I slammed the car door shut, cutting off the freezing rain outside. My clothes were soaked, my loose hair dripping, cold water still clinging to my cheeks. I must have looked a mess, yet somehow my dignity remained intact.
I glared at the disgusting Ashbourne sitting beside me, then told the driver sharply,"Neonvale Lake Villa district, please."
The driver looked confused and glanced cautiously at Gideon.
Gideon gave me a brief glance like a drenched cat trying to act arrogant once rescued—then nodded to the driver and casually shrugged off his coat.
A moment later, something warm fell over my head. Everything went dim for a second, and the familiar scent hit me resh cedar and bergamot, elegant and cool, the exact scent he carried that night.
And just like that, I remembered everything from that wild night.
I pulled down the coat covering my head and looked at him. He lounged against the seat with his eyes closed, not even sparing me a glance.
Unbelievable. A true bastard.
For a moment, I nearly threw the coat straight at his face and gave him the scolding of his life.
But a better idea came.
Expression calm, I used his expensive designer coat to rub my wet hair dry… then wiped down my soaked blouse… then dabbed at my skirt. I kept going until the entire coat was wrinkled, ruined beyond saving. Only then did I return it politely:
"Thank you, President Ashbourne. You're so kind."
Gideon opened his eyes slightly and glanced at the misshapen coat with thinly veiled disdain. After a long silence he sighed.
"The coat was meant for wearing, not… wiping."
So what?I lifted my chin proudly and met his gaze head-on, daring him to complain.
He stared back long enough that I sensed something off. He seemed to want to speak but held back likely because of the driver.
"?" I frowned at him.
Then I followed his gaze downward.
Oh.My white office shirt soaked through was nearly transparent under the car's soft lights.
Damn.
Startled, I grabbed his distorted coat and wrapped myself tightly in it, face burning.
The car fell silent. All my defiance evaporated instantly. I lowered my head, hiding behind my hair.
Through the strands that covered my face, Gideon could probably see the tips of my ears turning red an innocence I hated revealing.
That night, too, I had shown this side of myself. I'd pretended to be bold, worldly, flirtatious, yet I'd blushed, hesitated, hid behind my hair. Beneath all the bravado, I wasn't some experienced seductress. I'd just wanted him to like me.
He must have thought differently.
To him, I was probably some charming but promiscuous girl who played with men. He must have thought I'd played with him too especially since I never contacted him after that night, despite agreeing to "date for a while and see what happens."
In his mind, I was someone who lost interest immediately, whose "yes" that night was nothing but tipsy theatrics.
While he was silently judging me, he must have heard it—the strangled little sniff I failed to hold back.
He stiffened."…Why are you crying?"
I didn't answer.
Gideon had never comforted a crying woman before. He didn't even know what he could say—to me, of all people. What were we now? Lovers? Strangers? Mistakes?
After a long painful pause, he signaled the driver to play something soft. Music filled the car as we sped through the rainy night, orange streetlights stretching into long glimmering trails.
Eventually, I stopped crying. I leaned my forehead against the cold window, silent.
Regret gnawed at me.What was I doing getting into this man's car?
I claimed it was for shelter from the rain, but the truth was humiliation and stubbornness. I didn't want the last look between us to be apathetic. I wanted… something. Anything.
Stupid.
If he saw me as a joke, then why should I cling to anything? Why create trouble for myself over a man who didn't care?
Anger had clouded my judgment. That was all.
When the car arrived at the Neonvale Lake Villas, I unclipped my seatbelt to get out. Gideon looked out at the rain and asked quietly:
"Which building? I'll have the driver take you closer."
I didn't answer. I opened the door, stepped out, and tossed his coat back into the car before slamming it shut.
Without looking back, I walked into the rain.Cold water ran down my face and into my collar, chilling but sobering.
I told myself, one final time, that I had chosen to approach Gideon. Every consequence was mine alone to bear.
If fate wasn't on our side, then tomorrow I'd submit my resignation. I would leave Silverpoint City, return to Greywood City, and erase him from my life.
Inside the car, Gideon watched my silhouette fade into the mist.His hand still held the umbrella he hadn't managed to give me.
A faint ripple stirred in his calm eyes then vanished.
"…Let's go," he told the driver.
—
I rushed through the rain and finally reached my apartment. After showering and changing, I soaked in my warm bath, bubbles surrounding me as I thought resentfully about Gideon.
Then my phone rang.
I checked the screen: Calista.
I answered lazily,"What's up?"
"Vivienne, when are you coming home? I miss you."
I blinked."Oh? You miss me?"
"We're twins! Of course I miss you. I tried calling earlier but had an interview, so I had to hang up. I'm calling again now."
I sighed."So, since graduating, you've spent all your time fooling around, and now Big Brother froze your card so you're calling me for help?"
Calista paused."You figured it out?"
Then shamelessly continued,"I'm not fooling around I'm singing! And I have fans now. I'll be a pop star soon. But Big Brother doesn't support me. Instead, he wants me to be a hotel manager at Kingston Vale. I protested a bit too loudly and bam credit card frozen."
He grew angrier the more he spoke."Tell me, isn't Cassian absurd? Look how much your poor brother is suffering!"
I burst out laughing."Well, he is the head of the family. Eldest brother equals father. Even I have to endure him."
Then I added,"But future pop star, shouldn't you be earning your own money? How broke are you that you're calling me?"
"…I did earn money," he said. "Just not enough to be extravagant. Still enough to live. But the real problem is our younger cousin wants to borrow six million to start a business. Normally I'd lend it instantly, but with my card frozen… that's why I thought of you."
I sighed."Wrong person to ask. I'm even poorer than you."
"Why?"
"…Because my card was also frozen by Big Brother."
"What?!"
"Why do you think?"
Calista burst into hysterical laughter."Oh my god, finally someone to suffer with me!"
I rolled my eyes.
Then he asked,"What position did he arrange for you that made you refuse?"
"He didn't arrange anything. He just told me to come back to Greywood City, work at Kingston Vale or do something I like. Or even shop every day if I wanted."
"…Why? Why do you get total freedom while I get thrown into hotel management? Cassian is playing favorites again!"
He fumed for several seconds before asking,"Then why did he freeze your card?"
I exhaled deeply."I told him I didn't want to stay in Greywood City. I wanted to remain in Silverpoint City. He said it was too far, he'd worry. I told him I'm an adult and won't die living alone. He kept lecturing me nonstop so I snapped and told him he nags like a grandmother."
Calista: "…oh no."
"And then," I said flatly,"he froze my card and told me to 'figure out how to survive.'"