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"Greetings, Ms. Nielsen.

We have received your application letter and regret to inform you that your application has been disqualified due to inconsistencies we have observed on your personal information sheet. We also failed to verify the birth records you have attached to your application files.

UCML's scholarship committee reserves the right to reject an application if false information has been provided. Scholarship grants awarded by UCML's committee are limited and are on a first come, first serve basis. Providing false or incomplete information on the application forms will immediately result in the applicant's disqualification. Charges of larceny and forgery may also be filed against applicants who knowingly provided false details in the scholarship application forms.

Should you have any concerns regarding this matter, our administrative department will be available Monday to Friday during office hours to provide any assistance, but we cannot guarantee that every request will be honored.

We wish you good luck on your future endeavors.

UCML SC Head Office"

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It might have taken her half an hour before the shock lessened to a manageable degree, only to let the disappointment and reality sink in.

Still holding the impeccably folded paper on her lap, Kel sat hunched over on the single bed, put off by the scrupulous people behind this disappointing act of rejection.

All she had hoped for, from the time she spent weeks prepping the vexing amount of scholarship requirements until today, months later, was to be given a chance—a chance to join the list of scholarship awardees, and a chance to make her academic goals a reality this year. UCML, a prestigious international school known to support local and foreign undergrads, provided the much coveted medical scholarship programs to those who qualified and met their exigent criteria. Kel had been waiting patiently for months.

A positive response was what she expected, of course. However, fate seemed to have a different plan for her future.

Modeling was a temporary thing, just a means to support herself financially for the time being, really. She wasn't getting any younger and a lifelong career wasn't possible in the modeling industry.

A bachelor's degree in the field of study she had chosen for herself remained as her ultimate goal. But it seemed the odds weren't in her favor.

Not yet, perhaps. She'd try again, but that would mean she was out-and-out desperate. Maybe she should just try her luck in other universities?

That would mean she had to take weeks off work, though. It would cost her more time and money, of course. Although her mom and dad would be glad to help out, she wouldn't dare ask them for help.

Money was becoming an issue these days, seeing as her father was back in the hospital, battling heart and lung complications his illness had once again triggered. Kel sighed and composed a short prayer in her head. God willing, her father's current condition would be back to normal in no time.

It was rather unlikely that his health would improve after this fourth hospitalization, but, the constant prayers might just work for them again.

Her eyes shut tight while her palms covered her face, and before she could finish the prayers in her head, her phone broke off her thoughts, shrill noises coming from beside her.

New message

From: [+02 **** ****802]

"Kel. I'm at Savella's. Let's meet up. -D"

Today 1:19PM

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"Didn't think you'd show up."

"Why not?" Kel glanced at the well-dressed guy in front of her and frowned. She watched him hold back a smile, appreciating the subtle scent of his cologne when he stepped closer to pull out a chair for her.

"I just thought..." Drew sighed before he sat on the chair beside hers, their table being for four people. "Nevermind. How was the shoot?"

"Fine. The photographer was nice." Kel couldn't help glancing around to make sure their current anonymity was nothing to be concerned about. She eyed his wrinkled long sleeves that hid most of his pale muscular arms.  His straight and dark hair also looked quite unkempt, his short bangs jutting in different directions. "Why're you still here?"

Her straightforwardness made him back away to regard her expression, his brows creasing now. "Wanted to talk to you."

Right. They had a lot of long, serious talks to cross off his list. According to her own hunches, at least. For now she wouldn't refute his reason. She only agreed to meet up with him tonight to once and for all deal with their issues. Then maybe he'd finally leave Milan and go back to his busy Hollywood life.

Heaven forbid his fans would think she was dragging him down again...

"You like it here?" Drew mumbled while they exchanged uncertain stares.  His gaze flitted to her hand on the table and back to her poker face.

"Yeah. A bit more expensive, but, I can manage." 

"So now you...live with Miles?"

His calm but curious tone made her smile a little.

Did his idea to hire private investigators (yep, plural) turn out to be a total ripoff? Not that money would be an issue for a rising movie star like him. But if he still wasn't aware of her living situation with Miles, then he should definitely consider a refund.

"They dug through everything but couldn't give me your exact address."

"Miles' parents," she muttered. Perhaps some intervention from Mr. Falco, Miles' influential father, made sure that the private eyes experienced difficulties pinpointing her exact location.

"What?" Andrew leaned in.

