"What?"

Bettie hesitated, slow to catch on.

Lance fell silent.

Silence filled the air.

Lance didn't speak anymore. But it felt like he was saying many things.

Finally catching on, Bettie was stunned, her heart racing. “No... No way... Did I really say that?" she mumbled, looking crushed. She wished she could soar through the sky. If only! She'd be chilling on Mars by now!

"Do you want to hear the playback?"

"No, no, there's no need, thanks."

Lance's chuckle, cozy and mellow, echoed down the line, hitting Bettie's ears.

Bettie's cheeks blazed but she kept her voice steady. “Thanks for checking in. If that's it, I'll go now. Catch you later."

“Get some shut-eye and remind your parents I'm crashing lunch tomorrow," Lance added, laughing.

“Cool. Catch you later." Bettie hung up hastily. Her face was burning hot like a fever. Flopping onto the couch, a mix of embarrassment and fatigue washed over her, and she shut her eyes in shame.

She was always super curious. That day, when Lance had mentioned he was "grown up," she couldn't help but wonder about his size down there. It had been just pure curiosity, nothing else. She had always been like this even back in high school. She had always been keen to explore human origins.

But blurting it out to Lance... It made it seem like he was on her mind 24/7. Man, alcohol really spelled trouble! Bettie splashed her face with cold water, feeling way more sober.

After freshening up, Bettie snapped a pic of the house contract and sent it to Amirah.

Amirah freaked out, thinking Bettie had taken up a loan for a house.

"Bettie, why'd you buy a house all of a sudden? And in River Mansion? How much did you borrow? What about the one in Starry Apartment under your name?"

Bettie chuckled. "Mom, it wasn't me who bought it. It was a gift from someone."

After a pause, Amirah asked, amazed, “Bettie, aren't you tying the knot with Lance next month?"

"Yes."