The cafe suddenly felt emptier after Kai walked out, though his presence lingered like smoke in the air. Alina sat frozen in her chair. Her heart was still hammering against her ribs. She could feel the sting of his words replaying in her head: the smirk, the sharpness, the way he called her dummy. Everything was replaying like a video in her mind. Her throat tightened. She hated him. She hated him so much that it burned. But beneath the anger was something else, a sting deeper than she wanted to admit.
Across the table, Maya shifted nervously, biting her lower lip. She opened her mouth, then closed it again, as if searching for the right words.
Finally, Alina broke the silence. Her voice was soft, trembling, but edged with hurt. "You knew."
Maya blinked. "Alina.."
"No." Alina shook her head, "Don't. Don't pretend. You knew it from the start, didn't you? That he was Kai Arden. And you never said anything."
Maya's eyes dropped to the table. "I…" she started, but her voice faltered.
Alina's chest ached. "I get it now," she whispered. "That's why you were always distracting me. That's why you never let me dig too deep. All those times I asked questions, all those times I wondered why… and you just brushed it away." Her lips trembled. "You hid it from me."
Maya looked up, finally, her eyes soft, almost guilty. "Because you hated him, from the very first moment, you couldn't stand the sight of him. I thought…" She paused, her voice thick with emotion. "I thought if you knew the truth, it would only make things worse. That's why I never told you."
Alina's throat felt tight, her chest heavy. "So you lied to me instead?"
Maya flinched at the accusation. "I didn't lie. I just… didn't tell you everything."
Alina let out a shaky, bitter laugh. "That's the same thing, Maya." She blinked rapidly, trying to keep her tears from falling.
Maya reached across the table, her hand hovering before gently covering Alina's. "No," she said firmly, her voice trembling but strong. " I was protecting you."
Alina looked away.
"Listen to me," Maya continued softly. "That man... yes, he's arrogant, rude, impossible to deal with. But he's also…" She hesitated, sighing. "He's attractive. He attracts people. Do you know how many more customers we've gotten because of him? How many times have people come just to get a glimpse of the mysterious person sitting in a corner? Even though he was wearing the mask, he still looked handsome in it. Thanks to him, we got a regular customer. Girls come here and just watch him from a distance; coffee is just an excuse for them."
Alina blinked. Her stomach twisted.
"I never told you," Maya whispered, squeezing her hand, because the only one you hate was him. If I told you in the first place, then you have to keep seeing his face. I didn't want you to carry that weight … if I could shield you from it, even for a little period of time.
The lump in Alina's throat grew heavier. She looked at Maya, really looked at her. The tiredness in her eyes, the quiet worry that had been there all along, the way she had been holding everything together without ever saying a word. Her anger began to waver.
For a long moment, they just sat there, the noise of the cafe fading into the background. Finally, Alina let out a breath she didn't know she was holding. Slowly, she squeezed Maya's hand.
"I hate him," she whispered, her eyes still wet.
"I know," Maya said gently, a small smile tugging at her lips.
"And I hate that you didn't tell me."
Maya's smile wavered. "I know."
Alina exhaled, her shoulders slumping. "But…" she paused, swallowing hard. '' can't hate you. I can't."
Maya's eyes softened, relief flooding her face. "Thank you," she whispered.
For the first time that day, Alina managed a small, tired smile. Maya was her anchor. And no matter how angry or hurt she felt, she couldn't let that go. As they sat there in silence, the tension between them eased. Not gone. Not forgotten. But eased. And for now, that was enough.
Alina exhaled, her shoulders finally loosening, as though a weight had slid off her chest. "I was angry," she admitted softly. "Really angry. But now… I understand."
Maya's lips trembled with a shaky smile. "You do?"
Alina nodded. This time, her smile was genuine. "You hide it for my sake. Even if it hurt at first, and if I were in your place… maybe I would have done the same."
Relief rushed over Maya's face like sunlight breaking through clouds. Her eyes shone, and she suddenly leaned across the table, wrapping Alina in a tight hug. Alina froze for a heartbeat, then let out a small laugh and hugged her back.
The sting of betrayal faded, replaced by the warmth of certainty, the kind only real friendship could give. They sat back, both smiling through the exhaustion of the day. Whatever storms Kai Arden brought into their lives, Alina knew one thing for sure: she and Maya would face them together. And that was enough.
The warmth of Maya's house wrapped around Alina like a blanket the moment they stepped inside. The faint scent of lavender from the air freshener, the clutter of throw pillows on the sofa, the soft hum of the old ceiling fan, it felt like a world away from the chaos of the cafe and the sharp edges of the day.