"His dad's quite big on security. Only son, only child." She shrugged faintly.  Miles himself said so, and Miles, being the loner type, also disliked that his parents hired bodyguards for him. The security staff were pretty discreet, though.

"You've met his parents?" Drew's brows furrowed.

"If he's in a great mood, sometimes he calls them up." Kel reclined and watched her ex study her face.

"How's med school?"

"No idea."

"You didn't apply?" Drew sounded disappointed now, his voice a notch higher.

"Financial issues and stuff," she muttered after giving him a quick grin. "Tryin' to save up, though."

Her reply didn't do much to lessen the surprise on his face. He didn't even try to get rid of his deepening frown.

"Why didn't you tell me?"

All she could give him in response was a half-meant shrug. Why did it matter to him? It wasn't like medical school was easy as pie to get into for someone like her. Besides tuition money,  other factors in her personal life mattered, too.

"If you needed money, you should've just told me." Drew sat back, his elbows now resting on the table. For a moment, he just kept his palm on his scrunched forehead. "Some point...I kept thinking, I was the one holding you back."

"Don't." Kel sighed and glanced to her side.

"You just took off," he said louder,  "Wouldn't take my calls, wouldn't text me back, just left New York, and you haven't talked to me in a year. What'd you expect?"

"Andrew..."

"Fine. Sorry." He raised both palms and made a face.  They were both quiet for a minute or two. "You met him before you left the States?"

"Yeah."  She looked away.  Should she elaborate?  What else did he want to know about her and Miles?  "We've worked together before."  

Well, lying to him would just give her excess anxiety. She just hated it when she had to lie to someone she cared about. He wanted answers.  She should just tell him what he needed to hear.

"We live in a house he owns," she added after seconds of hesitation.

Drew gave a faint nod while his upper lip tilted to the side. "You're that in love, huh?"

A palpable sense of hurt and disappointment softened his reaction, but she chose not to dwell on it. She had a feeling he wanted to talk about the other issues, before he left Italy to leave her be.

Being the toast of the town and one of Hollywood's newest stars, he sure had other commitments and even bigger responsibilities now. It was one of her reasons for leaving him. His lack of a private life these days also didn't help the situation.

"He's been really helpful,"  she said while thinking of Miles. She was using him as an excuse again.  

Miles wouldn't mind, but, she needed to convince Andrew (and herself) of the fact that their involvement had to end.  A platonic friendship was all she could offer him at this point.

"Seems like a great guy," Drew replied, his tone unconvincingly enthusiastic this time.

Kel hid her phone from his view and checked for new messages. A few from her pretend boyfriend now filled the notifications panel.

3 new messages
Miles

"Done with the shoot?"
Today 19:32

"Want me to pick u up?"
Today 20:05

"Call me. I'm w Paul & RJ."
Today 20:11

Kel ignored the pang of guilt that crept into her chest. She meant to reply to Miles half an hour ago, but Drew just kept up the questions, effectively distracting her.

Apparently he wanted to hang out.  Bond with her.  Maybe even reminisce to happier times.  Not just monopolize the conversation to make her fess up to why she abruptly severed their relationship.

"Does he know you're here?" Drew asked in a quieter voice, his eyes narrowing at her face.  

"No." Her sigh loudened after she glanced down at her phone screen.  Miles probably thought she was on her way home now.  "Hey. Can we..."

"Yeah. I know, I know." Andrew pulled a face and straightened in his seat. "I won't keep you here."

"Sorry. I just..."

"No need to explain." He gave her a fake smile.

"When d'you have to fly out?"

"Depends." He shrugged coolly and waved at a waiter.

"Depends?" Kel sat still while he held the menu. She liked how his dark lashes hid his eyes as he read the list of dishes. "On what?"

"If you'd want to see me again."

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"He's picking you up?" Drew asked once she sat back down next to him. 

Around them, almost 20 people chatted and dined in this big restaurant in the heart of Milan.  Thankfully, none had thrown a few curious glances to their direction. Yet.

"No. He's with friends." Kel put her phone away, almost consumed by the thought of disappointing Miles. He never liked secrets, and he wouldn't like to hear about her going on a dinner date with Drew.  But she just didn't want to make a big deal out of it.

"Where does he live again? All I know's that he isn't from around here."

"Two hours away," she answered, refusing to share any more details about Miles or his family.

"Doesn't like living in the city anymore?"

"He paints a lot." 

"Right."

"Miles needs a private space to do that. His dad's from here."

