In an upscale tea lounge tucked away inside one of Starfall City's most exclusive entertainment districts, the atmosphere whispered luxury. It was the kind of place only the truly refined—those with exquisite tastes in music and rare drinks—could even know about, let alone score an invitation to. And though it wasn't packed, it buzzed with a quiet kind of energy—elegant, intimate. Just the sort of haunt Mina liked to retreat to.

On stage, a seasoned Japanese lounge singer crooned "Mou koi nante shinai." Her voice drifted like velvet through the air. In a dimly lit corner of the room, barely visible beneath the warm halo of an antique sconce, two gorgeous girls sat sipping drinks. Each was striking in her own way—but the one in the soft green dress had an edge, a kind of effortless grace.

Mina, as usual, was deep in thought, absentmindedly swirling her glass. Whatever had her mind preoccupied, it must've been serious—she didn't even notice when her friend Dao snapped her fingers in front of her face.

"Mina? Hellooo? Earth to Mina."

"Huh?" Mina blinked back to the present and gave Dao a small, easy smile. "Sorry. What were you saying?"

"Wow. The Ice Queen of Yelsulin University, zoning out in the middle of a conversation? You sure you're okay? I mean, I finally get a break to come home to Vietnam, and you look like someone just canceled your trust fund."

Mina tried to laugh, but there was tension behind her smile. She gave Dao's fur-clad shoulder a gentle pat.

"It's nothing… really."

Dao cocked her head. "Nothing, huh? Or is it about that woman—Shana or whatever—messing up your SCJ deal with Masan convenience stores?"

Mina shook her head slowly. "She's a nuisance, sure. But the Masan merger was always a stretch. I never fully counted on it going through. What bothers me is… she brought up Duyen."

"Duyen? Who?"

Mina sighed, already tired of explaining. "The tall one... from school."

"Oh right, that one. The cow."

"She's not a cow," Mina snapped, a little too fast.

Dao held up both hands. "Alright, alright. I take it back." She sipped her cocktail. "Still, you bring her up way too often. Didn't Valko say at the reunion that she confessed her feelings to you, but you turned her down?"

Dao burst into laughter so hard she hit her head on the wall. Mina, meanwhile, turned beet red.

"I—I don't get why he'd blab about that to everyone. And… I didn't exactly turn her down."

"…Wait, what?"

"Never mind," Mina muttered, quickly taking a gulp of her Hennessy.

"Wait—so what did Shana say about her?" Dao asked.

But Mina was no longer listening.

Her mind had drifted again… back to the conversation with Shana, and that smug look she wore—the look Mina despised most.

"You know what, Mina? Duyen's lips… they're really soft."

What the hell did she mean by that?

"Mina? Mina?"

Why did those words keep echoing in her head?

"Mina!"

She snapped out of it, gasping slightly.

Dao's worried eyes met hers across the table.

"Mina, what's going on? You look… off."

"I'm fine!" Mina lied through her teeth and forced a smile, reaching for her drink.

But Dao didn't buy it. Something was up. This wasn't the Mina she knew. What the hell had gone down between her and Shana? And how the hell did that Duyen girl fit into this?

Whatever it was, Dao knew one thing—she wasn't letting her best friend spiral without getting involved.

---

Elsewhere, storm clouds were beginning to gather over Starfall City.

At Mr. Tuan's modest pho shop, the door was slightly ajar, lights still on, the late-night air thick with the scent of broth and sorrow. It was a haven for lonely old men chasing liquor dreams or heartbreak cures.

"TUAN!" a thunderous voice boomed.

A sharply dressed, middle-aged man in a once-glorious purple suit—now torn to shreds—slammed an empty glass on the counter. His hair was a mess, his dignity barely holding on.

"Another one!"

Duyen carried over a fresh tray, eyeing the disheveled man nervously.

God. Chairman Hung. The same Hung who once oozed charm, wealth, and powerful swagger. Now? He looked like a drunk tossed out of a dogfight.

"Uncle Hung, please… stop drinking…" Duyen pleaded.

"Don't stop me! Let me drown in peace!" he swatted her hand away, face flushed.

Mr. Tuan exhaled smoke, barely sparing the man a glance.

"She's not thinking about you, y'know. It's just iced tea, Hung. You're crying over iced tea."

"You don't get it!" Hung sobbed.

Duyen and Tuan exchanged a nervous look.

"That woman—she tricked me! I was such a damn fool! She was so beautiful at first—who would've guessed—WHO WOULD'VE GUESSED? Look at what she did to me!"

