ã€ŠA Piece of Your Heartã€‹


 Chapter 1: First Experience With Love

    I remembered some people saying that love made you see things that were more beautiful than they actually appeared.

    Right now, I watched the man who was sitting across from me, his arms folded on the table with his head resting on them as he slept. I propped an elbow andid my chin on my hand, gazing at him with interest.

    I had noticed this many times before, but it never failed to surprise me every time. He was still so handsome since the day I first met him, and he never lost that childlike innocence to him despite him already being in histe twenties.

    I still couldn¡¯t believe that the man sleeping in front of me was the same man who was the CEO of the biggestpany NA Games Inc., which was known all over the world for its global and international sess in producing the best video games.

    To be honest, I had never tried their games before, but my brother loved to y them whenever he had time, and his eyes would always light up whenever I bought him a new game of theirs for his birthday and for Christmas.

    As I continued watching this man, I couldn¡¯t help but feel amazed and confused at the same time.

    ¡®Nathaniel Adams¡­¡¯

    ¡®Why me?¡¯

    This was probably a question that I would keep asking myself for a long, long time.

    Of all the beautiful women out there who were intelligent and sessful, he chose me.

    Why?

    ***

    Five years ago, I had been in love with the idea of romance.

    My friends sometimes called me ¡®Julia the Hopeless Romantic¡¯ and ¡®Julia the Innocent Girl¡¯, because I would often talk about love, how much it interested me, and how I longed for a harmonious rtionship that was filled with trust and affection.

    When I was in high school, I would read tons of romance novels and squeal over cheesy romance movies. I would also get really excited whenever one of my friends was dating.

    But I never got to experience love for myself, probably because I was too scared to try it out or because I found love much more interesting in books and movies rather than in real life. I did have my fair share of crushes though, but those were simply pleasant yet hopeless dreams.

    I wasn¡¯t the most attractive girl on campus back then. I had short, mousy brown hair and a few pimples on my cheek due to puberty. My eyes were a dull shade of gray, and I was basically unnoticeable.

    It was only when I graduated high school that I noticed the obvious changes in myself. My hair grew longer until it fell in soft waves below my shoulders, my eyes appeared a bit bigger than usual, my chest filled out considerably, and my curves started to develop. It had been a fascinating change since I could see that I was starting to mature from a meek-looking teenager to a young adult who was now eighteen.

    When the university period rolled in, everyone around me was either dating or in love with someone. I was fresh in college at that time, and after being curious enough and telling myself to finally go for it, I tried searching for my own soulmate as well.

    My ¡®soulmate¡¯ back then was a student from the same college who majored in IT. I was at a karaoke bar with some friends who also invited a few guys that they knew. After I sang two songs and everybody pped for me, one of the guys approached me and asked for my name.

    Most of the people there were already drunk, but I was one of the few who were still sober. I didn¡¯t like to drink that much and preferred water over beer.

    But this guy¡­ I could tell that he was clearly drunk.

    His name was Tom Wace, and he was a lean, slender man with in features. His hair was ck and neatlybed, and he had brown eyes and an attractive smile. I was charmed by him almost immediately, and within two hours of talking, I agreed to one date.

    We arranged a meeting at a nearby caf¨¦. I could still remember how impressed I was that he still remembered our date despite him being tipsy at that time. I even thought to myself that he might¡¯ve forgotten about it, that it was all just some harmless fun that didn¡¯t need to be taken seriously.Text ? owned by N?velDrama.Org.

    But he didn¡¯t forget.

    We talked a lot and discovered that we had a few things inmon, much to my delight. I found that he was easy to talk to and that he liked tough a lot. He had a natural charm that drew me to him immediately.

    I really liked Tom.

    We started dating after that. He was patient, gentle, and had a natural way with words. He never got angry at anything, and he never got mad at me, either. He also always insisted on paying whenever we had a meal together.

    He had hinted a few times about sleeping together, sometimes even suggesting it as subtly as he could. However, we weren¡¯t that far into our rtionship yet, so I politely refused him. Even after that, he was very understanding and promised that he would wait for me when I was ready.

    He was the perfect gentleman. I thought that I was the luckiest girl alive.

    It turned out that I was wrong.

    After dating for a year, I nned to surprise him on his birthday with the wallet that he¡¯d been talking about so excitedly for months. He didn¡¯t ask me to buy it for him, and he didn¡¯t imply anything to me at all, but I took note of this detail simply because I wanted to make him happy. Even though money was tight, I did my best to save up for him just to see that delighted smile on his face.

    But the moment I snuck into his apartment, I heard something.

    Something that shattered my heart into a thousand little pieces.

    As I approached the bedroom, the sound of moaning reached my ears. It wasn¡¯t a sound that one made out of pain, but one out of lust. I could even hear a woman¡¯s voice saying ¡®faster¡¯ over and over.

    I wasn¡¯t naive enough not to realize what was happening.

    I wanted to deny it right then and there. I wanted to pretend that I was just hearing things, that I was just tired and hallucinating.

    But when I froze right there, the noises just kept getting louder and louder. No matter how hard I tried to pretend it was a dream, the reality was hitting me harder than a sledgehammer.

    And when I opened the door, it only got worse.

    The sight of Tom and another woman in his bed would never be erased from my memory for a long, long time.

 Chapter 2: Second Trauma

    Tom didn¡¯t even bother to stop me from leaving. In the end, I sold off the wallet, deleted all of our photos together, unfollowed and blocked him from all social media, erased his number from my phone, and tried to move on.

    It was onlyter on that I found out from a mutual friend that Tom was a notorious charmer, a yer who liked to secretly date several women at the same time, simply because he preferred some excitement in his life.

    Apparently, because I refused to sleep with Tom a few times, he found me boring and started cheating on me with other girls during the first few months of our rtionship.

    And I, the idiot, never knew at all.This content belongs to N?/velDra/ma.Org .

    It made me feel so ashamed to this day. It left me with such a terrible insecurity in my heart that I would carry with me for a long time. Tom was my first boyfriend and yet he betrayed me in such a cruel way.

    It took me a long time to recover from that.

    ***

    Three yearster, after I quit college and started working several part-time jobs, I met someone new.

    His name was Ben Harper.

    I decided to give love a second chance after bing jealous of all my friends who were dating and looking as happy as they could be. Even though I had be so insecure, Ben was mature, and he helped me try to see the world from a different perspective.

    He was three years older than me; I was 21 at the time, and he was 24. I was still too young to continue working as hard as I was, while he already had a stable career after graduation.

    The two of us met for the first time at the park when he was walking his dog, a lovely golden retriever named Lily. I had been entranced by Lily at first sight and asked to pet her, which he allowed. He started a casual conversation, and then after that, the words just flowed between us so naturally.

    We started meeting in the park a few times, where I would pet Lily and give her snacks while he would strike up a conversation with me. We quickly became friends after sharing somemon interests, and I agreed to go on a date when he asked if we could try it out.

    I really liked Ben at first. He had a strong sense of responsibility and was very sure of himself. He was quite honest and never held anything back, even though it might seem crass of him to do so. In my heart, it felt refreshing to meet such a personality in this depressing world, so I subconsciously relied on him.

    With him, it felt transparent, and I never felt like he was cheating on me because he checked in on me so often and always texted me every morning and night. He was somitted that it was surprising and kind of ttering.

    But it was also so, so overwhelming.

    As the days passed and we were only three months into our rtionship, he started to be overbearing. Possessive. Too ahead of himself.

    Because apparently, for Ben, amitment was a two-way rtionship.

