Chapter 2

"Ryan, look what I brought you. Over there."

She pointed toward the desk. My eyes widened. "Is that... the limited-edition figure I've been hunting for years?!"

With the closet consuming my thoughts, I absentmindedly turned the toy in my hands. Then, while Chloe turned away, I yanked the closet doors wide open.

I scanned every single section from left to right. Nothing. No one was there.

Looking at the open doors, Chloe smoothly smoothed down a couple of hanging shirts, her tone perfectly casual.

"What pajamas do you want tonight, Ryan?"

The closet was the only spot in the master bedroom capable of hiding a human being. Maybe I had lost my mind. Maybe there really wasn't anyone here.

I pointed to my usual set and let out a long breath.

It had to be a glitch in the smart home network, triggering routines on its own.

For security, I had installed facial recognition cameras at the front door, plus a hidden spy camera tucked across the foyer aiming inward.

If anyone other than Chloe and me appeared at the door, an alert would ping my phone.

The hidden camera would capture the living room whenever the front door swung open.

The next day, right after lunch at the office, my smart assistant popped up with another alert.

[Master Bathroom Light: ON.]

[Master Bathroom Aromatherapy Bath Mode: Activated. Enjoy your soak~]

I opened the security feed, which hadn't triggered any alerts.

I scrubbed through the footage at 10x speed from the moment I left the house. Not a single soul had crossed the threshold. I sighed.

It really was just a bug in the newly installed smart home system.

I called my assistant, told him to schedule an update for the firmware, and dismissed the notification.

That evening, I caught up with my best friend over dinner.

Reminiscing about our childhood dreams, I grinned and pulled out a picture on my phone. "Check this out. Chloe tracked down this collectible on her trip!"

My buddy leaned in, squinting, then clicked his tongue. "Damn, an ultra-rare piece! Shame about the lipstick smudge on the collar, though. Ruined the mint condition."

His words hit me like a slap.

Chloe would never put lipstick on a display model. And it hadn't come in a mint box.

Did she buy a cheap bootleg to appease me?

Suspicious, I dialed Chloe on FaceTime.

The moment I brought it up, she apologized profusely. "Oh god, Ryan, I'm so sorry! The lips on the figure looked a little faded, so I tried touching it up with a lipstick from my vanity."

"I don't know anything about collectibles. I'm sorry, babe. I'll hunt down another one for you."

This specific release was an extremely limited run from years ago, nearly impossible to find.

The fact that she had pulled strings to secure one was touching enough.

I smiled, brushed it off, and ended the call.

Suddenly, my phone buzzed again. The master bathtub had initiated aroma mode, running for over an hour before shutting down.

I shook my head. Chloe never took baths that fast. The smart home hub was definitely defective.

A week later, I was standing on the platform waiting for the commuter train for an out-of-town business trip.

The security guard from our complex suddenly called. "Mr. Hayes, your friend is here. He just gave your house number and checked through the gate."

My earlier question had been a trap to see if anyone was visiting.

I never imagined that days later, the guard would deliver such critical intel.

I stepped out of the boarding line and opened the live camera feed.

Three minutes later, Chloe walked up to the front porch. She was completely alone.

Yet she knocked first before using her key. Then, she paused for several seconds before stepping inside.

With a sinking feeling in my chest, I pulled up the hidden camera pointing at the interior entryway.

Sure enough, as the door opened, the footage caught a shirtless man standing inside, welcoming her with wide-open arms.