Chapter 1

Three o'clock.

I glanced at the wall clock, then checked my phone again.

The birthday banner swayed gently in the breeze, and colorful balloons clustered in the corner like they were whispering secrets. I sat on the edge of the sofa in my light blue dress—Maverick once said this color suited me—hands clasped tightly together.

They said they'd be here at two.

They were my neighbors, three brothers I'd grown up with. They'd always been protective of me, even swearing they'd never marry anyone but me.

They had never been late for any appointment with me before. I closed my eyes and took a deep breath. The birthday cake sat on the kitchen counter, chocolate scent filling the entire room. I'd spent the whole morning making it, following grandma's old recipe—the three-layer kind.

Twenty-five years old. A quarter century.

We'd had this tradition since I turned eighteen—every year on my birthday, the three brothers would come over with surprises. We'd eat cake together, watch old movies, and talk until late into the night.

My phone buzzed.

Maverick: "Sorry we'll be late, helping the new neighbor"

New neighbor?

Three-thirty.

Four o'clock.

The doorbell finally rang.

"Luna!" Knox rushed in, hair damp, sweat stains on his T-shirt. "Sorry, sorry, time just flew by."

Maverick and Jett followed behind, equally disheveled. Maverick had a scratch on his arm.

"Are you guys okay?" I looked at the wound.

"Oh, this? Got scratched moving boxes." Maverick waved dismissively. "We were helping Scarlett... the new neighbor who just moved in. She was moving by herself, we couldn't just ignore that, right?"

"Scarlett?"

"Yeah, amazing girl." Jett's eyes lit up. "You should meet her, she's so sunny and cheerful, and..."

"Today is Luna's birthday." Knox interrupted him, but his tone sounded more like he was reminding himself rather than Jett.

"Of course, of course!" Maverick patted my shoulder. "Happy birthday, Luna. The gifts are in the car, I'll get them in a bit."

I nodded.

"It's okay, I only waited a little while."

"Let's start celebrating then!" Knox said, but his voice sounded distracted.

I was about to respond when the doorbell rang again.

The three brothers exchanged glances.

"Oh, right." Maverick scratched his head. "We invited Scarlett to join us. Hope you don't mind? We thought having one more friend would make it livelier."

As soon as he finished speaking, the door opened.

She walked in.

Scarlett was beautiful, the kind of beauty that immediately catches your eye. Golden hair, perfect smile, a body like a fitness instructor. She wore a white summer dress, looking like she'd stepped out of a magazine.

"You must be Luna!" She was very enthusiastic. "I heard it's your birthday today, that's wonderful!"

She hugged me. Not the polite shoulder-tap kind, but a real hug, tight and lasting. She smelled like jasmine.

"Scarlett, this is our Luna, the birthday girl!" Maverick turned to Scarlett with a certain... pride in his voice.

"Happy birthday!" Scarlett released me, scanning the living room. "The decorations are so cute! Though..." She walked toward the kitchen, seeing the cake. "Wow, this cake looks so rich. A bit high in sugar though, maybe try my healthy recipe next time? I have a great sugar-free version, using coconut flour and honey..."

"She's right." Jett immediately agreed. "Luna really should pay attention to healthy eating."

What?

I blinked, thinking I'd misheard. This was my grandmother's recipe. I made the same cake every year. They always said it was great.

"I think it's perfect." I said softly.

"Of course it's perfect!" Scarlett smiled even brighter. "I'm just making a suggestion. I'm also learning to make healthier desserts for my followers. You know, I have many followers on Instagram who want healthy lifestyle tips."

"Scarlett is a fitness blogger." Knox explained, with a light in his eyes I'd never seen before. "Her content is super inspiring."

"Really?" I tried to look interested. "That's... cool."

But the next two hours felt like I was watching someone else's birthday party.

Scarlett became the center of attention. She shared her fitness insights, told stories about her moving "adventures," while the three brothers circled around her, asking questions. I sat on my own sofa, watching this stranger occupy my living room, my friends, my birthday.

"Luna, you look a bit tired." Scarlett suddenly turned to me, looking concerned. "Do you exercise regularly? Exercise is really helpful for mood."

"I... I don't have a regular exercise routine."

"Oh, that won't do." She shook her head, as if feeling sorry for me. "No wonder you always look so... how should I put it, quiet? Introverted people need to release their inner energy even more."

The three brothers all looked at me, as if noticing my "problem" for the first time.

"Scarlett has a point." Maverick nodded. "Luna, you really should get out more."

'Get out more? I go to work at the library every day, spend weekends with you guys. When did I become someone who needed to be "fixed"?'

"I... I'll consider it."

At eight o'clock, they finally had to leave.

"Thank you for inviting me, Luna." Scarlett gave me another hug. "We definitely need to get together again. Maybe next time I can bring my yoga mat and teach you some basic moves?"

"Sounds good." I said.

"We're leaving, Luna." Knox stopped at the door. "Happy birthday, hope you had a pleasant day today."

I watched the four of them walk toward the car parked by the roadside. Scarlett linked arms with Maverick, telling some funny story that made all three brothers laugh.

Real laughter. Not out of politeness, but genuine happiness from the heart.

The door closed, and the house immediately became quiet. The streamers still hung on the walls, balloons still floated in the corner.

I started cleaning up. Paper plates, plastic cups, half-eaten cake. Scarlett only took a small bite, saying "it tastes good, but I'm controlling my sugar intake." Knox and Jett didn't eat much either, saying it was "indeed a bit sweet."

Only Maverick finished his slice, but that might have just been out of politeness.

While cleaning the coffee table, I saw Maverick's phone.

I picked it up, planning to return it tomorrow. The screen lit up, showing several new messages.

I didn't mean to look. Really, I didn't. But my eyes automatically scanned the screen, and in that moment, I saw it.

Scarlett's name. And a photo.

I knew I shouldn't look. This was private. But my fingers seemed to have a mind of their own, lightly tapping the message.

The photo opened.

It was Scarlett's selfie. She was sitting in my living room, with my birthday decorations in the background, she and the three brothers wearing brilliant smiles. The caption read: "Today's birthday party was awesome! New friends are all super nice!"

But I wasn't in the photo.

As if... as if this was her party. Her friends. Her night.

I put the phone back on the sofa.

"Happy birthday, Luna." I said to the empty room.