    That wasn¡¯t a problem for me because that¡¯s the way it should be when ites to a rtionship, but I had mentioned to him a few times before that I wasn¡¯t looking for a serious rtionship, that I just wanted to keep things casual between us for now.

    ¡°That¡¯s fine with me,¡± he told me back then in a confident tone of voice. ¡°I won¡¯t force you if you¡¯re not ready.¡±

    With those words, I trusted him.

    Andter on, my trust in him shattered.

    He started to get¡­ impatient. Insecure. His calls and texts increased, his demands grew, and he even started giving me these ridiculous curfews.

    I was not to stay out toote at night even though I worked night shifts on some days, and he also told me that I was obligated to inform him wherever I went.

    He even convinced me to move in with him so he could protect me, or whatever bullshit excuse that was. He started referring to me as ¡®his¡¯, as if I were some sort of object that he needed to possess.

    Things were escting too fast for me, and I was feeling more and more like a prisoner in the rtionship rather than a bird being allowed to fly free. It was such a suffocating feeling that I just wanted to get out as soon as possible.

    It took me a long time to break free of Ben. I was young at the time, a college dropout who worked several part-time jobs to make ends meet. Meanwhile, he had a steady job and often bought me food and many other things. He sometimes visited my family and brought them food and gifts as well. My parents adored him for his generosity.

    But I felt suffocated. I felt guilty. I felt so conflicted in my mind that I even wondered if it was a good thing for me to break up with him. He helped me financially and was so good to my parents. Who on earth was I to let him go like that? What Ben wanted from me was my dedication andmitment to the rtionship. Why was I dawdling? All I needed to do was give him my heart and all of my time. That was all.

    My thoughts swirled around like that for a long time.

    I had been so trapped in my guilt and hesitation that in the end, my younger siblings, Ken and Louisa, had to finally convince me to let go. That it was not worth the stress to stay.

    That if I was unhappy, I needed to break it off.

    So I did.

    ¡°Let¡¯s break up,¡± I told him a few dayster after collecting my thoughts.

    Ben hadn¡¯t been happy to hear those words from my mouth. He threw a fit and started hitting me, which shocked me because he had always been so gentle. He was demanding and overbearing, but he never touched or hurt me like that.

    It had been messy. Ken and Louisa were outside Ben¡¯s apartment so that they could be there for me after I broke it off. But after I screamed loudly, all hell broke loose.

    Ken barged in, and he was the angriest I had ever seen him before. Louisa was horrified and crying while calling the police on her phone.

    In the end, Ben was taken in for questioning by the police, and I had to go along with them to give my statement. To make a long story short, Ben went to jail, and that was when I found out about his past history of assaulting women. I had to get a restraining order against him just in case, but then he was forced to move away.

    I never saw him again after that.

    And since then, I stopped believing in love.

    Love was just a fantasy. In real life, people were never what they seemed. They could be the sweetest and most innocent people I knew, but they would always betray me in the end. I had to learn the hard way that they never actually loved me.

    It was then that I realized how pathetic a person I really was.

    Since love betrayed me, I might as well never love someone genuinely again.

 Chapter 3: A Familiar Man

    It was that time of night.

    In the bar where I worked as a waitress in the evenings, there was a live band every night for the customers to enjoy. I became one of the performers after asking my boss to let me join the band at least on weekends.

    He was kind enough to listen to my performance and then gave me his approval. He was impressed by my voice and allowed me to perform on weekends while continuing my job as a waitress on weekdays. I had never felt more ted.

    Working three part-time jobs, I could hardly exercise my creativity. My sketch pads remained empty in my drawers, and the ink in my pens had probably dried up by now.

    Sometimes I stillposed songs, but only when I had a burst of inspiration. Whenever it came, I had to jot down the notes as fast as I could before they disappeared from my mind. I would strum my guitar quietly at night, careful not to wake my neighbors who were still asleep.

    Since I hardly wrote any songs anymore, and I was reluctant to use the songs I hadposed a few years ago, I would onlye on stage and perform covers of songs that already existed. I didn¡¯t mind because I loved to sing. Not only that, but the audience always listened to me whenever I performed, which made me feel very validated.

    So I always looked forward to those nights on the weekends when I could do the things I loved to do.

    ¡°Hey, Julie. Looks like that man is here again.¡±

    I turned to my co-worker, Madison, who winked at me as she silently gestured to the guy who was sitting at the bar, ordering a drink. He was dressed in his usual outfit: a casual brown knit sweater with a ck trench coat draped over it, and blue faded jeans that looked like they were the only pair he had in his closet.

    He wore ck sses that gave him a schrly look, and his dark hair was tousled in an oddly charming style that made him look a little younger for his age.

    It was the same guy who only came to the bar on weekends when I was performing.

    I had been working here for about a year. When I started, I was clumsy and awkward at first, being someone who had never been in a ce like this before, but the kindness of my boss and co-workers helped me get through it until I finally got the hang of it.

    Although there were the inevitable rowdies, there were also pleasant customers who were a pleasure to talk to. There were regrs that I liked, like Mr. Kennedy who had two cute daughters at home, Mr. Johnson who was retired and living his life for now, and also Gracie, an office worker who came here just to have fun.

    Having been here for a while, I was able to recognize customers who were regrs as well as those who were infrequent or neers. It wasn¡¯t a small bar, but it wasn¡¯t too big either. It was one of the most popr bars on the street, so it was usually crowded during rush hour when everyone was off work.

    I didn¡¯t know what made me notice this particr guy out of all the others, but for some reason, he seemed different from everyone else. It didn¡¯t seem like he came here to enjoy himself, but it didn¡¯t seem like he came here to search for a distraction, either.

    It was as if he was only here because he was interested in something.

    Not to mention that his fashion style was strangely consistent, which was one of the reasons why he stood out.

    ¡°Come to think of it, he¡¯s always present here during the weekends,¡± Madison remarked with a coy smile on her face. ¡°I¡¯m pretty concerned though. Doesn¡¯t he have any other clothes?¡±

    I couldn¡¯t help but chuckle. ¡°Don¡¯t be silly. I¡¯m sure he has other ones. He likes to order the expensive drinks around here, after all. Maybe he just doesn¡¯t pay attention to fashion or something.¡±

    Madison nodded thoughtfully. ¡°You¡¯re right. Feels odd, though. It¡¯s like he¡¯sing here for something in particr. Or someone,¡± she added with a cheeky grin.N?velDrama.Org: text ? owner.

    Iughed. ¡°Sounds romantic.¡±

    ¡°And hey, who knows? He might turn out to be some kind of secret billionaire, right?¡±

    I shook my head as Madison chuckled at the far-fetched thought.

    Yeah, right. As if rich men like that had time toe to a ce like this. Didn¡¯t they usually go to the mostvish nightclubs in town?

    As I was on my way to the backroom to prepare my clothes for the performance, I felt a pair of eyes on me. Like that feeling you get when you think someone was watching you.

    It wasn¡¯t that strange to have a stranger looking at you in a bar once in a while. The men¡¯s eyes were usually roaming around the room looking for some eye candy, while the women were searching for a hot guy toy their eyes on.

    As long as they didn¡¯ty a finger on me or stalk me home, I didn¡¯t mind.

    I was curious, so I instinctively turned around to see who it was. As my eyes swept across the bar, no one really caught my eye. Everyone seemed to be focused on either the live band ying, the food, or thepanions they came with.

    For some reason, my eyes fell on the man Madison had just mentioned.

    He was sitting at the bar, sipping his martini and staring nkly at the band. He didn¡¯t seem particrly interested in them, and he wasn¡¯t searching around for any gorgeous women nearby, either.