"Real artist. Nice," Drew said with a slight smirk. "So you're into moody, artsy guys now."

"He's not moody," she replied promptly. The only time Miles became unusually reserved was when they had conversations about his parents.  "How's Beth?"

Andrew stared at her again, his brows scrunching now. "Fine; I guess."

"You guess?" She tried not to frown.  "You haven't talked to her?"

"What's the point..." Drew sighed as he waved at a waiter, gesturing for a wine refill.

"It's been years, D." 

"I know."

"Why don't you call her up?"  Kel muttered.

Elizabeth Wells was an independent woman and a go-getter. They had yet to meet in person, but Beth didn't seem like the kind of person who liked holding grudges.

Her suggestion made Drew look away. He drank his red wine in one gulp before his glass tinked against his empty dinner plate. "You don't like the food?" he asked after staring at the clump of potato salad and barely touched primavera on her plate.

"I'm full." She stroked her midsection for effect.  The artificial flavorings in the dressing didn't help grow her appetite, to say the least. "Thanks for dinner."

"Wanna go home?" Drew leaned forward. The skin around his eyes wrinkled as he stared at her. "Not even nine yet."

"I'll take the bus. I'll be home before eleven."

"No." He stood up and grabbed his car keys hastily, without even bothering to look at her reaction. "I'll drive you home."

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Another half-hour would've been wasted over them just arguing whether or not he should drive her back to Miles' house. So Kel let him be. Andrew would only keep convincing her until she gave in.

"You look better. Healthier," he commented while shifting in his seat.  His grip on the wheel just made his knuckles whiten.

It was a rental car, as she'd guessed.  She just couldn't push him away when he'd practically dragged her to the parking lot. Maybe Drew just wanted to talk to her some more.  Catch up and all that.

Constant communication with him kept her happy and hopeful when they were still in the States. They were like best friends then. Maybe he just missed the closeness they used to have?

"Miles helps me out...with a lot of things." Kel read the first signage.  The roads didn't look busy.  Their destination was at least an hour away if Milan traffic wasn't going to be a headache.  She hoped so.

"I see." Andrew thrust the handbreak upward. They halted behind vehicles heeding the traffic lights ahead. "He said you met through a common friend?" Drew turned to stare at her.

Historical buildings stood in neat rows to their right side, while an old and brick-walled church to their left towered over its neighboring establishments.  "His best friend," she replied.

"Does he take care of you?"

"Miles? Yeah. He's very...caring," she answered. Although Miles didn't have siblings growing up and preferred to live alone, his thoughtful and understanding nature often stood out. "He's like, my personal driver when he's not busy." She chuckled. "He's like Jill most of the time." She glanced out the window.

For minutes, they just kept chatting, mostly because Drew wouldn't stop talking.  She tried to keep it casual, though.  Mentioning she'd attempted self-harm after leaving New York would just worsen her anxiety. Work had already exhausted her energy, and she certainly didn't need a long and awkward car ride. So, for now, she'd keep the lid shut tight on that subject.

"He doesn't visit his family often?" Drew asked.

"They're always busy with the business." Kel sat back and pretended to be comfortable in the passenger seat. The thought of Andrew driving her home tonight was the last thing on her mind when she replied to his desperate messages earlier. She checked her phone again.  A notification informed her of a missed call from her sister.

"Don't trust anyone that easily."  Drew sighed.

She glanced at him.  For a moment, she could only blink and stare at his profile, his stony expression rather intriguing.

"The investigator I hired mentioned something.  About his family being involved in some shady business deals." Drew cleared his throat. "Sure, they're relevant to the upper class, but their underground connections are much more interesting."

"What?"

"Just be careful."

"Okay..." she mumbled while his eyes focused on the road. She waited for him to say more, but he just clammed up. Must be her cue to break off their discussion about her pretend relationship with her pretend boyfriend.

"Your parents know you're living with him?"

"Yes. When's the last time you talked to Beth?"

"Don't remember," was Drew's only reply to her swift switch to another topic. He changed gears and stepped on the accelerator.

"She's busy working on a new project?"

"Probably."

"I hope she's doin' okay," Kel muttered, remembering the one and only time Beth had talked to her over the phone.

Roughly two years ago, and she'd rather not dwell on the past. The fact that Beth disliked her was low hanging fruit. Beth had left him months before Drew even came into her life, but Kel still thought she partly caused the two's breakup. Although she never meant to ruin their marriage, she just swallowed the bitter pill.

