Desmond gave Zaria a few days off, so she could fully recover before going back to work. She called Ximena over. As the latter did not have too much work to do, she visited in the afternoon and brought the lipsticks she had promised Zaria, along with toys for her favorite puppy.

"I'm here!" She announced jovially when she arrived.

Des was the first to rush to the door before Zaria did, and he happily looked up at Ximena to ask for pats.

"Des, I missed you!" She let go of the bags to pick the puppy up, only to see Zaria's swollen face.

"What happened to you?!" She was so shocked that she almost dropped Des.

"It's nothing. Come in." Zaria welcomed her, suddenly regretting her decision to call her over. The latter might just create a fuse and make sure to find the ruffians and get revenge—but in this case, the ruffians were dead so Ximena might want to seek trouble with the Fort siblings instead.

As expected, she exploded at Zaria's response. "What do you mean it's nothing? Would nothing hurt you this way? Tell me, is it that Fort bastard?"

"Xim, he's not a bastard, and he doesn't have anything to do with this." Zaria laughed and almost wanted to applaud Desmond for his extraordinary ability to pop up in every conversation that involved hurting her.

"Then who is?" Ximena was not about to drop the matter, and looked like she was ready to wage war. "Hold on. Why are you defending that man? Don't tell me you're really falling for him?"

When Zaria remained silent, Ximena felt her world spin. Her worries were coming true and she almost didn't know how to react to it. "But Zaria, you know that he is an engaged man. Why are you exposing your heart to be broken? You do know that's what will happen in the end, right? I mean, his fiancée is from the Sparks family."

"I know." Zaria nodded guiltily. It felt awful that her friend was worried sick about her while she knew the truth and couldn't even tell her because it was a secret for Natalie to tell.

Ximena observed her expressions and no longer knew what to say. She waved her hands in defeat. "What hurts is that at the end of it, he is either going to break up with you before their wedding or break his engagement with her to be with you. The second option might work in your favor, but Zaria, I wouldn't want to see you being judged by the world for supposedly breaking up a perfect couple." Ximena sighed, and then shrugged. "I mean, if they were so perfect, Desmond would never fall for other women. But you know how harshly our society judges women."

Zaria sunk into deep thought, and she did not hear Ximena stating the third possibility which was Desmond going through the wedding with Natalie and keeping her as a mistress. Her mind was filled with the point about society's judgement on women.

The four of them (she, Desmond, Devonte, and Natalie) knew the truth behind the engagement, but no one else did. Even if they did reveal in future that the two were in a fake engagement, society might still perceive it as Natalie being forced to be with someone else out of heartbreak. They might still think that Zaria was the third party who broke Natalie and Desmond up, forcing a fellow woman to be heartbroken.

"She's thinking about him. If they fell in love, would you accept that man as your human daddy, Des?" Ximena teased the puppy on her lap when she realized that she was speaking to herself and Zaria was lost in her own world, then her gaze suddenly narrowed.

Desmond… Des.

How come she didn't notice it before? She must be such an idiot for it to slip her mind. Zaria wasn't falling in love with Desmond. She was already head over heels.

"What a bummer. She would have made a cute family with Ryan, Nina and the little darling." She thought helplessly. However, she also knew that love could never be forced.

"Never mind. Just be careful. I'll be there to root for you and fight off whoever tries to badmouth you." She said resolutely.

Zaria looked up at her friend and didn't know whether it was something to be amazed about. "My dear, don't you change your mind faster than the flash of lightning? You were trying to convince me to be with Ryan just a day ago."

Ximena's brows were knitted. "That's because I thought you had some tiny feelings for him deep in your heart and only needed someone to point them out for you to feel it. I thought you would fall in love with him and…" She trailed off. "But you know, Zaria. Feelings of love can never be forced. They either exist or don't."

"You sound like you have experience with that." Zaria was taken off guard by her tone that suddenly sounded solemn.

"Don't I?" Ximena laughed it off and slapped her friend's shoulder. "Come on Zaria. You know I have zero experience with love and relationships."

Zaria blinked back to reality. "And you will have zero experience forever if you keep beating guys up."

"Don't be so mean. You bad friend. I brought you lipstick." She opened one of the shopping bags she had brought earlier, which Des had been staring at excitedly as if he already knew that there was a gift in it for him.

Ximena chuckled and took out a blue ball. She then threw it onto the floor to make it bounce off, and the little pup ran to catch it. She then took out a box and opened it under Zaria's awaiting gaze.

"They look so beautiful." She was awed at the magic-wand shaped lipsticks, then picked a pink one. "Why magic wands?"

"Isn't that what lipsticks do? Magic." Ximena picked up a maroon wand and waved it pretending to perform magic. They both chuckled, then she twisted the top of the wand, which opened to reveal an applicator wand. Raising Zaria's chin, she rubbed the wand against her lips as the latter steadied her head obediently.

When she was done, Zaria hurriedly checked herself out in the mirror. "It's so beautiful! The texture is perfect too, and it doesn't even feel like I have anything on my lips."

"Of course. Who wants to feel like their lips are being torn apart by their Lipstick? That would be awful." Ximena chuckled matter-of-factly. She checked Zaria out and had to admit that she chose the right muse for her cosmetic brand. Zaria looked so gorgeous that even as a woman, she almost fell in love.

"Here. There's some face primer, eyeliner and eyeshadow, foundation cream…" Ximena introduced the items as she placed them on the table for Zaria to pick up.

"But Xim, you know I don't use all of those." She protested as she wondered whether to keep the Lipstick on a little longer. Her skin was sensitive and she was afraid of using many products. Besides, she only knew basic makeup and may not get to use some of the products even if they were given to her.

Regarding the first point, Ximena rolled her eyes. "Which of my recommended products irritated your skin in the slightest?"

Zaria shook her head when she tried to remember. She realized that she was thinking too much because she knew the makeup brands that were suitable for every skin type she encountered.

While they talked about it, Theodore returned home and looked at both of them. "Are you up to something naughty?"

"We are innocent flowers." Laughed Ximena as he picked out a box from the shopping bag and handed it to him. "Here. For you, uncle."

Theodore burst into laughter without keeping away the ingredients he had bought. "Why would I use cosmetics?"

Ximena understood his train of thought, and she scoffed. "Men can use cosmetics too. Who said it was limited to women?"

"Don't say that to talk me into taking it." Theodore half-joked.

"Well, that and the fact that I'm really right. Come on, don't be shy." She handed over the cosmetics and saw Theodore glance at it curiously, which made her laugh.

"Once he gets a woman he wants to court, I will not need to bring him such products. He will be the one giving me calls to get him some." Ximena laughed to Zaria, who laughed as well.

She suddenly glanced in the direction that Theodore had left with a complicated gaze. It wouldn't be a bad thing if he fell in love again and got someone else to be with, right? He had been on his own for too long, which was partially because he was afraid that getting married would expose his daughter to the risk of being bullied by her step mother. However, she was too old for anyone to successfully bully her now. She would be happy for him.