Se-Ri's POV
Brunch with Chaos Goblins
Rhea called.
She didn't even let me say hello.
"Brunch. Sunday. You, me, Amisha. No excuses," she said, like a command.
"What's the occasion?"
"Your favorite thing — emotional manipulation," she said. And hung up.
When I arrived, Amisha was already two mimosas deep and passionately ranting about a makeup influencer who'd allegedly stolen her entire lip tutorial strategy.
Rhea waited until the plates were cleared before dropping it:
"I'm pregnant," she said simply, smiling like she'd been waiting to say it forever.
Amisha gasped loud enough to shake a table.
I blinked. "Wait… seriously?"
"Just a month. Raj and I found out last week. Haven't told anyone else yet. But I figured the chaos club deserved it first."
We hugged. We cried. Amisha toasted with orange juice.
It felt warm. Easy. Like before things got so complicated.
Later, while Amisha Face-Timed her boyfriend with the news, Rajveer pulled me aside.
"You, okay?" he asked gently.
I shrugged. "I'm two deadlines behind. That counts as okay, right?"
He smiled. "You should talk to Leo. Just once."
"He left," I said flatly. "Didn't even try."
"That's not what happened," Raj said. "He texted. You didn't answer. He took the silence for a no."
I looked away.
"He's not perfect," Rajveer added. "He's guarded. Emotionally distant. But I've never seen him care about anyone the way he cares about you."
That landed harder than I wanted to admit.
"He's not unreachable," Raj said, voice low. "You just have to knock louder."
That night.
I couldn't sleep.
Rajveer's words kept looping: You just have to knock louder.
So I did something I never do.
I booked a flight — direct to Shanghai.
No hesitation. No overthinking.
I didn't tell Rhea. I didn't tell Amisha.
I packed light. Told my assistant I needed a break. Left a note on the fridge that read: "Don't overwater the plants."
The flight was long.
The kind that makes you question everything — and still not change your mind.
When I landed, I didn't hesitate.
I pulled out my phone.
Typed his name.
Pressed call.
"Hey," I said, voice low. "Could you pick me up... or else send me your address to take a cab?"