    I wondered for a moment what he was here for. Maybe to get drunk and distracted?

    But Madison, who worked near the bar, once told her that she had never seen the man get drunk before. She probably hoped to get some gossip out of his drunken rants or something.

    Wait a minute, why was I even interested in him?

    I shook my head slightly and continued on my way to the back room. The man could wait for now. I needed to tune my guitar properly first and review the three songs I was going to sing on stage thirty minutes from now.

    Madison was right.

    People were interesting to observe every now and then.

    ***

    Soon enough, it was my turn.

    I sat in the chair overlooking the crowd and felt butterflies fluttering in my stomach. I could see Gracie and Mr. Johnson giving me encouraging smiles and waving at me from their respective seats, which made me feel a little more rxed.

    Even though I had been doing this for a while, I still felt a little nervous whenever I was about to perform on stage. Luckily, with the nervousness came the excitement. There was just something about singing that made me feel fulfilled and at ease, like I was giving myself a piece of freedom that I desperately needed in my life.

    When the music yed, my voice just came out of my lips like it was second nature. It was as if I was a part of the song itself, and I could feel the emotions of the lyrics as I sang.

    I had practiced this hundreds of times. I had hummed these songs at work and yed them over and over in my head. I no longer needed to remember the lyrics or even match them to the melody or beat.

    All I had to do was sing to my heart¡¯s content.

    When my series of performances ended, I felt liberated. The feeling was so exhrating and exciting that it made me smile when the people in the bar pped generously for me. They looked like they enjoyed it, which made me feel happy, too.

    But then I saw something out of the corner of my eye. Something a little surprising.

    It was that man.

    The man with the brown knit sweater and the ck trench coat.

    He was looking right at me, smiling and pping his hands softly.

    The moment our eyes met, it was as if something inside me was stirred.

    Suddenly he looked so¡­ familiar.

    Who¡­ was he?

    Where had I seen him before?

 Chapter 4: Looking Back

    When my performance was over, I immediately went backstage, feeling a little confused.

    It was a strange feeling. I had never really looked at him for too long before, but when our eyes met earlier, I felt like I had really met him somewhere before.

    But as to where, I had no idea.

    I tried to shrug it off as I walked to the locker room. After grabbing my bag and sitting down on one of the empty benches, I took out my phone and wallet and started going over my finances for the month.

    Fortunately, I had more than enough for at least two meals a day for the next three weeks. Ken was in his final year of med school, so just one more year of the grind, and things would finally be a lot easier once he started his residency program.

    Sighing, I leaned back against the wall and gazed up at the ceiling, wondering how my life became like this.

    I grew up as the eldest daughter in a family of five. My father worked in construction while my mother worked a part-time job in the morning in order to help with the finances. Money had been extremely tight back then, with me and my siblings barely getting to eat three meals a day, but we were happy nevertheless.

    Our rtionship had always been tight-knit; my dad was strict and my mom nagged at us on asion, but it was all out of love. In truth, my dad could barely say no to us, his children, while my mom would always help us out with homework even though both of them were tired from their jobs.

    We siblings appreciated them so much that we grew humble and hardworking, wishing that we could do something quickly to pay back our parents for their selfless efforts in raising us.

    Ken was the middle child of the family. He was a sweet young boy in his senior year in high school. He was always top of the ss and he worked a part-time job at a convenience store at night to earn his own allowance.

    Working at such a ce could get quite boring, so he always used that idle time to study and review his notes. He was getting ready for college and was also preparing to get a schrship.

    Louisa, the youngest of the family, was a sweetheart who often made everyone smile. She had just gotten enrolled in middle school, and she had a lot of friends because of her cheerful, outgoing nature.

    Being the youngest of the family and a female at that, we always looked out for her the best we could. You could say that we were quite protective of her, but we also made sure not to embarrass her.Content is property ? N?velDrama.Org.

    We were a happy family, but we struggled greatly with money. My dad was getting weaker, and my mom was sleeping less and less taking care of the house and also working to support us. They were starting to worry about sending my brother to college, so I made a decision.

    ¡°I¡¯ll drop out,¡± I told them one day while they were discussing the matter seriously in the kitchen.

    Mom was aghast. ¡°Julia! You can¡¯t do that!¡±

    Dad frowned at me, looking entirely disapproving. ¡°I will not allow it. You will continue your college degree, and that¡¯s that.¡±

    ¡°But my brother has to go to college,¡± I told them. ¡°He has better grades than I do, and I know that my major is too expensive for you guys to afford. I¡¯m already grateful enough to you two that you agreed to have me enroll in this course in the first ce despite knowing how expensive it is, just because you know that art is my passion. However,¡± I added quietly, my heart breaking at what I was about to say next, ¡°we all know very well that it isn¡¯t a lucrative career at allpared to being a doctor.¡±

    ¡°Julia-¡±

    ¡°Mom, I¡¯ll find work instead and help you guys out,¡± I said firmly. ¡°My degree can wait. My brother¡­ Ken has too much at stake to give up just yet. He has to continue his studies no matter what. He¡¯s going to be a doctor, Mom. The schrship can only fund so much, and you know that. Ken has a much brighter future than I do. I promise that I¡¯ll be fine. I can wait.¡±

    Mom was crying. Dad was soothing her back while staring at me with his eyes filled with emotion. I knew that it was a hard decision for them. They were already suffering because of Dad¡¯s hospital billsst month for his surgery, so continuing to support my tuition and allowances was taking a toll on their finances.

    They didn¡¯t know this, but I found out that they also dipped into their hard-earned savings and asked for help from our rtives. They were even considering taking out a loan.

    It pained my heart to see them like that, so I went through many sleepless nights and eventually came up with this decision. I knew that it was for the best even though it hurt me to do so.

    Making art was a part of me. It was my passion. I loved to draw and design things. Even though I knew it was hard to make creative processes into a lucrative career, I was determined to work hard and hone my skills so I could create a beautiful portfolio while applying for jobs.

    Art supplies and digital equipment cost a lot of money, but my parents believed in me because they had faith and also because they saw what I could do.

    Unfortunately, my dream of getting a degree and finding a stable job after graduation would have to end right here.

    And it was true. Ken had about a million times more potential than I did when it came to getting a high-paying job, and he was very diligent with his studies, too. He was the family¡¯s only hope, so I didn¡¯t really mind giving up my education for him.

    If I chose to continue with my college education, Ken would have to dy getting into university after his high school education. It was a no-brainer.

    So I quit school and began doing part-time jobs here and there at the age of neen.

    It continued on like this for eight years, and I never onceined. At least, not to my family.

    My friends were now either working abroad or staying at home as new mothers. It was lonely. I worked at restaurants, bars, and hotels as a mere service employee. I had one boss who was kind enough to notice my hard work and gave me a raise, especially since I told her once about my family situation.

    I also had one boss who kept working me to the bone and never giving me any overtime fees, especially after sending me on multiple errands every few days. I really wanted to quit working there, but the pay was a bit higherpared to my usual jobs, so I had to endure it.

    Working three jobs a day was a pain. You had to be energetic and friendly every day or else customers wouldin. You also had to be good and organized with your work so that the customers would lessen their nitpicks.

    It was not only exhausting physically, but also mentally.

    My brother was now in his final year of med school with a full schrship, and he was living in a dorm there. After getting a diploma and going through rigorous training, he was one step away from starting his residency program. I had never felt more proud.

    In these eight years, I only took care of my brother and barely left some time for myself.

    I was 27 years old now. Five years ago, I¡¯d have alreadypleted my major. Five years ago, I would¡¯ve probably gotten a stable job by now. Five years ago, I would¡¯ve been on the same timeline as my peers.