"Sit," Maya said, tossing her bag onto a chair as she headed to the kitchen. "I'll bring something to eat. You pick something on TV. Just… nothing depressing, please. My brain is tired."
Alina chuckled softly and sank onto the sofa. The cushions sagged comfortably beneath her as she grabbed the remote. She flicked through the channels half-heartedly at first, some game show, an old movie, the news. Then, suddenly, a familiar face froze her in place. Her thumb stilled on the remote.
Kai Arden.
The screen filled with him, not in the sharp business suit she'd seen earlier when she visited his company, but in rugged gear, a leather jacket, messy hair, a gleam of steel in his eyes. He moved like fire across the screen, dodging punches, delivering lines with a force that made the air seem to crackle.
Alina's breath caught in her throat. She hadn't meant to stop here. She should've skipped past, should've rolled her eyes, and kept moving. But her gaze clung to the screen like a magnet, tracing every flicker of expression, every cut of movement.
He was acting. Just acting. And yet… it didn't feel like acting at all.
The scene played out Kai's character, fierce and unyielding, standing against a room full of enemies. His jaw clenched, his voice low, each word like it had been carved from stone. The audience clapped in the background laugh track, but Alina didn't hear anything except him.
She leaned forward unconsciously, her elbow pressing into her knee, her eyes wide. She could see him in every line, every glare, every clenched fist. It was him. The same man she had seen yelling at his staff earlier, the same sharp tongue, the same eyes that burned holes into her whenever they met hers.
She whispered under her breath, almost to herself, "It's like he's not even acting."
"What was that?" Maya's voice floated in from the kitchen, but Alina didn't answer.
Her heart drummed faster. She'd always wondered how someone with no emotions, no gentleness, no softness could stand before millions of people and pretend to feel. But here he was, bleeding fury on the screen, like rage was the only language he'd ever been fluent in. And the strangest part? It mesmerized her.
"Food is here!" Maya came out balancing two bowls of noodles and plopped them on the low table. She turned her head toward the TV and froze. Kai's face filled the screen.
Maya's brows shot up. She turned slowly to Alina, a teasing smile already tugging at her lips. "Isn't this the same girl who said that she hated someone''
Alina flushed, sitting up straighter, fumbling for the remote. "It just… came on. Randomly, I didn't "
Maya plopped down beside her, crossing her legs, smirking. "Really? Because it looks like you've been hypnotized. Look at your eyes wide, mouth half-open. Did his beauty mesmerize you?"
Alina bit her lip, heat rushing to her cheeks. "It's not like that. He's… he's unbearable. But…" Her words trailed off as she glanced back at the TV, where Kai delivered another flawless punch, his glare searing. "But when he's like this…"
Maya raised a brow. "When he's like this…?"
Alina exhaled shakily. "It feels like he's not acting. Like this is just who he is. Sharp. Furious. Cold. He doesn't have to fake it because it's already in him."
Maya leaned back against the couch, watching her carefully. "So you're saying… You hate him in person, but you can't look away when he's on screen."
Alina glared at her weakly, cheeks still warm. "Don't twist my words."
Maya chuckled, sipping her noodles. "I'm not twisting. I'm just observing."
Alina ignored her, turning back to the drama. Another scene rolled Kai facing down a villain, spitting lines with venom, his eyes like storms. Alina hugged a pillow to her chest, caught between anger and fascination.
She almost muttered it without realizing: "He never worked in romance…?"
Maya glanced at her. "Yeah. That's kind of his thing. Action, thriller, mystery, historical. He's touched everything. But love stories? Never."
Alina blinked, the thought sinking in. "So… he's never acted in a romance?"
"Nope." Maya slurped her noodles. "Some say he refuses those roles. Maybe he doesn't believe in them."
Alina's heart skipped strangely. She didn't know whether to feel relieved or unsettled. If he were this sharp, this alive in action, what would he be like if he ever touched love? Would he be just as raw? Just as consuming? The idea sent a ripple through her that she didn't want to acknowledge. She quickly pushed it away, shaking her head.
"It's better this way," she muttered to herself. "If he can't fake love, then maybe… maybe that part of him is just empty. Maybe there's nothing there to give."
But her chest tightened instead of loosening. Because deep down, she wondered: if he ever put love into words, into touches, into expressions, would it burn just as fiercely as the rage he carried?
Maya side-eyed her again, smirking knowingly. "You look like you're solving the mystery of the universe right now."
Alina hugged the pillow tighter, glaring at the screen. "I'm just… trying to understand how someone like him can exist. A man with no emotions in real life, but who convinces millions he's full of them on screen. It doesn't make sense."
And yet, she couldn't stop watching.