Mrs. Rivera asked her gently, "And what else?"

Cynthia let out a miserable groan, burying her face in her hands. Reluctantly, she mumbled, “And... Tristan Davis has a woman with him. I think that's his girlfriend..." "Emily Blair?"

To Cynthia's surprise, her mother already knew.

Cynthia looked up. "How did you know?"

Mrs. Rivera just smiled, tapping her on the forehead. "Don't worry about that. Steven Davis told me. That girlfriend? Tristan made her up to keep people at bay. Emily Blair isn't his girlfriend."

Cynthia's eyes widened, a flicker of hope breaking through her gloom. "Really? She's not really his girlfriend?"

Her mother laughed at her reaction. "No, she isn't. You can stop worrying now. Tristan has never had a girlfriend, not once since he was born. Steven Davis promised me himself."

It was as if Cynthia had just won the lottery-she let out a muffled squeal of delight.

Mrs. Rivera looked at her daughter with affectionate amusement, and even Mr. Rivera, sitting up front, glanced back in the rearview mirror, shaking his head with a helpless smile. “This girl... honestly..."

Mrs. Rivera ruffled Cynthia's hair. "What can we do? She's our only child. Of course we spoil her."

Suddenly, Cynthia went quiet again, resting her forehead against the back of the front seat. She didn't say a word, sinking back into a new wave of sadness.

Mrs. Rivera was at a loss. "What is it now?"

Cynthia's voice was barely above a whisper. “Even if Tristan is single, he still doesn't want to marry me. He... he also..."

He blocked me.

Mrs. Rivera pressed, "He also what?"

Cynthia shook her head. "Nothing."

Mrs. Rivera and Mr. Rivera exchanged a look in the mirror, both seeing the same helpless resignation in each other's eyes.

Mrs. Rivera patted Cynthia's head. "Even if he doesn't want to marry you, it's alright. Your father and I will find a way."

Cynthia pouted. "But he doesn't like me."

"Feelings can grow over time, sweetheart. You never know-maybe he'll come around. Who can really predict these things?"

Cynthia's voice was still downcast. "But right now, he just doesn't like me."

Mrs. Rivera sighed. "So what if he doesn't? Cynthia, do you know your father and I barely saw each other before we got married? Liking or not liking didn't even come into it. And here we are, all these years later, inseparable. That matters more than just liking someone. All these young couples nowadays, talking about love-how many of them really last?"

Cynthia listened, unconvinced. "You don't get it. He really doesn't want to."

"Then I'll make him want to," Mrs. Rivera said quietly.

Cynthia froze. "Mom, what are you planning?" she asked, suddenly anxious. "Don't do anything bad, please."

Mrs. Rivera gave her head a reassuring pat. “Oh, stop worrying. I'm not going to do anything crazy."

Still, Cynthia looked at her with surprise and disbelief. Mrs. Rivera just said,

"Don't trouble yourself over all this. I'll ask you just one question: do you want to

marry Tristan Davis? If you do, I'll fight for it. You don't need to worry about anything else."

Cynthia opened her mouth. "I..."

Mrs. Rivera took her hand. "Just say it."

Cynthia bit her lip and whispered, "Of course I want to marry Tristan Davis."

“That's all I needed to hear," Mrs. Rivera replied, her tone steady. "If that's what you

want, your father and I will do everything we can.”

Cynthia's mouth trembled as she threw herself into her mother's arms. "Mom..."

Just then, Cynthia's phone buzzed with a new message.