Gwenda shifted her focus to the large screen with difficulty, the warmth of Olivier's hand on hers doing little to ease her struggle. Eventually, she relaxed and followed the movie's plot. Olivier had chosen a classic film—a slow-paced romance featuring courting leads. Gwenda, disinterested in romantic films, grew sleepy. She fought to stay awake; she wasn't alone on the bed. Olivier was there, and she couldn't fall asleep but the harder she tried, the sleepier she became. Soon, she could barely keep her eyes open, her head lolling.

Beside her, Olivier asked softly, "Sleepy?"

"Yeah," Gwenda murmured, her eyes half-closed.

"Go ahead and sleep then." He wrapped an arm around her, pressing her head against his shoulder and patting her hair. "Just sleep. Sleep well"

Gwenda knew she shouldn't lean on him, but her eyelids felt heavy. "Olivier I'll just lean against you for a bit! Just for a bit."

He chuckled, caressing her head affectionately. "It's okay. Lean on me as long as you like. Go to sleep."

Relieved, Gwenda closed her eyes and slept. Olivier glanced at her, lowered the movie's volume, and covered her with a blanket. Warmed by the blanket, she snuggled into him like a sleeping cat. He smiled, tightening his hold. They lay together; Olivier watched the movie while Gwenda slept.

Downstairs, Wendy and Melanie returned from fishing, learning that Olivier and Gwenda were watching a movie. Melanie grinned. "That's wonderful! It seems I'll be getting a grandchild soon!"

Wendy chuckled. "Grandmama, you're too optimistic. Olivier still has a long way to go before he wins Gwenda over."

"Hush! Don't say such nonsense!"

"I'm not! When I tricked Gwenda into spending the afternoon with Olivier yesterday, she was furious afterward." Wendy sighed. "If Gwenda liked him, why would she be angry?"

Melanie's smile vanished, replaced by worry. "Is that true?"

"Why would I lie?"

"Then what should we do?" Old Madam Melanie was dejected. A romantic getaway had been arranged; what else could she do? Force them to marry?

"Actually," Wendy said, "based on the novels I've read, a side character often appears when the main couple's relationship stalls! This jumpstarts their relationship—problem solved!"

"What do you mean?"

"We need to introduce a harmless rival for Gwenda. Someone to threaten her position with Olivier. People change their attitudes when someone tries to take what they have. We can use this to test Gwenda's feelings."

Melanie understood only half. "Are you sure it'll work?"

"That's how it works in novels!"

"Are you sure your studies aren't suffering from all this novel-reading?" Melanie frowned.

Wendy froze. "Grandmama, that's not the point! Focus on Gwenda!"

Melanie fell silent, then muttered, "Well, it's not impossible"

"Let's try it!" Wendy exclaimed. "Let's see who would be suitable"

They began plotting. After a moment, Wendy's eyes lit up. "I know! Jazlyn!"