    But to this day, I was alone. My friends from high school and college were already living their best lives, working hard and traveling the world, and getting engaged or married. They were racing right towards their dreams while I trailed behind them at the base of the staircase.

    I was approaching my thirties now. One more year, and I could start saving up for my college again. I wanted to finish my degree and graduate and get back on track again. I loved my brother and I didn¡¯t regret my sacrifice, but from time to time I couldn¡¯t help but think about what could¡¯ve been.

    I sighed. ¡°You can¡¯t do this to yourself, Julia,¡± I told myself aloud.

    People often said that life wasn¡¯t a race, that one could go about their life at their own pace. If I thought about it that way, I felt a little better.

    Perhaps there was indeed a different future waiting for me ahead.

    After arranging my things and slinging my bag over my shoulder, I exited the locker room and went back to the bar.

    However, just as I approached the door leading back towards the main hall, I heard what seemed to be a loudmotioning from there.

    Frozen in ce, I pondered whether I should go in or not when livid shouts suddenly drifted into my ears.

    ¡°You dirty rat! Give me back my wallet!¡±

    ¡°I didn¡¯t steal your filthy wallet! Stop ming others for your carelessness!¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t you dare try that with me! I saw the way you were looking at it earlier when I brought it out!¡±

    I stood there, slowly processing the argument inside my head.

    It seemed that there was a brawl going on at the bar.

    And it did not seem pretty.

 Chapter 5: Sudden Situation

    I hated conflicts of any kind. However, it was already gettingte, and I wanted to go home, take a warm bath, and sleep in my bed. Besides, it wasn¡¯t like I was gonna get involved in whatever brawl they were having.

    Just as I opened the doors and entered the hall, security was already leading the people outside. Madison was standing there not too far away, so I quickly approached her.

    ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± I asked.

    Madison turned to me with a look of concern on her face. ¡°Just some typical brawl, nothing to worry about,¡± she said.

    ¡°What exactly happened?¡±

    ¡°Well, those two groups were sitting at tables that were right next to each other,¡± Madison exined. ¡°I had a bad feeling about those men from the start. They seemed up to no good.¡±

    Despite myself, I was curious. ¡°Why?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not sure. I can¡¯t exin it, but¡­ they were five men, all looking like those hoodlums you see in the street,¡± Madison said. ¡°One of them suddenly lost their wallet, so they started ming the guy at the next table, iming that he had been peeking at the wallet for some time.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s quite the assumption.¡±

    ¡°I know, right?¡± Madison shook her head. ¡°The guy was with his girlfriend. The two of them were just enjoying their time here peacefully. Those men were probably just looking for a fight.¡±

    ¡°Probably. But did they find the wallet in the end?¡±

    ¡°They left contact information with security. We¡¯ll inform them if we ever find the wallet around here. For now, they¡¯re being escorted out because of the ruckus they made. The guy also left quickly with his girlfriend.¡±

    ¡°Fair enough. I feel bad for the guy, though.¡±

    ¡°Same. Though, I gotta admit, I felt pretty anxious back there,¡± Madison suddenly said. ¡°Those men looked like they were up to no good. At one point I thought one of them had a gun.¡±

    I stiffened. ¡°Did they¡­?¡±

    ¡°No, no. It was just my imagination, I guess. They were just acting tough like all gangsters do.¡± Madison shrugged. ¡°At least they¡¯re not here anymore. Hey, you going home right now?¡±

    I nodded. ¡°It¡¯s gettingte, so I want to go as soon as possible.¡±

    Madison looked a little worried. ¡°Girl, maybe you should stay here for a while longer. Those men might still be nearby, and I don¡¯t want you getting somehow involved in a big fight as a passerby. I¡¯m telling you, I got a bad feeling about those guys.¡±

    ¡°Madison, I¡¯ll be fine,¡± I tried to reassure her. ¡°I¡¯ll just run as fast as I can towards the bus stop. I¡¯m sure they¡¯ll just be brooding somewhere inside an alley or something. I can simply avoid those areas.¡±

    Madison still looked unconvinced. ¡°But, Julie¡­ I don¡¯t feel good about this. Maybe I should leave early or take a break and apany you outside.¡±Content is property ? N?velDrama.Org.

    ¡°No, you don¡¯t have to. Maddy, you know that Mr. Hanson doesn¡¯t like us leaving early or cking off. Besides,¡± I added, ncing towards the toppled-over tables and chairs, ¡°I think you still need to deal with the mess that those guys left you with¡­¡±

    ¡°Oh! Mr. Hanson is going to kill me,¡± Madisonmented as she rushed over towards the mess. ¡°Still, Julia!¡± she called out behind her. ¡°Just be careful, okay?¡±

    I waved at her with a smile. ¡°Don¡¯t worry about me. I¡¯ll be fine.¡±

    As I approached the exit doors, my heart started to race.

    I lied to Madison. I didn¡¯t believe that I¡¯d be fine, and there was also a good chance that those guys were still out there nearby.

    Not only that, but I got spooked when Madison mentioned one of them having a gun. It might¡¯ve been her imagination due to the heat of the moment, but I couldn¡¯t rule out the possibility, either.

    However, if I waited for Madison to finish her shift, I would have to sit here for three more hours. She lived nearby in an apartment, so she didn¡¯t need to go down the road and pass by any shady-looking alleys.

    Plus, I was tired, and I really just wanted to lie down on my bed.

    ¡®Maybe I¡¯m just being too paranoid,¡¯ I thought to myself as I exited the bar, feeling the chilly night breeze brush against my face.

    As long as I quickened my steps, I would be fine.

    That was what I had thought.

    I pressed my coat tightly against my body, as though it would protect me from any harm. I walked quickly towards the direction of the bus stop, feeling even more paranoid at theck of people passing by.

    Even though I could still hear the noisy sounds of the bar at a distance, it didn¡¯t reassure me as much. After all, the more I walked, the further away the sounds were, and the approaching silence was starting to creep me out.

    I took a deep breath as I walked down the road, my eyes darting around the dark surroundings. In this part of the neighborhood, there were barely any stores that opened at this hour. The houses were located about a few blocks away from here, and the only signs of life I could see were the asional stray dogs and cats either passing by or sleeping on the sidewalk.

    My only sources of illumination were thempposts. Other than that, everything was dark, and nobody seemed to feel like exiting the bar at the moment, so I was all alone.

    Or so I thought.

    The moment I approached a nearby alley, my senses started to tingle. It was as though a feeling of foreboding crawled into my stomach, enveloping me with anxiety.

    I couldn¡¯t quite exin it; just that I felt like something bad was going to happen.

    People always say to trust your gut instincts.

    And they were right.

    When I braced myself and approached the alley with quick steps, I suddenly heard something. It was the sound of people arguing, and the noise grew the more I got near. I froze in ce, my heartbeat picking up. It couldn¡¯t be.

    There were angry shouts that followed after, and it was escting in volume by the minute. Before I could make a run for it, I suddenly saw a man bolting out of the alley and running away, shouting something that I could hear at this distance.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry!¡± he yelled desperately. ¡°You can have her!¡±

    I froze in ce when a woman¡¯s scream pierced the air for a very brief moment before it was immediately cut off.

    Like someone covered her mouth.

    ¡®Oh no,¡¯ I thought to myself in dread.

    It couldn¡¯t be¡­

    ¡°After him!¡± someone shouted, and then two men suddenly chased after the man who ran away just now.

    Meanwhile, three men were dragging a woman towards a ck van that was parked across the alley. The woman was struggling wildly, but the men were too strong for her.

