The morning sun peeked through the windows, lighting up the lounge. As Altair made his way downstairs, still rubbing the sleep from his eyes, he found Cassy already enjoying her coffee.
  
"Morning, Cassy. You're looking pretty bright today," Altair said, trying to add a touch of lightness to the start of the day.
  
Cassy chuckled, her cheeks slightly flushed. "Thanks, Alty." 
  
"Did Elise mention the trip to you?" Altair asked, taking a seat across from her.
  
"Yeah, she did," Cassy replied, a small smile playing on her lips as she took another sip of her coffee. "In fact, I'm thinking of starting to pack soon."
  
Moving to the counter, Cassy poured a fresh cup of coffee for Altair, setting it down before him as they settled into the familiar rhythm of their morning routine.
  
That's when Theresa appeared from her room. Wearing a white blouse and a black pleated skirt, she looked a bit out of sorts, like she hadn't quite shaken off the night before. Her messy hair and tired eyes said it all.
  
"Hey Theresa, want some coffee?" Altair asked, noting her disheveled state.
  
"Morning, lovebirds," Theresa replied with a half-hearted smile. Grabbing her purse, she quickly exited the house without saying another word.
  
An uneasy silence settled in the room. Both Altair and Cassy were left wondering about the meaning behind Theresa's quick departure.
 
As Theresa reached the cafe, the one specified by Elise's text from the day before, she looked almost lost in thought. The sleepless night she'd had was clearly etched on her face, and she was far from the usually poised woman her friends knew. 
  
Elise arrived shortly after, an ethereal vision in a flowing blue maxi dress. Her long, straight hair contrasted beautifully with the dress, falling like a dark cascade down her back. A chic yet understated white hairband completed the look, pulling any stray strands away from her face. She seemed like she'd just stepped out of the pages of a modern-day fairytale.
  
Taking the seat across from Theresa, Elise instantly noted the exhausted look in her friend's eyes. 
  
"You don't look like the Theresa I'm used to seeing. Late night?" Elise joked, trying to lighten the mood. 
  
"Let's not, Elise. I've had zero sleep," Theresa retorted, clearly not in the mood for teasing. 
  
"Fair enough," Elise conceded. "So what's got you so wound up? Spill." 
  
Taking a deep breath and a sip of her coffee, Theresa began, "Normally, I go for the 'complete package,' right? Good-looking, successful, intelligent. But something shifted yesterday." 
  
Elise leaned in, intrigued. "Are you sure you're not just feeling pity for Altair?" 
  
Theresa snapped back, "Is it pity when you find yourself imagining a whole life with him?" 
  
Elise broke into a hearty laugh. "Oh, you've really got it bad, don't you?" 
  
"Glad you're finding this amusing," Theresa said, her irritation barely concealed. 
  
Elise's laughter gradually faded into a warm smile. "Well, this is definitely uncharted territory for you." 
 
"So, you're telling me you've got feelings for Altair that you can't quite figure out, huh?" Elise said, maintaining eye contact with Theresa. "You're stepping out of your comfort zone, forgetting about your 'checklist,' and you're what, daydreaming about him? Or with him?" 
  
Theresa sighed and took another sip of her coffee. "I'm not fully sure what it all means yet, but one thing's for sure—I crossed a line yesterday, intentionally or not." 
  
Elise nodded thoughtfully. "You know, if you ever decide to go for it with Altair, you've got my whole-hearted backing. But we gotta talk about something else right now." 
  
Theresa's eyes narrowed a bit. "You're talking about Stella, aren't you?" 
  
"Yeah," Elise confirmed, her tone getting serious. "Stella's still in the picture, and we can't just brush her aside. There's more to it than just emotional entanglements." 
  
"Okay, I'm listening," Theresa replied cautiously. 
  
"Stella's got connections to people we'd rather not mess with," Elise continued, her voice tinged with caution. "Let's just say both Altair and I have some secrets that needs to stay as secrets." 
  
Theresa leaned in. "So if Altair gets pulled back into Stella's world, what are we looking at? A broken heart or something worse?" 
  
"Worse," Elise said, looking straight into Theresa's eyes. "We're talking about potentially ripping apart the lives we've built for ourselves. It's that serious." 
  
Elise's words hung in the air, adding a sense of gravity to the atmosphere. 
 
"Okay, here's what you need to do. Inform the girls—except for Cassy—to play dumb if someone starts asking about a man living in the house," Elise directed. 
  
"Why keep Cassy in the dark?" Theresa questioned, visibly puzzled. 
  
Elise paused, choosing her words carefully. "I've arranged a mini-getaway for Cassy and Altair. Think of it as damage control." 
  
Theresa slapped her palms against her forehead dramatically. "Elise, I thought we were on the same page here!" 
  
"We are. What's got you so twisted?" Elise retorted, genuinely confused. 
  
"Sending Cassy and Altair on a vacation together, alone? Are you kidding me?" Theresa's voice crackled with a mix of frustration and desperation. 
  
Elise shrugged, unfazed. "So? There's no spark between them, is there?" 
  
