at Kalix's tense face. Seeing his expression made her want to tease him even more.
"Boss, do you remember what you said after kissing me?"
"You think I'd believe your nonsense? A few minutes ago, you said I passed out after you hit me on the head," Kalix said.
Dariella giggled. "You believe me? If I told the truth, you'd be even more embarrassed," she smiled mockingly.
"So that's what a kiss feels like? I like it, I really like it. Your lips are sweet, Dariella. I like it."
"That's what you said before you lost consciousness," Dariella said, folding her arms.
"So I'm your first kiss, right?!" she teased.
"Last night, you were really passionate when you kissed me. I could feel that you like me," she said, leaving Kalix stunned.
"Maybe it's because I tease you a lot, huh?! That's why you like me. Ugh, but I was just joking," Dariella said confidently.
"Sorry, boss, I'm just kidding, so don't get all sensitive. Oh, and one more thing—let's call it even since I actually enjoyed the kiss last night. Well then, excuse me."
Dariella politely bowed to Kalix, gave him a flirty wink, flicked her hair toward him, and walked away laughing triumphantly. She was very satisfied seeing Kalix's annoyed face. Consider it her way of making up for the frustration she felt when Kalix stole her first kiss.
Meanwhile, Kalix's face turned red as he tried to hold back his anger.
"DARIELLA!!!" Kalix shouted angrily.