Alex was sitting in the police station in the waiting room. Waiting for his turn to be questioned. He was crushed, just an hour ago he was sitting in a restaurant, figuring out how to break up with Kelly. After all, they have been together a long time.  He tried to be sensitive, he didn't bring up the recording call.  At first Kelly objects, and when Alex says he redo the test she becomes quiet. But her look on her face looked determined. Out of nowhere her dad came to them in the restaurant. He tried to prevent him from breaking up with his daughter, he said she was the perfect match to him, and that his family never let the family name be stained wy male Omega. Just as Alex gets up in protest, the police storm in , followed by Adam and Gabi. And now he was sitting on a cold iron bench, tired and confused, and over all that, embarrassed. Adam comes to sit next to him, he gives him a paper cup with hot tea. “I should listen to you,” Alex said in a broken voice. “You don't know, none of us know. Not my or your family. You cannot put the blame on you. That goes deeper than we know.” Adam said, trying to comfort him. Ryan comes to where they sit, “good evening, My name is Ryan bouffe. I wish our meeting had occurred under different circumstances. I am here to formally introduce myself, not as the elder brother of Ari and Gabi, but as a lawyer representing the bouffe family. I wanted to ask if you are also interested in having me represent you in this case?” Ryan said in his lawyer voice, the one he reserved for the courtroom. “I’m not sure” Alex stammered. “ I think we should consider that.” Adam told Alex. “Believe all affected parties need to remain a United front,” he added after noticing the looks on Alex's face. “I know no one likes to think about themselves as a victim, but I still believe you need someone to protect your interests during the trial.” “I think that too,” agreed Adam. Alex sighs and nods. One of the officers came to take Alex into the interrogation room, and for over three hours he had to try and convince the detectives that he had no knowledge of Kiley and her father's plan. That he truly believed he was in a real relationship with her. That both she and her father had tricked him and forged documents to tie him to them. The investigators kept asking the same questions, and he kept giving the same answers. He was already tired and confused. Eventually, he realized he was getting nowhere and asked for a lawyer. Ryan Boffe was just as good as the rumors claimed. It did not take more than thirty minutes from the moment Ryan entered the room until Alex was finally cleared of suspicion — and allowed to go home. Ryan walked out of the police station with Adam and Alex. He took out his car keys and turned to Alex. "I am truly sorry you had to go through that, but I have to applaud you for holding your ground." "I just told the truth," Alex replied wearily. Ryan placed a hand on Alex’s shoulder. "I know. Go get some rest, it has been a long day for you. I will do my best to keep you out of court." He looked at Adam and said, "I am counting on you to watch over him." Then he headed toward his car, waved, and called out, "I hope the next time we meet, it will be for happier reasons.” Alex turned to Adam. "Where to now? Because I am never going back to my apartment. I will sell it and throw out everything inside..." His voice broke at the end, and tears began falling from his eyes. Adam wrapped his arm around Alex's shoulders, shielding his tear-streaked face from passersby. He guided him toward the car and said, "I have no problem with you selling the apartment. In the meantime, you can stay with me as long as you want. It will be just like back in college. And as for the furniture... I think it would be better to donate it." Alex's voice did not settle until they were already halfway to Adam’s apartment. "I honestly do not know how to move forward from here," Alex said quietly. Adam glanced at him. "Now mightnot be the right time to say what I think," he said gently. Alex gave a sad chuckle. "You know what? It does not matter anymore. Whatever it is you have to say, just say it. Throw it at me. I can take it. Because nothing anyone throws at me today could possibly compare to what is coming once my family finds out." His voice wavered again. "This is just another proof to them that I am a failure. Bad luck. I can only hope they will not demand to say it to my face... Times like these, I miss my grandfather. He used to be my shield... And ever since he left, I have had none. I lost my shield, Adam." Alex began to cry again. And Adam knew he was not crying just because he had been tricked. He knew Alex  was crying over years of injustice. Adam waited until they had parked in the building’s garage before reaching into the glove compartment and handing Alex a tissue. Once Alex had calmed down, he asked quietly, “Do you want to hear what I think now, or should we wait until we are upstairs?” Alex thought for a moment, then nodded. “Tell me now.” Adam looked at him—his skin was pale, dark circles beginning to form under his eyes, his nose was red, and his lips looked dry and cracked. “From where I stand, I think this might have been for the best… Hey—” Adam raised a hand before Alex could protest, “you asked for my opinion, so let me finish. Just remember how today started. We went to get your test results. Now you know for sure it is Gabi. And from what I saw, Gabi does not just want what you can give him—he wants you. And it looks to me like he is willing to move mountains for you.” He gave Alex a soft smile. “He would be more than happy to be your shield. And so would I. Always.” Alex looked at him in silence. Adam continued gently, “I mean it. If you need to face your family, Gabi and I will be right there with you. I am pretty sure we can even convince Ari to join us.” Alex let out a sound that was half laugh, half sigh. “He really won you over, huh? I am still rooting for you two.” Adam smiled softly. “Why do we not head upstairs? You can take a hot bath, and I will make you my famous dish.” Alex smiled back at him. “Thank you, Adam. You are the brother I never had.”

