Lola wasn’t good with tears, so seeing Cedrick cry gave her a little panic. It was a good thing Silo was there to console him, and the twins were cheering him up. In the end, this simple celebration had more to celebrate than anyone expected.
Meanwhile, Haji listened to all of this—not that he had a choice. Their voices were loud enough to carry across the rooftop.
"Man, I knew he could do it," Haji muttered, savoring the meat on his stick. "But this barbecue is even better. Damn, I’m good!"
He chuckled to himself, keeping hidden behind the empty boxes near the grill while eating. But then...
Haji stopped mid-bite as he noticed small figures in the corner of his eye. Without even closing his mouth or lowering the barbecue, he shifted his gaze.
"Hello, Uncle," Chacha greeted sweetly, followed by Second, "Want to play with us?"
Haji’s heart sank. He shook his head frantically.
"Little bosses... you two... hate me, don’t you?"
*****
Meanwhile...
In an exclusive club, one of the private lounges buzzed with laughter and cheers as a small group of elites celebrated a friend’s success.
"Cheers!"
Alcohol spilled slightly from their glasses as they clinked together, then everyone quickly chugged their drinks, hissing in satisfaction.
"Congratulations, Simon," one of the ladies said. "We’ll be waiting for good news!"
"Simon’s going to be A-list once this movie comes out."
"Simon, we’ve always believed in you. I should’ve gone to watch your performance! I heard it was amazing!"
"Haha. One of the guys who went to the audition is someone I know. He said he felt really demotivated after seeing you perform."
Simon smiled haughtily, basking in the compliments. "Guys, guys, it’s not all me. I did a lot, yes, but I also want to thank Melissa for this."
Everyone’s eyes turned to Melissa, seated beside him.
"If not for her, I don’t think we’d even be here!" Simon smirked, raising his glass. "So, cheers to her as well."
"Haha. Simon, what are you talking about?" Melissa frowned slightly. "We should be thankful to Manager Kang. After all, he did his best."
Manager Kang smirked, but the guests spoke up.
"Melissa, don’t be so humble. We all know it’s you who got these slots for Simon and even those two... I forgot their names."
"It’s Pixy and Megan."
"Oh, that’s their names? Doesn’t matter," the lady chuckled mockingly. "My point is, Melissa shouldn’t be too humble."
"She’s right. We all know you’ve been investing in your agency. It’s only a matter of time before you become an executive," another added. "You’ve done more for the company than most."
"They should thank you because if not for you, Simon wouldn’t even be in your company!"
One by one, each guest expressed their admiration for Melissa and Simon. Manager Kang frowned deeply, displeased that these elites had downplayed his hard work.
Didn’t they know that without me, Melissa would have struggled to achieve all this?
Although Melissa had pulled some strings, Manager Kang had done the manual labor and dirty work. Usually, Melissa gave the orders and claimed the credit. He wasn’t happy about it, but eventually, he shook his head.
Fine, let her have it. As long as she keeps her word, I don’t care who gets the credit.
After all, he didn’t want to be just a manager anymore. He wanted more, and Melissa would help him get it once she became a Lancaster.
"Well, anyway, that doesn’t matter," Melissa mused, raising her glass with a sweet smile. "Let’s just celebrate Simon’s success as he deserves."
"Cheers!"
*****
[Penthouse]
"Mommy, are you happy today?"
The twins lay on the bed, watching Lola tuck them in. After playing horse with Haji and Silo earlier, they were exhausted—even though they only rode on their uncles’ backs. They had quickly washed up upon returning home and were now preparing for sleep.
Seated on the bed’s edge, Lola pursed her lips to stop herself from smiling too brightly. "Of course," she said, poking the tips of their noses. "I’m happy Cedrick got the role, but also because my babies are here!"
The twins grinned, showing all their teeth. "Mommy, please be happy always."
Lola pressed her lips, touched by just that innocent request from these two. However, she tried not to dwell on it much as she didn’t want to start bawling her eyes out in front of them.
"Now, Chacha and Second need to sleep, okay?" Lola hummed. "You guys worked hard today."
"Mommy, will you sing us a lullaby?"
Lola nodded, patting the blanket over their chests. She hummed a soft tune, watching them clutch the blanket to their chests and slowly close their eyes.
The twins were easy to put to bed. After just two songs, their breaths grew heavier.
Lola’s eyes softened as she leaned over to plant a gentle kiss on their foreheads. A soft chuckle escaped her lips.
"Maybe... you guys are my lucky charms," she whispered, biting her lips to stifle further giggles.
She stayed with them for a bit before washing up and removing her makeup. Yet, the emotions she had been suppressing made her restless.
She was happier and more excited than she could admit. How could she not be?
In the first timeline, Lola never had a chance. She couldn’t protect herself, so she couldn’t protect anyone else—not even Cedrick, a good friend. Even after regaining her memories of her first life, she had still made many mistakes.
It wasn’t as easy as she thought it would be. But after turning her life around, she was finally seeing some progress.
Overwhelmed by her emotions, Lola quickly finished and skipped outside the bedroom. Her steps slowed when she noticed Atlas idling in the living room.
"..." Atlas arched a brow, watching her tiptoe.
"Evening," Lola greeted quietly, taking small steps past him. She only stopped when he spoke.
"Where are you going?"
She turned to him and smiled. "Just need to say something to Slater. Don’t bother with me, keep reading." She resumed her careful steps, which looked more like sneaking through someone else’s home.
"Slater isn’t home."
"Hmm? Really?" Lola tilted her head. "But I think I saw his slippers missing from the rack."
"He probably threw them away."
Lola blinked. "Threw them away? Why?"
"He sometimes loses his mind for a moment. That’s just how he is." Atlas gestured toward the couch near him. "You can tell me what you want to say. I’ll relay the message."
Lola glanced at him, then at the couch he pointed to. She hesitated, weighing her options: sit with him or wait until tomorrow.
Finally, she smacked her lips and skipped to the couch. "Atlas, want to drink with me?"