    One of them took out a knife from his pocket and started threatening her with it.

    ¡®This can¡¯t be happening!¡¯

 Chapter 6: My Savior

    Have you ever had that moment in your life where you thought you were in great danger? When you witnessed something terrible happening right before your eyes, and you were powerless to stop it?

    I felt it right then.

    The feeling of helplessness and fear.

    Every fiber inside of me was screaming, ¡®Run. Run!¡¯

    However, I couldn¡¯t. My feet were glued to the ground, and my heart was racing from shock and anxiety. I had no fight or flight response; I simply froze.

    Even though I knew the most logical thing to do was run away, to run back towards the bar as fast as I could and wait for Madison, I couldn¡¯t.

    I just kept staring at the knife in the man¡¯s hand, and the sound of muffled sobsing from the poor woman.

    I was terrified. They were right in front of my eyes, and it was only a matter of time before they noticed I was there.

    I wanted to run. I wanted to so badly, but I couldn¡¯t just leave the poor woman there!

    ¡®Move, Julia,¡¯ I told myself, feeling my fingers tremble from anxiety. ¡®Move. Move, damn it!¡¯N?velDrama.Org: text ? owner.

    However, no matter how much I urged myself to move, to run away as far as I could, my body didn¡¯t listen to me. Instead, I could only manage to take a shaky step backwards, and even then it felt like I was moving in slow motion. It was like every fiber of my body froze along with the blood running through my veins.

    Wait. My phone!

    I needed to call for help!

    But first, I needed to hide. If they ever drove off in that van, I also needed to see the license te. That way, I would be able to tell 911 all the details that would help them catch these guys.

    But I was only an average girl. I had no idea how to be sneaky!

    How in the world did I ever get involved in such a terrifying situation like this?!

    ¡®Calm down¡­ You can do this, Julia,¡¯ I thought to myself quickly, swallowing heavily as I felt beads of sweat roll down the side of my face. ¡®Just be quiet. Don¡¯t make a sound.¡¯

    Very slowly, I backed away, nning to keep enough distance between us before making a run for the nearest corner to hide.

    However, as I moved away step by step, my shadow on the ground cast by thempposts also moved towards them, causing one of the men on the road to notice.

    By the time I had taken two steps back, a man with shaggy hair and small, beady eyes turned to me, his expression forming surprise, and then realization.

    ¡°Someone¡¯s here!¡± he yelled to his otherpanions, who then turned my way.

    The woman in their grip turned to me with pleading eyes.

    I knew then that I would never forget that look in my entire life.

    I was frozen in ce once again, and I could feel myself breaking into cold sweat. My mind went nk, and my stomach felt like it dropped right down on the ground.

    ¡°We can¡¯t have a witness here!¡± one of them barked out. ¡°Get her! And make sure she doesn¡¯t talk!¡±

    ¡°She¡¯s gonna call the police if one of you doesn¡¯t make a fucking move!¡± someone yelled. ¡°Hurry up! She saw our faces!¡±

    At that moment, my flight response was triggered.

    I turned on my heel and ran as fast as I could.

    I could hear startled, indignant cries from behind beforerge footsteps followed, drowning my eardrums with their incessant noise. I reflexively let out a yelp as I quickened my pace, desperate to reach the bar.

    However, on the way, I found myself tripping over something on the road, causing me to fall forward heavily towards the ground.

    ¡°Ow!¡± I cried out, feeling pain shoot out from my elbows.

    My heart stopped. I could feel the footstepsing closer and closer. Adrenaline pumped into my veins as I struggled to get up, but the pain in my elbows made me gasp aloud.

    A sudden realization formed in my head amidst the panic.

    It was over.

    I was going to get caught.

    What were they going to do to me?

    Were they going to kidnap me and force me into the van too, just like that poor woman?

    Or were they going to kill me for being a witness to their kidnapping and threats?

    Either way, I was in deep trouble.

    When the footsteps approached, I couldn¡¯t bring myself to stand properly. Instead, I turned my head, dreading what I might see.

    Suddenly, I heard rapid footsteps approaching from the opposite direction.

    And then, before I knew it, a figure mmed into the man who was about to reach out towards me, causing the guy to stagger backwards from the force of the impact.

    Shocked, I watched as a stranger stood protectively before me. It was dark, and thempposts only illuminated the side of his figure, but I could recognize that ck trench coat, jeans, and white sneakers.

    The man at the bar.

    The man who only came during the weekends.

    I watched, stunned, as the stranger rushed towards the approaching two men. The men came at him with knives in their hands, and the sight of the weapons made my heart drop to my stomach.

    ¡°Watch out!¡± I yelled, unable to help myself.

    The stranger didn¡¯t turn around at the sound of my voice, but he managed to skillfully dodge the knife blows one by one.

    He was fast!

    He punched a man who lost his bnce, and then kicked one who was rushing towards him.

    The entire time, I was struggling to get up. When I could finally stand up properly, I suddenly felt a hand grab my wrist, seizing it firmly.

    Startled, I looked up to see the stranger gazing at me deeply, as though trying to convey something through his eyes.

    I understood immediately.

    ¡°Run!¡± he eximed, and I wasted no time doing so.

    The two of us sprinted away from the scene, with my heart hammering in my chest the entire time.

 Chapter 7: Handsome Stranger

    I didn¡¯t know where I was going. Or rather, where ¡®we¡¯ were going.

    I was too dazed to process my surroundings, so I let myself get dragged around by the stranger, instinctively trusting him with my safety despite this night being the first time that we actually met and interacted.

    I panted heavily as my legs started feeling heavier by the second, adrenaline coursing through my body from fear and anxiety. I kept getting tempted to turn my head to see if we were still being followed, but I couldn¡¯t move. I could only run. The only thing in my head was to run and find sce.

    We had probably been running for about five minutes before the stranger finally stopped somewhere, a corner where there was a 24/7 convenience store nearby. From my peripheral vision, I could see some people walking by and the asional car speeding down the road.

    I let out a breath that I hadn¡¯t realized I¡¯d been holding.

    We were safe. Finally.

    The stranger let go of my wrist. He was panting almost as heavily as I was.

    After all, I was far worse. I was so exhausted from the fear and all the running that my body leaned forward while I gripped my knees, gasping for breath. My chest heaved up and down as my lungs struggled for air.

    The adrenaline was slowly fading away, and I was finally starting to get a hold of myself.

    But before I could straighten my posture, the stranger¡¯s voice drifted into my ears.

    ¡°Are you okay?¡±

    His voice was pretty much what I had initially expected. With his gentle, schrly look, I figured that he had a soft, almost melodic tone of voice that had a charm of its own.

    When I straightened my back, I finally got a good look at my rescuer.

    Up close, he was not like what I expected at all. His normally slightly tousled dark hair was nowpletely messy from the run just now, his sses were slightly crooked, and a few beads of sweat rolled down the sides of his face. He had a mature air about him, making me think that he might be in histe twenties or early thirties.

    The streetmp nearby highlighted his features in a dreamy glow as he sent me a charming smile, his clear blue eyes almost taking my breath away with their beauty. He looked younger when he smiled, like a young adult fresh out of college.

    And in my mind, I could only think of one thing.

    ¡®What an incredibly handsome man.¡¯

    ¡°I¡¯m okay,¡± I said breathlessly.Content is property ? N?velDrama.Org.

    My heart was pounding. It might be because I ran so hard. I didn¡¯t know and I didn¡¯t have the energy to mull over it.

