Since he had recently been promoted to the position of deputy director, Sonny still found it hard to delegate critical tasks to his subordinates.
He felt more comfortable handling things himself.
His schedule was packed, so finishing his work early seemed unlikely.
But then there was Luisaâ¦
âShould I bring your fiancée in?â
The question from the officer snapped Sonny out of his daze.
He pondered for a moment, then set down his pen.
âNo, thanks.
Iâll head out and speak with her myself.
â
âOkay sir.
â
Outside the National Security Bureau, Luisa paced nervously.
She paused to ensure her makeup was still intact.
Satisfied, she resumed her anxious wait.
About ten minutes later, Sonny walked out.
âSonny,â she greeted him with a warm smile.
Sonny took her arm and guided her to a secluded spot.
He then affectionately ruffled her hair.
âLuisa, I have some pressing military matters to attend to today, so I wonât be able to spend time with you.
Maybe you could call some friends and have a bit of fun?â
The smile on Luisaâs face slowly faded and was replaced by a stern, frustrated expression.
âYou said the same thing last time.
You promised youâd make time for me today, and now youâre canceling again.
â
âIâm really sorry.
Iâve just been appointed deputy director, and I canât let Nathan down.
I need to prove I can do better than Mekhi.
â
Tears began to gather in Luisaâs eyes.
She bit her lower lip and said, âYouâre always busy.
For Nathan, nothing tops Lucinda, but for you, it seems everything is more important than me.
â
Sonny found it tough to watch Luisa cry, especially when he was the cause.
âIâm sorry, itâs my fault.
Please donât be sad or overthink things.
â
âSonny, do you realize that weâre supposed to get engaged?â Luisa asked, shoving away his hand as he tried to clean her tears.
âEven Nathan was talking about discussing wedding gifts with my family Last time we spoke, but youâve never brought it up.
It seems like youâre not really interested in our engagement.
Do you⦠actually Like me? Are you just agreeing to this engagement because Nathan and Lucinda are pushing for it?â
Sonny was taken aback by Luisaâs words.
âWhy would you think that? While I hold great respect for Nathan and Lucinda, Iâve given the matter of our engagement considerable thought myself.
â
Luisa, seeing his earnestness, set aside her questioning tone and posed another query.
âSonny, do you notice anything different about me today?â
She dabbed at her tears, blinked several times, and deliberately showcased her face, adorned with makeup, to him.
Sonny examined her carefully but failed to spot any change.
âWell⦠have you been crying more than usual today?â
Visibly annoyed, Luisa punched his shoulder.
âI should have known better than to ask you.
Youâre truly oblivious.
How could you not notice this makeup?â