Theresa sighed, exasperated. "That's precisely what's so complicated, Elise." 
  
"Do enlighten me," Elise said, leaning in with genuine curiosity. 
  
Theresa took a moment to tuck some stray strands of hair behind her ears, as if the act could somehow help her organize her thoughts. "Look, We happened to stumble upon Cassy and Altair in, let's say, an intimate moment. They were having what can only be described as a 'sink romance.'" 
  
Elise's brows shot up in surprise. "A sink romance? You're going to have to elaborate on that one." 
 
"Let me paint you a picture," Theresa began, rolling her eyes. "Imagine Cassy casually feeding Altair a sandwich, right? Then Altair drops lines about being 'forever devout' or some nonsense. Hold on, it gets better," Theresa paused for dramatic effect, "because Cassy leans in and tells him she can offer way more than just sandwiches and coffee. And they both look like they're in some music video or something." 
  
Elise rested her face in her hand, rubbing her temples. "Jeez, Theresa, you should've started with that bombshell. On a scale of one to 'we're screwed,' how bad is this?" 
  
"Think of it like an iceberg," Theresa replied. "We only saw the tip, but that was enough to tell me something's brewing between them. Whether or not they're clued into their own vibes? That's another story." 
  
Theresa then shot Elise a pointed look. "If you want my help handling the Stella situation, you better sort out this Cassy-Altair mess. And fast." 
  
Elise let out an elongated sigh. "Ah, well, the thing is—they might already be on their way to Baguio." 
  
Theresa's hands flew back to her face. "Baguio? Seriously, Elise? A blossoming young woman and a confused guy, all wrapped up in chilly weather? What could possibly go wrong?" 
  
Elise shrugged, feigning innocence. "I'm not exactly following your train of thought, but I trust Altair. He's not the type to make a rash decision he'd regret. Especially not with Cassy." 
 
"Look, I trust Altair too, Elise, but let's just say my 'woman's intuition' is sounding the alarm right now," Theresa exclaimed, her voice tinged with urgency. 
  
Elise regarded her seriously, her expression turning contemplative. "Fine, I get it. I'll send someone to keep tabs on them, make sure they stay on the straight and narrow." 
  
"Thank you! Just make sure you avoid the 'that' situation," Theresa said, making air quotes around the word "that," accompanied by an exaggerated eye roll directed at Elise. 
  
Elise leaned in, her eyes locking onto Theresa's. "If you help me stave off Stella, I'll personally school you on what makes Altair tick. Hell, we can even start with a wardrobe makeover." 
  
A mix of surprise and curiosity danced in Theresa's eyes. "You have a deal, but move it, girl." 
  
"Alright, alright," Elise sighed, pulling out her phone and quickly scrolling through her contacts to find Chloe's name. She hit dial, and Chloe picked up almost instantly. 
  
"Hey, Chloe, are you swamped today? I need a huge favor," Elise inquired. 
  
"What do you need?" Chloe's voice came through the speaker. 
  
"I need you to head up to Baguio, pronto. Make sure Altair doesn't do anything he'll regret," Elise said, straight to the point. 
  
Chloe's voice wavered a bit. "As tempting as that sounds, I can't. Stella's here, and she's circling the Gryphon like a hawk." 
  
"Damn, she's making her move already. Okay, Chloe, thanks for the heads-up. See you soon," Elise replied, ending the call abruptly. 
 
Elise's fingers hovered over her phone, finally tapping on the contact labeled "Sunny" accompanied by a devil emoji. 
  
"I never thought the day would come when I'd actually need her help," Elise muttered under her breath. 
  
"Wait, who's 'her'?" Theresa asked, intrigued. 
  
"The Devil," Elise said, hitting the dial button. 
  
The phone barely had time to ring when a saccharine voice came through. "Hello, Big Sister? Long time no talk," the voice purred. 
  
Elise's tone instantly shifted—sweeter, almost innocent. "Hi, Sunny, my little sister. How've you been? I've missed you so much!" 
  
"Missed me? Really? You usually call when you need a favor," Sunny shot back, ever the perceptive one. 
  
"Straight to the point, as always. So, how'd you like to go on a vacation with Altair?" Elise offered; her tone casual. 
  
There was an audible "yay" from Sunny's end. "Who would say no to that? But what's the catch?" 
  
"Uh, Altair's not alone—" Elise began, but was cut off. 
  
"He's with a girl?!" Sunny's voice rocketed up in pitch. 
  
"Yes, and I need you to, let's say, keep things platonic between them," Elise clarified. 
  
"The price of my help isn't small, you know," Sunny warned. 
  
"Name it," Elise sighed. 
  
"I want to be Altair's wife when I turn 18. I want it in writing," Sunny demanded. 
  
Elise winced. "I've already got two headaches to deal with. Don't give me a third, okay?" 
  
"What?! Two girls?!" Sunny practically shrieked. 
  
"Something more realistic, Sunny, please," Elise implored. 
  
"Fine. I want to spend my summer at Altair's house," Sunny shot back almost instantly. 
  
"Deal," Elise agreed  
  
Theresa grimaced. "Just another headache to add to the list."