    The man exhaled a long, relieved breath. ¡°That¡¯s good. That¡¯s good¡­¡± He swallowed, seemingly trying to calm himself down from the shock and adrenaline. ¡°I was almost toote. I¡¯m so sorry.¡±

    ¡°You don¡¯t have anything to be sorry about. Please don¡¯t apologize,¡± I said.

    It was true. He helped me out just before I could get caught by those men. It was a narrow escape from danger, possibly even a close brush with death. I felt nothing else except gratitude towards this man who came to save me just in the nick of time.

    ¡°By the way!¡± I said, suddenly remembering something very important. ¡°That-That woman¡­ we should call the police! She was about to get kidnapped earlier when-¡±

    ¡°Oh, please don¡¯t worry,¡± the man said quickly. ¡°I already called them.¡±

    ¡°You¡­ You did?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡± He nodded. ¡°The reason why I took my time to save you was because I had to take a look at the license te on their van. I reported it immediately and the police said that they¡¯de right away.¡±

    ¡°But¡­ would they get there in time? That woman¡­¡±

    ¡°I know you¡¯re worried. I am, too,¡± the man said quietly. ¡°But we can¡¯t do anything else right now. I gave the operator my number before I stepped in to save you. I¡¯m sure the police will contact me if anything ever happens.¡±

    I closed my eyes, praying that the poor woman would be safe.

    He was right. There wasn¡¯t anything else we could do.

    At least he reported the license te. That would probably help the police track those men down.

    ¡°By the way, I¡­ I do have something to be sorry about towards you,¡± the man stammered, nervously lifting his hand to properly adjust his sses.

    I was puzzled. ¡°What is it?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry. Please don¡¯t think I¡¯m weird,¡± he said quickly. ¡°I¡¯ve been¡­ following you every night whenever you finish work.¡±

    What? ¡°¡­Excuse me?¡±

    ¡°I-It¡¯s not what you think!¡± His expression became more nervous, causing him to look much younger than his age. ¡°I just wanted to make sure that you get home safely. I have no bad intentions, I promise.¡±

    I took a wary step back. ¡°How would I know that?¡± I said suspiciously.

    The world wasn¡¯t a safe ce, after all. Who knew if this was just some sort of new tactic to lure vulnerable women like me into a trap? He was a stranger to me, and he had no obligation whatsoever to see if I got home safely.

    Or worse¡­

    I paled at the mere thought of it.

    What if he already knew where I lived?

    My thoughts must¡¯ve been obvious in my expression since he quickly raised his arms in a form of surrender. ¡°I¡¯m sorry¡­ I was just worried about you,¡± he said. ¡°I mean¡­ you¡¯re a woman who goes homete at night. I don¡¯t want anything to happen to you.¡±

    I narrowed my eyes. ¡°That¡¯s not your responsibility.¡±

    The man instantly looked guilty. ¡°Yes, I realize¡­ I¡¯m very sorry, truly. I know I¡¯m someone you just met, but the truth is, our first meeting was a long while back¡­¡±

    ¡°What?¡±

    My mind was jumbled. It was true that I did think he looked familiar, but I couldn¡¯t quite put my finger where I saw him for the first time.

    I stared into his eyes and tried to search for any sign of deception, but I could only find anxiety and sincerity.

    I wasn¡¯t the type who could read other people well, but so far, this man didn¡¯t seem that dangerous.

    He even risked his life to help me back there. He didn¡¯t have to step in, but he did. He even took me to a public ce, and I knew that a convenience store like this one had CCTV cameras ced outside as well.

    I thought about it for a moment before finallying to a decision.

    ¡°All right. I¡¯ll hear you out. First, we should go inside,¡± I offered, gesturing towards the store.

    His eyes followed the direction where I was pointing, and then he nodded.

    Ten minutester, we were seated near the exit of the store, instant noodles simmering in boiling water on the table before us. He wanted to pay for the food, but I insisted. After all, he was the one who saved me, not the other way around.

    ¡°It would be rude for me not to repay you,¡± I told him.

    He gave up with that, probably sensing that I was stubborn whenever I decided on something.

    He sat there for a while, taking off his coat and setting it down on the empty chair next to him.

    While he was busy settling down, I took this opportunity to observe him a little more closely.

    There were many things that I noticed about him so far. He seemed like a silent and awkward type of person, which was a little puzzling since he looked a little older than I was. Maybe he was actually younger than he looked, and the sses were the ones that gave off his mature vibe? I wasn¡¯t exactly sure.

    Next were the essories that he wore on his body. His clothes seemed ordinary enough but also trendy, but at a closer look, he was wearing a silver ne around his neck, and he had a gorgeous watch around his wrist that I recognized as a luxury brand.

    He was also wearing two rings on his right hand, both of them silver and wrapped around his middle finger. The craftsmanship was intricate and elegant, and both of them looked simr to each other, like couple rings.

    The only thing that set them apart was therge stones at the center of each ring. One stone was a deep, rich blue, while the other was a shade of red that resembled dark wine.

    The designs, especially on the outer edge, were detailed and beautiful, which made me think that they must¡¯ve cost at least hundreds of dors.

    ¡®A rich man, huh¡­¡¯ I thought to myself. ¡®What does he really want with me, I wonder?¡¯

    ¡°So,¡± I began, fiddling with the strap of my bag. ¡°When did the two of us first meet?¡±

 Chapter 8: The First Meeting

    ¡°Ah, yes. My name is Nathaniel, by the way,¡± the man told me with a small, uncertain smile. ¡°I apologize. I meant to introduce myself to you sooner, but I was too nervous to approach you first. I¡¯m sorry that we had to meet again like this.¡±

    ¡®Again¡¯?

    My interest was instantly piqued. It didn¡¯t seem like he was lying, and he seemed more of a socially awkward person than a cunning pervert.

    At least, that was what I thought. I wasn¡¯t good at reading people, but I thought that he deserved a chance to be heard.

    ¡°So¡­ you say that I know you from before?¡± I asked.

    ¡°Not exactly. When we first met, it was at Central Park. I don¡¯t think you remember it since it was a brief and mundane interaction,¡± Nathaniel said. ¡°It happened three months ago, I think.¡±

    Three months ago?

    I struggled to recall what I had been doing during that time.

    There wasn¡¯t any memory that stood out to me in particr since I had always been following a daily routine. I would wake up, eat breakfast, go to work, eat lunch, go back to work untilte at night, eat a quick dinner, do whatever I wanted with the limited time left, and then go to sleep.

    I hardly went shopping since it was expensive. The only times I spent money were on groceries, my brother¡¯s tuition fees, my parents¡¯ medical bills, and gifts for special asions. Money was so tight that I couldn¡¯t even try having too much leisure time.

    Every time I did my hobbies, I would feel guilty for not being productive, for wasting time when I could¡¯ve done something else to help with our finances.

    This was the life that I had been living for years, and I grew used to it. But this year was thest one for working hard since it was my brother¡¯sst year in med school, so I kept on assuring myself silently that after all this, I could finally start setting goals for myself.

    Of course, I would still help with my parents¡¯ medical bills and my younger sister¡¯s tuition as well, but at least I would finally have my brother helping me out. He knew what I had been going through and swore to me many times that he would work hard to earn money during his first year of residency.Text ? owned by N?velDrama.Org.

    I felt grateful for it. I knew that being a doctor was difficult, that it came with a bundle of stress and nerves and a gigantic responsibility on one¡¯s shoulders. After all, they were in charge of their patients¡¯ lives. One wrong move, and they would be in deep trouble. Lawsuits, revenge, cklists¡­ the results would not be pretty.

    But I had faith in my brother¡¯s abilities. He wasn¡¯t at the top of his ss for nothing. He was level-headed and intelligent, and I knew that he was more than capable of bing the great doctor that he had always dreamed of bing.

