“I live around… um, Glendale District. Not too far from the city center,” she said carefully.She avoided mentioning the exact place“It’s calm,” she added with a nod.“Just me, simple setup. I don’t like too much noise.”Felix nodded understandingly.“That’s fair,” he said.“Nothing wrong with calm and quiet.”Sophia smiled again, keeping her voice light.“Exactly. I value peace of mind more than anything these days.”But deep inside, she was carefully watching Felix’s reaction.“He doesn’t seem judgmental. That’s good. But I have to keep painting the right picture… smart, independent, simple… not desperate.”Sophia kept her smile steady, brushing a loose strand of hair from her cheek as she looked at Felix.“I work in an agency company,” she said smoothly, her tone casual but confident.“We handle brand representation, a bit of PR, media relations… that sort of thing.”Felix raised a brow slightly, impressed.“Sounds interesting. Must be a pretty busy job, yeah?”“Oh, it is,” Sophia

For a heartbeat, Felix froze, his hands gripping the armrest. But then instinct took over.His eyes closed, and he kissed her back, matching her intensity, their breaths mingling as the cold air of the room was forgotten entirely.It lasted only a few moments — but enough to send a wave of confusion, warmth, and unspoken thoughts swirling between them.When they finally broke apart, Felix leaned back, his eyes opening slowly, a subtle frown forming as reality caught up with him.“Sophia…” he said quietly, his voice now more serious.“I don’t think this should happen again.”She sat back slightly, her expression unreadable but still wearing the trace of a sly smile.“Okay,” she whispered, standing.“I should rest then.”And with that, she turned and walked slowly to the door, her bare feet padding softly against the floor.Felix remained in the chair, eyes on the TV, but his mind far, far away.All he heard was the soft click of the door closing behind Sophia — no lingering goodbye, no

And just like that—Click.The call ended.Sophia stared at her phone like it had betrayed her, her chest rising and falling rapidly.“This can’t be happening…” she whispered, her voice hollow.Sophia dropped the phone onto the bed like it was burning her hand. Her bare feet padded across the carpet as she began pacing the room, one hand gripping the towel at her chest, the other pressed against her temple.“This can’t be real. This can’t be happening…” she mumbled, moving back and forth like she was trying to walk off the panic.She stopped near the mirror, staring at her reflection — damp hair, tired eyes, and a face that no longer held the sharp confidence it once did. Her mind raced.Who bought the house? Why anonymously?And most of all—Why now?Just then, her phone rang again.She snatched it up instantly, her heart still pounding.This time, it was a normal number. She didn’t recognize it, but answered anyway.“Hello?”“Hi, Miss Sophia,” came a polite, professional voice. “Just

Elijah set the drink and glasses carefully on a nearby poolside table, then pulled off his white singlet in one smooth motion, revealing his lean, well-built frame. Without hesitation, he stepped down into the pool, the warm water rising quickly to his waist as he walked toward her.Sierra, already smiling, giggled as he got closer.Without warning, she scooped a splash of water and tossed it playfully at him, the droplets hitting his chest and face.“Ahh… okay, that’s how we’re doing it?” Elijah said with a smirk, wiping his face as he approached her.She laughed again, her eyes sparkling. “You’re slow, old man!”He lunged gently toward her, sending a wave her way, and she shrieked before swimming off a few strokes ahead.They both moved freely through the pool, lighthearted splashes and soft laughter bouncing off the water’s surface.After a few moments, Elijah swam up beside her and rested his arms casually on the pool edge.“We should get those swimming glasses,” he said, catching

Sierra’s eyes widened slightly as she turned her head, avoiding his gaze. She was biting her lip to fight back a smile, but the blush rising in her cheeks betrayed her completely. “I didn’t know it would turn see-through,” she mumbled, half-heartedly pulling at the floating crochet top. Elijah circled her like a lazy current, his voice a low hum. “Don’t worry,” he said, “I’m not complaining. I just think you’re trying too hard not to be obvious.” Sierra splashed water in his direction suddenly, her shy grin breaking through. “Stop,” she said, laughing. “I’m not being obvious.” “Oh, trust me,” Elijah said, brushing his wet hair back, “you’re the kind of obvious that makes a man rethink his self-control.” Sierra let out another soft laugh, swimming backwards to put some space between them. She was flustered — clearly — but also glowing. And no matter how hard she tried to play innocent, Elijah could see through it all. She liked the attention. She just didn’t want to admit it.