Ezekiel Chen sat in the dimly lit control room of his sprawling mansion, his eyes glued to the large screen in front of him. The live stream of the reality show played silently, capturing every laugh, every movement, and every word spoken by the cast. But Ezekiel wasn’t watching them. His gaze was fixated solely on Daisy.

The warm glow of the bonfire reflected on her delicate features, her quiet elegance contrasting sharply with the boisterous energy of those around her. She was reserved, but not aloof—her small smiles and the occasional sparkle in her eyes when she chimed into the conversation were enough to draw him in.

Ezekiel leaned...