~~~~

The directors of the soap-opera ‘For happiness’ always encouraged bonding between the actors. That is why they provided shared spaces for them when they were not filming.  Now, Sam and Will were sitting in the dressing room with three others around the age. “Stop pouting,”Sam remarked to Will with a teasing tone. Sam’s fingers tapped quickly on his phone as he sent messages, occasionally letting out a soft chuckle. “Who are you texting?” Will asked. “I asked first,” Sam answered. And one of their friends laughed. Will give him an angry look. “It still kills me how he found my number,” Will groaned. Sam looked up from his phone and stared at him. Just by the look on Sam’s face, Will knew that Rafi had told him how he got his number. “Spill,” Will demanded. Still amused, Sam said, “HE did not say exactly how, but his friend. Natalia, the one who spoke to you the other time.” Will was stunned. Robert laughed, “So that's why she needs your number…” Everyone in the room turned to look at him. “How do you know her?” Sam asked, curious. “Um… she…she owns the fitness studio I go to,” Robert said, his cheeks flushing slightly, eyes glowing with something unspoken - a quiet kind of admiration that was hard to miss. “I can't believe you sold me out like that,” said Will. Everyone laughed again. “I’m sorry… but she asked really nicely,” Robert said, half joking. “Relax,” said Maggie, Robert’s on-screen partner. As she curled her hair with a curling iron, she added, “He did you a favor. We are all just waiting for the day someone the one will come and pick the last untouched flower on set.” she added teasingly. Robert and sam struggled to hold back theirs laughter. Only few people know on set knew that Sam and Will were not actually dating, and luckily, they keep that a secret. Will shot her a scowl, but he knew that in her own way, she cared about him. Sam turned to Robert. “She must be a truly special person,l. She left Will completely speechless,” he said, sneaking glance  at Will to hint about the call from Natalia. Will fell quiet, letting Sam and Robert continue talking as his thoughts drifted back to the phone call.

~~~

He and Sam were lazing in their living room, lying on the sofa, the television playing some cartoon movie that Sam loved. His phone rang, and he, without thinking, answered it. “Yes?” Will said. “Hey, can I speak with Will Miller?” a woman's voice on the other side asked him. He straightened himself on the sofa. “It is me. How can I help you?” He only said that because of social conventions; he could not think of anything that would make him get up from the sofa. “Actually, can I help you?” Will laughed dryly. “And how are you planning to do that?” he asked amused. "I'm going to introduce you to your fated mate," she said in a cheery voice. Will’s smile disappeared. “I am not interested,” he said in a more serious tone. And just before he was about to hang up, the woman spoke again, louder and faster. “Come on, just meet them. It can be on Friday, you do not have a shoot on that day. And besides, it only takes three hours. YOU OWE me three hours of your life!” “Excuse me? How exactly do I owe you?” The conversation was starting to annoy him. “Hey, if I sat through the whole ‘In Your Memory’, that is three hours I am not getting back,” she mentioned, referring to one of the movies Will was least proud of. He heard Sam laugh. He looked at Sam and saw that Sam was no longer looking at the TV, and had probably heard the conversation. He was just about to refuse again when Sam grabbed his phone from his hand. “Hey, it is Will’s friend. If you give me the details, I can guarantee to bring him there,” Sam said in a sweet voice.

~~~

Will also remembered how, after the meal with Rafi, Sam had scolded him for his 'condescending attitude' and accused him of being 'narrow-minded'. It is not his fault he needs more time, and that he does not want to jump in fast. Will noticed that Rafi did not pressure him during the meal, but the moment Rafi and Sam exchanged phone numbers, he knew Rafi was not the kind of person to give up easily. Will had never seriously thought about settling down. From the start, he only signed up for the program because Sam had pushed him into it. His mother had been thrilled about the decision; she had always hoped Will would not end up like her—alone, without a life partner. Will’s mother was a single parent, and the only reason he had entered the film industry in the first place was to help her and his younger brother. On one of the rare days when she managed to take them to an amusement park, someone approached Will and said he would be perfect for a commercial. And from there, as they say—the rest is history. Will knew he had nothing to complain about. Despite their financial struggles, his family had always been warm and loving, and he had always known he had a place to turn to. He glanced at Sam. Sam's family lacked for nothing, yet they had chosen to use him for their own gain, with no regard for the damage they caused him. The first time Will met Sam on the set of the soap opera, his eyes were dull, lifeless. Now, as he watched him laughing with the others in the room, his eyes sparkled. There was a knock at the door before one of the production assistants stepped into the room. "Hello, everyone. I hope you are all rested enough for the final scene of the day. I was asked to talk to you about the upcoming special episode. The directors are considering doing it in a musical format, which means we will need to book time in the recording studio." The assistant paused, waiting for a reaction. When none came, he continued, "So, we will have to go through each of you and figure out a schedule that works. If you already know your schedule, you can tell me now. If not, please post it in the group chat no later than three days from now." The actors told the assistant they would send their schedules through the group chat. As soon as the production assistant left the room, everyone began to chuckle. "A musical... Did they not do the same thing five years ago?" Maggie asked. "It will be fun. Think of it as an experience," Sam replied. "Easy for you to say. You do not sound like a fork in a blender," Robert remaked. "I still think it is better than the earthquake special…" Will remarked. "You should be worried too… You are not exactly a songbird," Maggie told him. "More like an owl," Robert laughed. Everyone burst out laughing and kept tossing around wild guesses about the special, until another knock on the door meant it was time to get back to set.