    One of his reasons for wanting to be a doctor was so he could also take proper care of our parents. He was a sweet, considerate kid who worked hard. This was also why I would never regret sacrificing some years of my life working hard to support him both emotionally and financially.

    My routine was simply like that. I worked most of the time. I didn¡¯t hang out at any ce all the time, just on asion.

    Perhaps Nathaniel simply mistook me for someone else?

    ¡°At that time,¡± Nathaniel said, having noticed my thoughtful silence, ¡°I had recently gotten out of the hospital. I was instructed not to work for a while and to rest. I had to do less strenuous things. So I went to the park for a walk, to get some fresh air and to clear my mind. That was when I first saw you.¡±

    The park?

    I felt a sh of recognition in my mind.

    Come to think of it, I would sometimes go to the park near my apartment just to unwind during the early mornings when I didn¡¯t have to work. I only went there asionally though.

    ¡°You were drawing on your sketchbook at that time,¡± Nathaniel continued on. ¡°You were sitting on a bench nearby when I approached. I had anemia, so I felt dizzy somewhat.¡±

    He sounded a little embarrassed when he said this.

    ¡°I was clumsy, so I tripped over my own feet and fell to the ground. You saw me, helped me up, and had me sit down on the bench.¡± He gazed at me almost expectantly. ¡°Do you¡­ remember?¡±

    I tried to. The memory was fuzzy, but after a few moments, I could recall bits and pieces. It was rare for me to go to the park, so it wasn¡¯tpletely impossible for me to remember.

    I remembered a man dressed in casual clothing. Blue jeans, a green hat, and a white shirt with long swords in the position of a cross and wings wrapped around them as a design on the front.

    I remembered this particr detail because the design stood out to me when I firstid eyes on him. It looked like the drawing of a professional artist with all the details. Being a hobby artist myself, I was fascinated.

    I did remember him falling down. I was shocked at first when I lifted my head and saw him losing his bnce. I ran over to him and helped him up from the ground, leading him towards the bench that I was sitting on.

    The memory ended there. I could vaguely recall leaving, but I couldn¡¯t remember why I left so suddenly. All I knew was that I needed to go right away.

    ¡°Now that I think about it, I do,¡± I told him. ¡°You¡¯re the one with the white shirt. The one with the sword and wings design. Right?¡±

    Nathaniel¡¯s face visibly brightened. ¡°Yes! I did wear that shirt that day.¡±

    I started to rx a little. He wasn¡¯t lying, after all. It was honestly a relief to know.

    ¡°I remember the design because I really liked how it looked, despite having only nced at it quickly a few times,¡± I said.

    ¡°You liked it?¡± Nathaniel looked a little surprised.

    ¡°Is it that surprising?¡±

    ¡°No, it¡¯s just that¡­ women don¡¯t usually like those kinds of designs.¡±

    ¡°I like anything that has a great art style to my liking. I draw sometimes, so I get fascinated easily by intricate designs.¡±

    ¡°Ah, right. Would you like it back?¡± Nathaniel suddenly asked.

    I was in the middle of opening my cup noodles when his words made me pause. ¡°Would I want what back?¡± I asked, puzzled.

    Nathaniel looked at me a little oddly, confusion shining in his eyes. ¡°Your sketchbook, remember? You forgot it on the bench that day when you suddenly got that phone call. You left the park in a hurry.¡±

    ¡°Oh. I¡­ I didn¡¯t remember that part,¡± I admitted sheepishly, my mind suddenly clouding over in surprise. ¡°But¡­ my sketchbook? You have it with you?¡±

    No wonder I couldn¡¯t find it at home! I checked every corner of the house for it and almost went crazy searching.

    It turned out that I had identally left it at the park because I was in such a hurry¡­

    My heart sank as the realization came over me eventually.

    I wonder if he saw the drawings there?

    I wish he didn¡¯t.

 Chapter 9: Sketchbook Memories

    When I was ten years old, my parents gave me a thick sketchbook for my birthday.

    I asked them why, and they answered me with a smile.

    ¡°Because we noticed that you love to draw.¡±

    It wasn¡¯t such a big deal. All the other kids liked to draw as well. We did so many drawing and coloring activities in preschool. Coloring books were the norm as well.

    But I liked to draw a different way from my other ssmates.

    Instead of shapes, fruits, animals, houses, andndscapes, I liked to study different things. I would stare at my mother¡¯s hand and try to replicate it on paper. I would try to get the lines right, to capture the perfect width of each finger, and even the little details like the fingernails, the knuckles, and the wrists.

    I would practice drawing faces, legs, hair, and arms. I was interested in the human anatomy and how it worked in various movements. Sometimes I would try painting still-life using watercolor, but I was more interested in humans.

    Where my peers liked to draw stick figures, I liked to draw realistically.

    When my parents noticed my talent, they immediately encouraged it.

    ¡°Maybe in time, you¡¯ll be the next Picasso!¡± my father used to joke.

    I didn¡¯t consider myself talented by any means. As the years passed, I grew more and more critical of myself. I noticed that I only felt this way with my drawings. I would draw something, find multiple ws in it, and then try to improve them next time. I was always learning, always practicing, and always improving myself.

    I simply did it for fun, and I was surprisingly enjoying it, even as a kid.

    So when my parents gifted me the thick sketchbook that I had been eyeing for months at the store, I was ecstatic.

    But at the same time, I was also very hesitant.

    The sketchbook was very pretty. The cover was ck and felt sleek to the touch. It had silver swirl designs all over, making it look incredibly elegant. The papers were also neatly bound and felt so smooth when I ran my fingers over the surface.

    I loved it.

    But I also knew that I had to treasure it.Content is property ? N?velDrama.Org.

    So I decided that every time I had a precious memory in my heart, I would draw it on that sketchbook.

    For the first page, I drew my entire family. My father, my mother, my little sister, my little brother, and me. I wasn¡¯t good at drawing people yet, but I made sure to put each of their distinctive facial details, like moles, the shape and size of their eyes, and the way they usually did their hair.

    When I was eleven years old, I met a kinddy who gave me ice cream when I was hungry. I remembered that I craved it so much but couldn¡¯t buy it because I had no money.

    But the kinddy bought it for me. I couldn¡¯t remember her face, so I drew a woman¡¯s hand holding an ice cream on the next page of the sketchbook.

    When I was fourteen years old, I had the biggest crush on a senior in our high school. I remembered that he would always read a book during his free period, so I drew a guy from a side-view perspective reading a book with no title.

    Things like that.

    In the recent pages over the years, I felt that my drawings had improved immensely. I studied human anatomy, several hand angles, and even put as many details as possible. I liked to be detailed whenever I drew. It gave off a kind of semi-realistic style or even just a in realistic appearance.

    I also drewndscapes there, various ces that I went to, and also detailed sketches of people from my own imagination. I put every bit of my passion into that sketchbook.

    There were also a few drawings there that I considered personal. Precious memories that seemed small and insignificant, but were good parts of my life that I liked to look back into.

    I had desperately searched for that sketchbook at home. Even though I couldn¡¯t find it anywhere, I still had a sliver of hope inside of me. I thought that maybe there was some area that I missed, that it was just there somehow, and that I would definitely find it one day.

    I never would¡¯ve thought that I had actually left it outside. I must¡¯ve been so exhausted from working too hard that Ipletely forgot that I had brought it with me and thus unintentionally left it on the bench.

