Love and Business

Lingling sat at the breakfast table, scrolling through her phone with a furrowed brow. The glow from the screen reflected off her engagement ring, casting little sparkles onto the table. Orm, still half-asleep, shuffled into the room in her pajamas, rubbing her eyes. She stopped short when she saw the intense look on Lingling's face.

"What now?" Orm mumbled, yawning. "Is the stock market crashing or something?"

Lingling glanced up, her expression unreadable. "It's us." She turned the phone around to show Orm the headline: "Kwong-Sethratanapong Alliance: A Marriage That Will Reshape the Business World."

Orm blinked, trying to wake up faster. "Alliance? Reshape the business world?" She groaned, dropping into a chair. "We're not merging corporations. We're just getting married."

"Tell that to the media," Lingling said dryly, scrolling through more articles. "They're calling it a merger. A power move. A dynasty in the making."

Orm reached for a piece of toast, still groggy. "Dynasty? I'm just trying to figure out how to keep Becky from 'taste testing' all our wedding cake options."

Lingling smirked, setting her phone down. "You say that, but our parents might already have plans of their own."

Orm sighed dramatically. "Great. First a wedding, then a board meeting."

Later that day, both families gathered for lunch at the Sethratanapong estate to celebrate the engagement. The grandeur of the estate, with its sprawling gardens and luxurious interiors, only added to the weight of the occasion.

Lingling's mother, sipping her tea, laughed lightly. "Lingling, we honestly thought you'd end up married to your work. Or not married at all."

Lingling's father nodded in agreement. "You've always been so... focused. We were prepared for you to live out your days ruling from the top of a tower."

Orm snickered at the remark, and Lingling rolled her eyes but smiled despite herself. "I guess I surprised you."

Orm's father grinned. "And you, Orm. We're just relieved someone finally tamed our wild child."

Orm's mother leaned forward, her tone conspiratorial. "Lingling, you don't know how many fan club members we've had to deal with. I think you deserve a medal for your patience."

Becky, sitting nearby, nearly choked on her drink. "Fan club? Oh, we need to talk about that later."

Orm grinned sheepishly, muttering, "It wasn't that bad."

Lingling raised an eyebrow, her voice calm but pointed. "Wasn't it?"

As lunch progressed, the conversation naturally shifted to business. Lingling's father set down his glass and said, "With this marriage, it only makes sense for our families to start working together more closely."

Orm's father nodded enthusiastically. "I've been thinking about it. Our companies complement each other perfectly. Why not merge resources where it makes sense?"

Orm looked alarmed, sitting up straighter. "Wait, wait. Are we talking about business deals or wedding plans here?"

Lingling's mother smiled slyly. "Why not both? This engagement is bringing our families together—why shouldn't our companies benefit too?"

Freen leaned toward Becky and whispered, "This is turning into an actual corporate merger. Someone should roll out a PowerPoint."

Becky smirked. "Give it five minutes. Lingling probably has one prepared."

Orm sighed and muttered, "Guess I'll be hosting shareholders at the wedding."

Meanwhile, Becky was scrolling through social media, where the engagement was trending. She snickered at some of the comments and read them aloud for Freen's amusement.

- "Commenter 1: 'This is like a real-life drama. When's the Netflix series?'"

- "Commenter 2: 'This isn't a marriage; it's a merger!'"

- "Commenter 3: 'Lingling and Orm are officially couple goals. Someone, make a movie about them.'"

Freen leaned back in her chair, laughing. "Don't give them ideas, Becky. The fan clubs might start a petition."

Becky grinned. "Petition? At this rate, they'll name a holiday after them."

Freen smirked. "As long as I get a day off, I'm all for it."

As the lunch wound down, Lingling excused herself and Orm to get some air. They stepped out onto the estate's expansive garden, where the late afternoon sun cast a golden glow over the manicured hedges and fountains.

Lingling, despite her usual composed demeanor, admitted, "This is a lot of pressure. I'm not used to my personal life being so public."

Orm took her hand and smiled, her touch grounding Lingling. "You're not doing this alone, you know. We're in this together."

Lingling exhaled, her shoulders relaxing. "You always know how to calm me down."

Orm teased, "Well, I have to. You're kind of scary when you're stressed."

Lingling smirked, her confidence returning. "Good. Fear keeps people in line."

Orm laughed and leaned closer. "And yet, somehow, I'm the one keeping you in line."

Back inside, Freen and Becky were still soaking up the grandeur of the Sethratanapong estate.

Becky sighed dramatically. "Can you imagine being rich-rich like this? I'd have champagne for breakfast."

Freen leaned back, smirking. "If you married Lingling, you'd be eating caviar out of diamond bowls."

Becky gasped mockingly. "Why didn't I think of that? Too late now. Guess I'll settle for you."

Freen shrugged. "Lucky you. I'm the full package."

Becky added, "Full package, maybe, but this estate still makes me want to switch teams."

Freen rolled her eyes. "If you switched teams, Lingling would probably ban you from the café. She'd buy the property just to keep you out."

Becky laughed. "You're right. She's scary like that."

Before leaving, both families gathered in the dining room for a final toast. Lingling's father stood, raising his glass. "To our daughters. May this union bring joy to your lives and strength to our families."

Orm's father added with a laugh, "And may our companies create a future as successful as this marriage."

Lingling's mother, more candid, said, "Honestly, we're just glad you found someone to put up with you, Lingling."

Orm's mother chuckled. "And someone to finally handle Orm's fan club. We're too old for this drama."

Everyone laughed and clinked glasses, the atmosphere warm and celebratory.

As the group dispersed, Lingling and Orm lingered for a moment, exchanging a glance that spoke volumes. Whatever  the future held, they knew they would face it together, hand in hand.