After a long moment, Felicia felt her waist give way, but Stephan's strong hand steadied her. "I'll be gone for more than two months. Be good, and let me kiss you one more time."

She was momentarily speechless, then exclaimed, "You're shameless! Mm!" Another kiss silenced her. Two shadows intertwined on the wall, tender and lingering, exuding captivating intimacy and unspoken desire. The room's temperature rose. Felicia's eyelashes fluttered; her gaze was slightly dizzy, and she felt a stir of emotions.

Thump, thump, thump. The sound of heartbeats grew louder. Someone knocked on the door. "Felicia, are you home?"

The sudden knocking snapped her back to reality. Her face flushed crimson, and her lingering emotions vanished. "Mm... Enough... You... enough!" She tried to push Stephan away, but his impatience with the interruption, and her distraction, led him to bite her lightly yet firmly. She gasped, a little annoyed. "Bastard!"

He chuckled softly, pressing his forehead against hers, his voice low and tempting. "Wait for me to come back." He finally released her.

The knocking grew louder, Carmen's anxious voice rising. "Felicia, are you okay?"

Felicia cleared her throat. "I'm fine!" She straightened her clothes and opened the door. Carmen stood there, holding a steaming bowl of dumplings, pouting. "Why did it take so long? I thought something had happened to you!"

Felicia's face flushed with embarrassment. She had been pressed against the door by Stephan, even feeling the vibrations from the knocking. Just one door separated them—outside, Carmen's anxiety; inside, an intoxicating atmosphere. Felicia quickly composed herself. "I was in the kitchen and didn't hear you."

"Oh, I brought you dumplings. I was worried you'd be lonely." Carmen waved the bowl; the plump dumplings bobbed gently in the soup. Felicia felt a warmth in her heart. "Come in then."

The living room was empty, the balcony window half-open. Stephan was gone. She considered closing the window—he could easily climb back up, even from the seventh floor—but dismissed the thought.

Carmen gasped, noticing the roses on the table. "What's going on? Did your boyfriend send these?" "No," Felicia replied, moving the flowers to the coffee table. "Have you eaten? I'm making stew. Would you like to join me?" "Yes, please!"

They busied themselves in the kitchen. Carmen washed vegetables, noticing two large bags of ingredients. "It's all stew ingredients and so much seafood! Felicia, you really bought a lot!"

Felicia smiled. "Let's use it all. We can refrigerate the leftovers."

"Alright, I won't hold back then!"

Soon, the savory aroma of stew filled the air. Carmen suddenly stood up. "Drinking soda won't be enough. Wait here. I'll steal a bottle of alcohol from my dad, and we can have a little drink tonight!"