Once the fire sparks, everything burns

Spark 3:

When was the last time that Karin had someone by her side during a family dinner?

The answer is: never.

Karin, who was extremely nervous sitting beside his so-called fiancé, was thinking of how to get out of this situation.

"Would you mind introducing your guest, Chiara?" the head of the Estrella family, his father, was asking. This was the reason why Karin wanted to completely run towards the door and leave. Because she, herself, did not know who the man sitting beside her was.

Karin just replied, "This is Charm's event; let's focus on that."

The cold atmosphere intensified in the room. Everyone in the family knew that no one should defy their father, which Karin did. It was so surprising that Karin, who always craved for his father's validation, answered him with less respect than she usually does.

Maybe this was Karin's last string of hope to please the family. Instead of embarrassing herself by working so hard to get the acknowledgement from this family, she just thought of sitting at dinner quietly. What more could she expect? Her sister is getting married to his ex-fiancé, who happened to be the son of a wealthy businessman, which increased the chance of Charm taking over the company that they have. She was about to lose the only thing she wanted.

"Then let me ask this young man here. What's your name?" Karin had to admit that he felt a little bit cold with how his father talked. It was the tone whenever his father wanted to prove dominance. When this happens, you have to answer him.

The young man he was referring to lifted his head with confidence and answered, "Let me introduce myself. I'm Soul, and I am..."

"From what family are you from?" Mr. Estrella did not let Soul finish his introduction as he asked him another question.

Since Karin started it, she just thought of herself as a bad daughter, as she was always perceived in this family. "Enough, Father. If there's anyone you should be asking for, that's Charm's fiancé. We don't have any business here. We are just here for the sake of letting the media know that our family is having a good time together, and..."

Karin paused for a minute, giving herself some time to collect her thoughts, as she continued, "Do not bother my fiancé."

Soul.

Karin now remembers who he is. She may hate to admit it, but for someone who has a beautiful pair of eyes, it's impossible to remember. Soul has thick and long lashes, and when he slightly smiles, the sides of his eyes drop down a little. Just as Karin was staring a little longer at Soul, Soul turned his head towards Karin and showed a smile.

It somehow confirmed to Karin that Soul was the man he met last night.

But there's one thing she could not understand, and that's why Soul would go to this dinner and present himself as his fiancé. Scratch that; it was not just one thing. It was just one of the many questions that were running through her mind.

"Do you want to leave?" Karin asked him.

Soul bowed his head a bit to match Karin's eyes as he replied, "How about you?"

To be honest, Karin is tired of whatever is happening in front of her right now. She doesn't know how she feels anymore. It seemed like for the whole night, she clenched her fists too hard, trying not to make an impression in front of her family. But what's making her confused is how she's still able to be kind to Soul despite all of these, yet it doesn't help the fact that this man is speaking to her so softly and peacefully.

"I think I'll be staying and waiting for this to end. If you want, I'll take you home first, and I'll just come back here." As much as she wants to leave, Karin has to keep herself firm on how she stands in this family. She is the eldest daughter of the household and should be the only inheritor of Estrella Creatives. Karin felt so bad about letting Soul see all of the mess they had. She thought that it's a burden for a student to go to a dinner knowing that it's going to be Monday tomorrow. She planned to take Soul to his home and try her best to return to dinner.