As Danny headed toward the table Ace was holding for them, just then, a stunning woman in a flowing one-piece sundress and a wide-brimmed hat strolled over and sat down in front of Ace, causing Danny to freeze mid-step. She looked to be in her early twenties, with a radiant smile and a figure that turned heads—her sundress clung to her curves, leaving little to the imagination.
Danny couldn't help but notice her striking presence, and, well, let's just say her "assets" didn't escape his attention either.
She leaned forward slightly, her posture casual yet deliberate, and started talking to Ace. Her voice seemed lively and confident, but Ace, as far as Danny could tell, barely reacted. He just sat there, stoic, as if he didn't even notice her beauty—or maybe he was just too used to this kind of attention.
Danny hesitated for a moment, clutching the tray in his hands as he debated whether to interrupt. Finally, summoning his courage, he started walking toward them.
But before he could get too close, the woman leaned in, her face just inches from Ace's ear, and whispered something. Whatever she said made Ace stand up immediately.
Without so much as a glance back, Ace and the woman walked away together, leaving Danny standing there, dumbfounded.
Danny stared after them, blinking as he tried to process what had just happened. "I mean, I know Ace is good-looking, but this… this is on another level," he muttered, a mix of awe and disbelief washing over him.
His gaze drifted back to the retreating figures of Ace and the stunning woman, then down to the tray in his hands. The pumpkin pie he had craved since last night sat there, taunting him, but suddenly, it didn't seem so appetizing. The excitement he'd felt earlier was gone, replaced by an unfamiliar tightness in his chest.
Usually, whenever he saw a woman as breathtaking as the one Ace had just left with, Danny would distract himself by burying his face in food. Not that he didn't appreciate beauty—he absolutely did—but because he knew, deep down, he couldn't do anything about it. Every time, he'd quash that flicker of hope with thoughts like:
'She'd never go for someone like me.'
'Stay in your lane, fatass.'
But this time, something felt different.
The talk he'd had with Ace earlier had ignited a spark he didn't know he had. Instead of dousing the fire in his chest, Danny let it burn brighter. He clenched his fists around the edges of the tray and thought, 'I want that.'
It wasn't about the pumpkin pie anymore. It wasn't even just about the stunning woman Ace had left with. It was about the life he wanted to live—the life he'd dreamed of while imagining himself traveling the world, tasting exotic cuisines, and meeting incredible people.
For the first time, he let himself picture it: confidently walking up to women like her, exchanging easy conversation, and knowing he was more than just the guy who stood on the sidelines.
His jaw tightened as a wave of determination washed over him. Maybe he couldn't have it all right now, but he was willing to work for it.
Danny took a deep breath, turned on his heel, and walked toward a homeless man sitting nearby. Handing him the tray, Danny offered a soft smile and said, "Here, man. Enjoy it for me."
Returning to his car, he sank into the driver's seat, crossed his arms, and waited for Ace. His mind steeled with determination to become the kind of man who could have the life he wanted. He wanted to start right away but he knew better than to interrupt whatever godly luck his cousin had just been stepped into.
Exiting the bakery in a hurry, Ace paused outside the door, inhaling deeply as the fresh air hit his face. He rubbed the back of his neck, his mind raced pondering, 'Why am I feeling shy? It's just food. So what if I ordered enough for four people?'
His eyes scanned the outdoor seating area until he spotted an empty shaded table nearby. Walking toward it, he replayed the scene inside the bakery in his head. That middle-aged woman's snarky remark suddenly clicked into place. He realized why he felt so awkward. It wasn't just the sheer amount of food he ordered—it was how it looked to everyone else.
Sitting down at the table, Ace leaned back in the chair and let out a low sigh. He hated to admit it, but the answer was yes. His oversized order along with his physique could easily come off as him showing off or, worse, rubbing it in the faces of other customers who were probably counting calories or cutting back.
He tapped his fingers lightly on the tabletop, his thoughts drifting. The truth was, his embarrassment didn't just stem from what other people thought—it was also guilt. Deep down, he knew he didn't lose weight the hard way. He hadn't spent countless hours sweating it out at the gym or resisting his cravings. He'd cheated using a curse tool, plain and simple, and now he was parading around in a body that didn't feel entirely earned.
Ace let out a humorless chuckle learning something new about him. Turns out he was not as thick-skinned as he would like to believe. Leaning forward with his elbows on the table, Ace stared off into the distance, his mind turning over this new self-awareness.
Just as Ace was about to settle into his thoughts, an alluring young woman, wearing a one-piece sundress and a big beach hat, in her early twenties strolled over and took the seat right in front of him. She didn't ask if it was occupied—she just claimed it, like she owned the world.
Ace opened his mouth, ready to tell her off, but the words caught in his throat the moment his eyes dropped to her deep cleavage—or rather, the pendant resting there. It was nestled against her cleavage, a striking diamond-shaped like an eyeball, framed by gold eyelids.
His heart skipped a beat as he stared at it. Something about that pendant sent a chill down his spine. Before he could even process what was happening, his entire body froze—literally.
Ace's breath caught in his chest as panic crept in. He couldn't move. Not his hands, not his legs, not even his lips to speak. It was as if some invisible force had locked him in place. His thoughts, however, were racing. Instantly, the realization struck him like a thunderbolt, he'd run into a curse user. The million-dollar question here was whether it was random or targeted. If Danny was okay?