"By the way," Arianna asked, "with such a beautiful fireworks display, why is there no one else here to watch?"

Maxwell King was already prepared to roll out his usual excuse—it was too late, and everyone else had already gone home to sleep.

But then—

Arianna wore an expression of genuine bewilderment. "I’ve seen other theme parks; usually, people buy tickets specifically for the fireworks show. It’s always packed, with barely an inch of space to stand."

Maxwell remained unfazed. "It’s probably because… this park is brand new. Plus, we took the side entrance. The main gate is likely much busier and more crowded."

Arianna nodded, immediately satisfied. "Oh, that makes sense."

Maxwell didn’t even blink. "Exactly."

—

The restaurant sat on the bank of the Swan Lake. They had chosen a table on the second floor, positioned by floor-to-ceiling windows that offered a perfect view. On the dark, polished table, two sets of silverware caught the light, casting a cold, metallic glint.

Across from her, Maxwell pushed the menu forward. "Take a look. What would you like?"

In truth, Arianna wasn't very hungry. She had already eaten her fill at the banquet earlier that evening. But, adhering to the "might as well since we're here" mentality, she ordered a few small appetizers and pushed the menu back to him.

Maxwell’s long, slender fingers pressed against the menu. He looked up, his eyes meeting hers. "How would you like your steak prepared?"

"I’m not really that hungry," Arianna said, feeling a bit conflicted because she didn't want to dismiss his kindness. "I don't think I can handle a full steak."

"Then we’ll skip it." Maxwell’s eyes crinkled with a hint of a smile as he flipped the menu back. "Do you still want the appetizers? Or maybe just some coffee?"

"Coffee would be great, thank you."

Once the waiter left, Maxwell kept his gaze fixed on Arianna.

Arianna was completely oblivious. She was focused on the cup of hot tea in her hands, taking small, slow sips. The steam rising from the cup dampened her long, dark eyelashes, but the light in her eyes hadn't faded—if anything, it seemed to glow even brighter.

Suddenly, she looked up.

Maxwell didn't have time to look away, and for a split second, he looked caught off guard—almost vulnerable.

Arianna saw the entire moment. She frowned, confused. "Is something wrong?"

"What?" Maxwell acted as if he had just snapped out of a daze, gesturing toward the wall behind her. "That painting is quite striking. I have one identical to it at home."

"Oh, what a coincidence."

Arianna glanced back at the painting, then stood up from her chair. "I’m going to step away for a moment."

As she neared the entrance of the dining area, she paused, struck by a thought, and turned back to Maxwell. "Oh, by the way, is there anything else you wanted to order? I can grab it for you while I’m up."

Maxwell saw right through her. "Are you going to pay the bill?"

Arianna went quiet.

Hoping to avoid a misunderstanding, she quickly explained, "You paid for the entrance tickets earlier. It’s only fair that I cover this one. It's give and take, right?"

Maxwell had anticipated she would say exactly that. In fact, he had been waiting for her to say it.

"I’ve already settled the tab."

Arianna blinked, stunned. "When?"

"Just a moment ago." Maxwell’s lips curved into a faint, relaxed smile. He offered a suggestion with complete sincerity, "I’ve got this one, so you can treat me next time. Should we pick a date now?"

"Sure. When are you free?"

"I'm free whenever," Maxwell said, his dark eyes fixed intently on hers as he spoke in a soft, steady voice. "It all depends on your schedule."

The way he looked at her—as if she were the only person in the world—made Arianna’s heart flutter. She couldn't handle the intensity, so she quickly averted her gaze, looking down and busying herself with her bag. "Oh... I’ll have to check when I’m free."

Maxwell chuckled, a low "hmm" vibrating in his throat, but his eyes never left her.

A few minutes later, the waiter brought the steak and appetizers to the table. After the final dish was set down, the waiter headed toward the front desk. A moment later, they returned carrying a plastic bin filled with colorful plastic balls.

"Good evening, sir and ma’am," the waiter said with a professional smile. "Our restaurant is running a raffle tonight. Every tab over five hundred dollars earns a chance to pull a prize. The rewards range from new smartphones and tablets to high-end gift sets. Would you like to give it a try?"

Arianna felt a spark of excitement.

Across from her, Maxwell leaned back in his chair, a languid, charming smile on his face, one eyebrow raised. "Do you want to try?"

"My luck is usually terrible. What if I don't win anything?"

She remembered last year's company gala, where she had entered two drawings and walked away with nothing but "consolation prizes" both times.

The waiter smiled reassuringly. "Don't worry, miss. There are no losing tickets in this bin. You are guaranteed to win a prize."

Hearing that, Arianna didn't hesitate. She looked at Maxwell. "Okay, I'm actually going to pull one."

Maxwell gestured for her to proceed. He looked relaxed and composed, a man of effortless elegance and refined, gentlemanly grace.

Arianna reached into the bin and pulled out a small blue ball. She twisted it open, and a bookmark fell out. On the beautifully illustrated card, it listed her prize: *One Strawberry Cake.*

Arianna paused, taken aback, and instinctively looked up at Maxwell.

Across the table, Maxwell laughed softly, his voice warm and teasing. "Well? What did you win?"

"A strawberry cake." She held up the bookmark to show him.

The waiter beamed. "How wonderful. Our pastry chef hasn't finished his shift yet. If you two give us a moment, we’ll have that cake out for you right away."

Arianna smiled. "Thank you."

"You're very welcome," the waiter replied politely. "Enjoy your meal."

—

She looked down at the bookmark, still seemingly lost in the serendipity of it all. Her eyes were bright and filled with pure, simple joy.

"Maxwell, what a coincidence," she said, her smile widening. "It’s my birthday today, and I just happened to win a strawberry cake!"

The waiter, who had just stepped away, thought to himself: *Of course it’s a coincidence—the entire bin is filled with strawberry cake slips. It would be harder to lose than to win.*

Maxwell used his knife and fork to neatly slice into his steak, acting genuinely surprised. "It’s your birthday today? What a stroke of luck."

"I know, right?"

Seeing the genuine, uncontained happiness in her eyes, Maxwell couldn't help but smile.

A moment later, as if just realizing something, he asked, "I didn't know it was your birthday, so I haven't prepared anything. Is there a gift you’ve been wanting?"

Arianna rushed to wave her hands, shaking her head. "That's not what I meant—"

She just wanted to share her birthday with someone; she hadn't been looking for a gift.

"I know," Maxwell said, his voice dropping to a gentle, intimate register. He stared at her, his gaze burning and immovable. "But *I* want to give you a gift."