    ¡°By the way, I¡­ looked at it. I¡¯m sorry,¡± Nathaniel suddenly said, bowing his head in apology. ¡°It was open, so I got a look at your drawings, and I couldn¡¯t stop staring at them.¡±

    He¡­ what?

    I didn¡¯t know what to say. I felt embarrassed that he had seen what I considered personal, but I also felt grateful that he was straight to the point about it. I could feel his honesty even from the look in his eyes to the tone of his voice.

    To be honest, when he said that he couldn¡¯t stop staring at my drawings, it made me feel happy inside. Hearing people praise my artworks always made me shy and delighted at the same time.

    ¡°It¡¯s okay,¡± I said softly, and I meant it. ¡°I¡¯m d you kept it with you.¡±

    Suddenly, a thought crossed my mind, and everything started to click.

    ¡°Is that why you¡¯ve beening to the bar only when I¡¯m performing?¡±

    Nathaniel looked surprised at my question. Then, he lowered his head, looking like he was embarrassed.

    ¡°How did you know?¡± he asked.

    I was also caught off-guard. I only said it on a whim to try to see his reaction, but the response he gave confirmed my suspicions just now. I even thought that he might deny it.

    But after he told me that he had my sketchbook with him, I figured that it might be the reason why I kept seeing him during the weekends.

    At that moment, I remembered Madison¡¯s words to me earlier.

    ¨C

    ¡°You¡¯re right. Feels odd, though. It¡¯s like he¡¯sing here for something in particr. Or someone.¡±

    ¨C

    ¡°So¡­ it¡¯s true?¡± I asked hesitantly.

    Nathaniel lifted his head to look at me, and I could see that his ears and cheeks were a little red. The color stood out slightly since his skin was pale. It seemed that he was the type of person who normally didn¡¯t go out of the house.

    ¡°¡­It¡¯s true,¡± he finally said after a moment of silence. ¡°Ie to that ce only to see you.¡±

 Chapter 10: NA Games Inc

    I felt my heart skip a beat at his sentence.

    I never knew that it might be the case. But to hear him confirm it himself made me feel a little embarrassed.

    I didn¡¯t have much of an opinion about him ever since he starteding to the bar. I simply considered him as one of the customers; I had no reason to think of him otherwise. Even if he was only there for someone, it wasn¡¯t any of my business.

    Now that I knew his reason foring, I couldn¡¯t help but feel a little ttered. If he only visited the bar for me, then it meant he liked my singing, which was what I considered the greatestpliment ever.

    I didn¡¯t think that he was the type toe to ces like that since he never mingled with the other customers or eyed any women. Or at least, from what I observed so far.

    ¡®His essories look expensive, so he must be rich. Or perhaps an average worker who likes to spend his money extravagantly,¡¯ I surmised in my head.

    He was still looking at me hesitantly, like he was afraid of my response. But I didn¡¯t know how to react, so I could only fall silent.

    Yes, I was ttered, but I also felt strange. Not in a negative way. More like¡­ pleasantly surprised, but still caught off-guard.

    ¡°I¡¯ve never been good at socializing. As you can probably tell, I¡¯m pretty awkward most of the time,¡± Nathaniel admitted, rubbing the back of his head sheepishly. ¡°I had your sketchbook with me, so I thought of many ways to approach you. However, no matter how long I waited at the park, you never appeared again. I didn¡¯t know who you are, what your name is, where you work¡­¡±

    I listened to him, slightly fascinated.

    I couldn¡¯t believe he really waited for me like that. For me, a stranger? This was really kind of him to do.

    He could¡¯ve just left the sketchbook there or even decide not to give it to me.

    But he didn¡¯t. Instead, he made an effort to find me.

    ¡°Then, I saw you again. It was pure coincidence,¡± Nathaniel said. ¡°You dropped your bag on the way, so I helped you. You didn¡¯t recognize me, and you thanked me before going on your way. I wanted to go after you and tell you about the sketchbook, but you were in a hurry, so I had no choice but to follow you.¡±

    I tried to remember if that really happened, but I couldn¡¯t. It was such a mundane urrence, so it wasn¡¯t really a surprise that I forgot.

    ¡°I entered the bar, ordered a drink, and that was when I first witnessed your singing.¡± Nathaniel absently stirred his noodles, letting them cool slowly. ¡°You have a really nice voice.¡±

    I smiled. ¡°Thank you.¡±

    Nathaniel smiled back, but his smile held a hint of embarrassment. ¡°I didn¡¯t bring the sketchbook with me today, so¡­ is it okay if I give it back to you tomorrow?¡±

    I nodded. ¡°Sure. No problem.¡±Content is property ? N?velDrama.Org.

    Thank goodness it wasn¡¯t lost forever!

    We talked for a bit before finishing our instant noodles. He was surprisingly nice to talk to. We didn¡¯t talk about anything personal, but I did give him my name. Though I doubted that he didn¡¯t know since I mentioned my name a few times before I started singing onstage.

    After eating, he apanied me to hail a cab. I thanked him again and told him that I¡¯d see him tomorrow before getting inside the vehicle.

    As the car rode off, I thought about him one more time. He seemed like a nice enough guy, and the earlier terror I experienced wore off due to our casual conversation.

    I admitted that the moment he mentioned my sketchbook, the bad memory instantly faded into the background. I felt a little grateful that I got distracted by the topic that he brought up.

    Tomorrow, I would get my sketchbook back from him, and that would be the end of it. I had been working a lot of jobs for the past few years. I met many people. Different kinds of people, with different faces and different personalities. Some of them were genuinely kind, but some were also downright nasty. Safe to say, my trust in people slowly dwindled, until I swore to myself that I would only trust my family and nobody else.

    My boyfriends in the past contributed to myck of trust in men as well. Love them, and they would eventually betray you.

    I didn¡¯t want to have my feelings trampled on again. I already had enough of love.

    That beautiful kind of love that they portrayed in movies and books? That kind of love was a mere fantasy.

    In reality, there were no happily-ever-afters. In reality, love was messy, love was fragile, and soulmates were very much rare.

    After getting my sketchbook back, I would prefer it if I didn¡¯t see Nathaniel again. I knew that he was a good person, but I didn¡¯t want to risk it again. After seeing what men were capable of, I didn¡¯t want to get hurt. He might seem nice at first, and I admitted that he was attractive, but what if he showed his true colorster on?

    Life was truly a mess.

    Taking out my phone, I scrolled through thetest news, trying to find something to distract myself.

    A headline caught my eye.

    ¡®CEO of NA Games Inc., Reported To Have Fully Recovered From Illness. Vital Sword II To Be Released This Summer.¡¯

    The Vital Sword series was my brother¡¯s most favorite video game. When he was in college, he would y it during his free time. I bought the game for him as a birthday gift, a reward for his hard work. It took a chunk out of my sry, but it was worth seeing his enjoyment. After all, my brother never cked off on his studies, and it hurt my heart to see him stressing so much over his academics.

    I figured that he needed some leisure time as well, so I bought him video games so that he could unwind. All work and no y would only lead to burnout.

    He loved them. He loved almost all the games from thispany.

    NA Games Inc.

    They specialized in open-world, role-ying games that had diverse genres. Their fantasy genre was the most popr, with thriller and horror being the second. Thepany was said to be the most popr and high-ratedpany in the video game industry.

    It was also the samepany that people liked to gossip about because the CEO was so mysterious. Apparently, the CEO didn¡¯t like to show his face in public, and his real identity was a well-kept secret within thepany. All the workers probably signed an NDA contract or something.

    But the employees were known to be very satisfied with their work, and they admired their CEO a lot. Not only that, but they were also well-paid and received many good benefits.

    It was why whenever there was an opening at NA Games, