Calista: "…"So it turned out I'd done this to myself. Calling Big Brother a nagging old woman—what nerve I had! A few seconds of silence followed, and Calista, unusually siding with Cassian for once, said, "Actually, I think Big Brother has a point. It's better for a girl to stay closer to home. In Greywood City you've got protection. Why don't you just go home? You've graduated months ago."
I felt awkward. "I happened to find a job in Silverpoint City. I wanted to try it out."
"A heiress with seven-figure pocket money every month refuses to go home even if her card is frozen… what kind of job are you even doing?" Calista asked, excited.
"Receptionist. Five thousand five hundred dollars a month."
Her reaction was instantaneous: a sputter, then a bout of coughing. Calista had choked on her drink. After a long time she managed, "Vivienne, are you out of your mind?"
"You're the one with the problem!" I shot back.
"Why would you stay out for a receptionist job?" After a two-second pause he said, "By the twin connection, I feel like there's something off about you running off to work at someone else's company."
"Don't tell me you've gone to steal some handsome, money-hungry man?" Calista teased.
"Hey, I'm your brother. If you like someone, don't hide it, let me investigate. These days there are a lot of bad men around. You're young, beautiful, and innocent; don't get fooled."
I was rendered speechless. "There's nothing like that. I'm soaking in the tub and the water's getting cold. I'm hanging up."
I cut the call and rested my head against the rim of the tub, inhaling deeply, then exhaled a tired breath. Of all people, Calista had to blurt out the exact truth, of course she'd zeroed in on the jerk I'd run into.
After my bath I wrapped a towel around myself and felt a little hungry, so I opened an app to order food. Right as I was about to pay, I received a transfer from Calista twenty thousand dollars. His message read: "I don't have that kind of big money, but I still have pocket money use this for now. If it's not enough, ask me. Don't be stingy with yourself out there. Cassian's ridiculous for freezing your card too. Calling him a nagging old woman was right. That petty man, I'll settle with him for you!"
My heart warmed. There's something to be said for having a good twin. I sent him a blowing-kiss emoji and a WhatsApp message: "Actually, Big Brother left enough for me to live on. I was planning to go home anyway. He'll return my card then."
Calista lazily sent back a voice note: "Deciding to go home, are you? Looks like being a receptionist earning $5,500 a month hasn't been that fun."
"Boring, mostly," I admitted. "I miss you and Big Brother more than anything."
Thinking of the delivery about to arrive, I swapped the towel for a cozy nightdress and dried my hair.
No sooner had I set the hairdryer down than the doorbell rang. Faster than expected, someone had delivered quickly. I hurried to the door and opened it.
He was standing there.
Tall. Straight-backed. Gideon.
Why was he here? Then I remembered: I had entered my address at Nova Haven when I applied, and he's the boss so it wasn't impossible for him to find me. Maybe he was annoyed I'd dirtied his suit and had come to scold me.
He wore only a black shirt, tucked in neatly to accent his firm waist. Tailored trousers hugged long, straight legs. Put aside his personality, the man's proportions were extraordinary. For a moment I felt that night hadn't been all loss.
But after leaving me alone like he did, why did he appear here now? Wanted, what another turn in my bed? Get out. I'd already decided to break things off. Seeing him, I no longer tried to charm him; my tone was cool and distant.
"You must have the wrong person, President Ashbourne. We're not acquainted." I moved to close the door.
He must have expected that he steadied his hand on the frame and blocked the door. Was he trying to corner me? I clenched my jaw, ready to spit venom, when he asked calmly, "After that night I left for a trip in a hurry. I left a note on your bedside. Did you read it?"
A note?
He said he'd left contact info, yet I had never contacted him. That made Gideon think my forwardness that night had only been a prank. But tonight, when I'd blocked his car and watched my own reactions, he began to suspect a misunderstanding. If I'd been playing games, why was I still working at Nova Haven? For these doubts he'd asked the driver to turn around and come back. He wanted to see me and clear things up.
His voice was a little helpless as he looked at my stunned face. "I left the note because I didn't want to wake you while you were sleeping. Didn't you read it?"
I was struck dumb. I replayed that morning in my head: waking up alone, checking the bathroom, finding no sign of him. I hadn't thought much of it then. Big Brother had called me via WhatsApp not long after.
I'd spent the night with a man and felt guilty, of course I didn't pick up Big Brother's call from the hotel. I had scrambled into my clothes, barely washing my face, and fled. After dealing with him I went back to the hotel to look for Gideon; the reception told me he'd been picked up by his driver and secretary that morning. I assumed he didn't want responsibility. But I'd been watching Gideon since university before I chose to pursue him. I never believed I had the wrong man—so I stayed on at Nova Haven working, certain I hadn't misjudged him. Knowing he was on a business trip, I told myself he was simply busy and would contact me when he could.
But time passed and no message came. I lost confidence and began to think I'd met a worthless man. I never expected it was all a misunderstanding.
Recalling how haughty I'd been in front of him, I felt ashamed. I'd lost my composure without understanding the truth, my image had gone to waste. Perhaps Gideon had thought less of me in return, yet he'd not been like me; he still let me into his car and took me home.
He was calm, really calm. The realization hit me and I couldn't help but smile brightly. "So it was a misunderstanding. I told you I'd been watching you for a while. You're not someone who breaks promises."
I immediately realized how foolish that sounded; the smile on my face stiffened. "You were watching me?" Gideon seized on my words, his gaze probing my features as if trying to see through me.
I lowered my lashes and for a moment felt shy. After a little hesitation, I decided not to hide it any longer. My voice came out small and embarrassed: "Actually… I've admired you for a long time."
He blinked. I continued, "Maybe you don't know, we went to the same university. When I was a freshman, you were finishing your doctoral year. You were the famous figure on campus, good family, good looks, excellent grades. The girls couldn't help but stare."
Embarrassed, I dropped my eyes and confessed, "I was one of those admirers."
That honest admission hung in the air, coloring everything with a subtle, indescribable warmth.
Gideon remembered that night at the party when I'd approached him and deliberately steered the conversation. Back then he'd thought I'd had an obvious motive clearly trying to seduce him. He hadn't realized I was only a freshman then, and as a doctoral candidate he had rarely been on campus. Our age gap was significant; he truly might not have known I existed. So I'd come to work at Nova Haven because of my feelings for him? That meant I'd quietly admired him for four years since entering university.