He gestured at his torn suit, the fabric shredded like it had been mauled by something feral.

"…Did you get attacked by a dog, sir?" Duyen asked cautiously.

"I wish it were just a dog…" Hung muttered, eyes glassy.

"And that's not all! She forced me to sign over my entire company! Twenty years of legacy—GONE. In half a damn day!"

Duyen stared. "Yeah, that's definitely not something a dog would do."

She tried to hold back a laugh—but it was hard.

Sure, Hung was no saint. Everyone knew he kept mistresses and secret kids. He'd even disowned a few when things got inconvenient. But even he didn't deserve this level of karmic demolition. And who was this girl, anyway? What kind of monster was he dating?

"She's strong too! She lifted me off the damn ground!"

The sound of high heels echoed outside… getting closer.

"She bought me a mountain of cake, even though I have diabetes! She MADE me eat every bite!"

The heels clicked even louder now.

The door chime jingled.

"I'm sorry, we're clos—"

Duyen's words caught in her throat.

There she was.

A stunning woman in a barely-there outfit, all curves and confidence, long reddish-brown curls cascading down her back, her eyes a shimmering blue that didn't feel quite… human. The scent she carried was intoxicating, bewitching—and froze everyone in place.

Except Hung. He flinched so violently it was like his soul had jumped out.

"You're the one who helped Duyen get home!" Mr. Tuan beamed.

Shana gave a demure smile. "Hello ~"

"Huh? What?" Duyen glanced between her father and the goddess now standing in their shop.

Mr. Tuan nudged her. "C'mon, say thank you! She helped you out, remember? Even bought you a bunch of stuff!"

Shana chuckled, blushing ever so slightly. Duyen, still stunned, said nothing.

So Shana took a step closer, slid her arm around Duyen's shoulder, and kissed her on the cheek.

"Wha—?!"

"Duyen, you're so mean. You kissed me like that that day and now you act like you don't recognize me~?"

"Wait, but that day—"

Before she could finish, Shana turned and grabbed Hung—who was trying to sneak out the back.

"Old man ~ Where were you all night? Hiding out here like a rat? Am I really that bad to live with?"

"N-no, Ms. Shana," Hung whimpered as she lifted him off the floor like he weighed nothing.

"You're gonna pay for this later," she whispered sweetly, dropping him hard on his knees.

Then she plopped down at the table beside Mr. Tuan.

"Got anything to drink around here?" she asked, tapping the table.

"This is a pho place, not a damn bar," Duyen snapped, hands on hips.

Shana winked. "That's okay. I've got everything I need right here. A tall, gorgeous waitress to sit on my lap. How much to make that happen?"

"You WHAT?!"

Mr. Tuan raised an eyebrow but said nothing. Strange. Normally he'd kick anyone to the curb for hitting on his daughter. But now… he stayed quiet.

Then Shana produced a document from behind her back.

"From early 2034, your shop borrowed 5 billion from OPA Group to buy property downtown. It's now July 6, 2036. Time's up."

Mr. Tuan took a drag from his cigarette. "That's true."

"I'm Shana, and I'm now the Chairwoman of OPA."

Hung grumbled something under his breath.

Shana smiled. "So here's the deal. You get full debt forgiveness—if you give me Duyen."

"No way!" Duyen snapped.

"Fine by me," Mr. Tuan shrugged.

"DAD?!"

She stared in horror as her father shook hands with the devil herself.

"Sweetie, come on. You've got a degree in Business Administration. You wanna spend the rest of your life waitressing in a pho shop? This lady might be your ticket."

Shana giggled. "Naturally. I'll make sure she gets the title she deserves ~"

"Why does this sound like something Hung says before he knocks up another intern?"

Hung groaned. "Okay, okay, my bad alright?!"

"Oh, by the way—Secretary Oh!"

A woman in a pencil skirt came in lugging a massive suitcase and several bags.

"Chairman…" she said, staring at Hung's torn clothes, she is going to cry.

"Miss Oh… you've suffered enough," he whispered.

Duyen blinked. "Wait, what's all that?"

"Oh, I'm moving in with you," Shana announced with a wink.

"ARE YOU INSANE?! Don't you have, like, a penthouse?!"

"I'll pay rent ~"

"Deal," Mr. Tuan said immediately.

"Excellent!" Shana kissed his cheek.

"Miss Oh, please bring the bags to Duyen's room!"

"WAIT—WHAT?!" Duyen shouted as her new unwanted roommate began making herself at home.

Meanwhile, Hung bolted out of the pho shop like a man fleeing hell itself.