......A few moments later, a white Mercedes-Benz rolled smoothly out of the school parking lot and inside was Becky and Dylan.Neither of them spoke for almost two minutes, just soft music playing through the speakers.Becky secretly glanced sideways, but Dylan was just so relaxed and almost impossible to read.'Why is this so difficult...?' She tightened both hands around the steering wheel.Back then, talking to Dylan had been effortless. Well, mostly because she never cared about what he thought. Right now, every word suddenly matters and the wrong one can jeopardize her only opportunity of spending time with him."So..." She cleared her throat, "I was considering Opulent Haven Hotel.... Heard they have very good food.""It's a ten-star rated hotel... Yeah, they have good food."She smiled proudly before she finally gasped what Dylan just said. "You've been there before?""A few times." He answered casually before breaking the eye contact.Becky smiled awkwardly as quickly ignored

Ms. Stella took them to the best of the regulars, just beside a large glass wall overlooking the city skyline."Please have a seat, Mr. Dylan.""Thank you." Dylan nodded.The manager himself pulled out a chair for Dylan before another employee hurried over to do the same for Becky.She was completely speechless as the treatment wasn't close to normal. She came from a very wealthy background and she had been to occasions with her father and never had she received this enormous generosity.It wasn't the kind of respect someone received because they had money, it was something else and it felt like the entire hotel had been instructed to treated Dylan differently.The manager handed over a leather menu with both hands."Our head chef is available today. If there's anything outside the menu you'd like prepared, simply let us know.""I'll just have the usual.""Very well, sir."She turned toward Becky with another smile. "And for the young lady?"She quickly scanned the menu and was surpri

THUD!!!For a split second, Dylan's muscles were tensed and every instinct in his body screamed that something had just entered his space.The impact wasn't as powerful as expected, but it was too sudden.Dylan's eyes sharpened instinctively as countless possibilities raced through his mind. With his hand clenched into a fist ready to react at the slightest sign of danger.But the System remained silent and no warning or threat was detected.The figure stumbled backward instead and instantly misstep. A soft figure had crashed straight into his chest and before the girl could fall, Dylan instinctively caught her by the waist.Staring directly into her eyes, Dylan noticed she wasn't one of the girls stalking him before. Coupled with the scent of alcohol immediately reaching his nose, he was now convinced that she wasn't the girl.She looked up with half-open eyes and her cheeks were flushed.Her long, wavy hair spilled over her shoulders, slightly messy but somehow making her even more

Dylan gently tried to pull his hand free, but Rachel only tightened her grip, clinging to him as though letting go would make him disappear.Becky immediately walked over."Rachel..." She carefully pried Rachel's fingers away one by one until Dylan's hand was finally free."There..." Becky forced an awkward smile. "I think she's just... scared of being alone."She glanced at Dylan apologetically. "I'll stay here with her while you head back. I'm really sorry our lunch ended like this.""It's fine. Take good care of her." Dylan smiled lightly.With that, Dylan turned and was about to leave when a knock came from outside the presidential suite."Come in...."The door opened and one of the receptionists entered respectfully. It was the same receptionist Dylan had noticed earlier. The one he had suspected was throwing uncomfortable glances at him.She walked directly toward Becky."Excuse me, Miss....I believe this belongs to you." She handed over Becky's phone."My phone?" She instinctiv

Dylan stood and quietly stepped away from the bed, leaving Rachel in the bedroom area before walking into the small foyer just beyond the suite's main door.It was quieter there and more importantly, it gave him some privacy without having to leave the suite completely.Dylan leaned against the wall a few feet from the entrance and answered the call."Hello?""Are you busy?" Betty's voice came through the phone.Dylan glanced briefly toward the bedroom before looking back at the door."Not really. What's up?""I wanted to ask you something.""Go ahead."There was a brief pause before Betty interrupted it."About our race.""Our race?""Yeah."Betty sounded unusually casual and it bothered Dylan to an extent."I was thinking... are you available tomorrow?""Tomorrow?""Yeah. We made a deal, remember? Let's just get it over with."After everything that had happened today, that was what Betty wanted to talk about? “You're serious?”“Of course.” She chuckled.“You're not backing out now,