"She's fine. Havin' the time of her life, actually." Drew scoffed at his own words.  The busy street and noisy cars around them kept the atmosphere from being overly quiet and brooding, but she still caught the slight disdain in his tone.

"Sent her some emails, y'know. Last Christmas. To apologize," she murmured. 

"She didn't say anything." Drew honked at a swerving motorist. "I don't enjoy driving in New York but this traffic's getting on my nerve."

"Why don't you go see her? Pretty sure she misses you."

"What?" Drew pulled a face.

"It's been years. Just give her a call."

"I don't even know her number." Drew gripped the steering wheel and drove through the myriad of vehicles bustling across the Milan highway.

"You have common friends; I'm sure."

"Why're you being pushy about it?" His tone sounded curious and fairly annoyed. When she didn't respond, he posed another question she wasn't expecting. "You think, I was just stringing you along?"

"Legally, you're still married." 

Drew rolled his eyes and scoffed again.

She grinned.  Actually she missed bantering with him.  For a chain of long and painful months, she had done nothing but ignore him, pretending like he didn't exist.  For his own good, though. But now that they're talking again, she appreciated his candidness even more. 

Plus, she was terribly curious.  Did he want to give it another shot with his soon-to-be ex-wife? If he didn't think it was possible, then why hadn't he pushed through with the divorce?

"We're both caught up with work right now," Drew said in his defense, his voice muted. "Maybe she's gonna...call me up this month to talk with the lawyer."

"Right." Kel made a face and kept a clever retort to herself. She sincerely hoped the two would reconcile. Not entirely out of guilt, though.  

He should just get back with Beth.  Surely there's still a glimmer of hope and love left between him and Elizabeth.  A no-brainer, really.  Some whit of an optimistic feeling just told her that a happy future with his former significant other was still something he often imagined. 

"It ain't over till it's over, D."

Her shrill ringtone disrupted their back-and-forth as she reclined in the passenger seat.  Kel frowned when she didn't see a text or call from Miles.  

Was he home now? Waiting for her? Or was he too busy with his work-hard-play-hard friends that he forgot to call her again?

"You're used to the security guys now?"

"You saw them?" She glanced at Drew as he maneuvered his way out of a traffic jam.

"Hard to miss," he murmured with a smirk.  "They follow you around? Even when you're not with him?"

"Nah. I mean, I dunno...maybe."  She stared at her phone. 

Miles never messed with her phone.  Nor would he activate a GPS tracker to keep track of wherever she went.  The Falcos were rich enough to afford a dozen security teams, but she never asked about the works. They might think she was being intrusive.

"Your mom keeps worrying about you," Drew sighed after seconds of awkward silence. "They think Miles doesn't want you to go back home. Does he want you to finish school here?"

"Not really. That's just her in mother hen mode."

"Two years left. Right?" Drew regarded her with a faint grin. "Sometimes I picture you in a doctor's coat, stethoscope always hanging over your shoulder, working ER shifts every day."

"UCML rejected me." 

"What?" He scowled.  "Why?"

"Some issues with my records. Really bummed about it."

"Oh. Sorry." 

"Yeah. Just sucks. But...I'll get over it."

"So?  What's the plan?"

"Just need to save up. Work harder. Then study, study, study." For a moment, she pondered the thought of resuming medical school this year. "How's your work?"

"Pretty okay. You planning to get a loan? For tuition? His parents could be feeling extra generous this time of the year."

"I would never." Kel shook her head a few times. The suggestion sounded cumbersome and just downright embarrassing.

"Why not?" Drew maintained a neutral expression.  "Jill said they're nice folks."

"They're nice enough to let me live with their son without having to worry about rent," she muttered.  "Wouldn't dare ask for any more help."

"They're not that well-known, but, in the corporate scene, they're kind of a big deal. They fund a few charities and non-profits, too."

"Who told you? The P.I." Kel scrunched her brows, somewhat surprised by his sudden interest in the Falcos.

"There's this thing called Google, y'know."

"I read about their new cruise ship last month. But that's it." She stared at him again. Drew simply smirked at her and kept driving. "What else?"

"They run at least three companies. A cruise and shipping line, export trade, and a hotel chain."

"Really?" She frowned. Miles didn't say specifics when they last talked about what kept his family super busy.

"And other small businesses outside Italy." Drew sighed out loud when she didn't respond.  Then he glanced at her and tutted a few times. "You clearly don't know who you're living with, K."

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