The line remained silent for a moment before the call ended. Finally, Orlando cleared her throat and asked her. "Are you done packing?"

Yep," Gunes replied, her voice laced with a mix of excitement and tiredness. "We did most of it yesterday, so there's not much left to do today. But aren't you hungry? I am starving!"

A weak smile tugged at Orlando's lips as she lay back on her bed. "That I am. Which service are you calling?" she asked, her tone weary. "I don't think I can handle food with too much spice right now. I'm already exhausted, and you know how I get when I'm tired."

Gunes nodded with a smile, she knew that too well and so wasn't even ordering spicy foods.

"Nolan said we should give him some time," Orlando began, her voice tinged with a mixture of anticipation and impatience. "Once he's done with the stuff at the office, he'll be here to pick us up."

**********

A few minutes after they finished eating, a sharp knock at the door shattered the stillness. Orlando's heart leaped as she rushed to answer, finding Nolan on the other side with Viktor by his side. Relief washed over her, knowing they had arrived to help with the move.

Swiftly, they set to work, packing their belongings into the spacious car trunk.

As they settled into the car, a palpable tension hung in the air. Nolan's suggestion earlier about not dropping off Gunes had not gone unnoticed. Gunes, in turn, had vehemently expressed her preference for taking a cab over riding in Nolan's car.

The car rumbled along, the engine humming softly in the background. It was fortunate that the car belonged to Viktor, who was now taking the wheel.

"Well, should we stop by a restaurant for food, then?" Viktor suddenly spoke, breaking through the silence.

"Oh, we already ate," Gunes answered and Orlando nodded, both smiling.

The smiles that had returned to their faces faded as Nolan's voice broke through the fleeting tranquility. "Let me guess, Ailee paid for it."

Gunes, her tone devoid of humor, responded curtly, "Well, yes Ailee paid for it but I'm pretty sure to you, there's only one Ailee but sorry to break it to you... again, there are two Ailees, and not the one you know paid for it."

Viktor cleared his throat, sensing the tension, while Orlando couldn't help but burst into laughter, for a brief moment.

Viktor interjected with a friendly smile, attempting to lighten the mood. "You could've just said you paid for it."

Gunes chuckled a hint of playfulness in her response. "Oh, I could've, but he did mention my name too, yet he didn't think I paid for it. Just so he knows, I have money too."

Nolan couldn't hold back his disdain, his words dripping with an undercurrent of resentment. "Yet, she pays for your trips," he remarked, the tension between him and Gunes increasing.

Gunes countered, her voice filled with mock indignation, "She invited me to them!"

Nolan persisted, his face frowning deeper, "You could always say no. It's not like she tied you to the plane to travel with her."

Gunes' frustration boiled over as Nolan's words cut deep. "You are such a jerk!" she exclaimed, her irritation evident.

Nolan's retort came swiftly, his anger seemingly redirected and amplified. "I am? If I'm a jerk, what do you think makes you? What do you say, would 'gold digger' be the right name for you as well?"

The tension in the car reached its breaking point as Gunes had had enough. She turned to Viktor, her voice resolute. "That's it, I'm done. Stop the car, Viktor. I won't sit in here while this jerk calls me names." The atmosphere in the car grew heavier and space suddenly felt smaller.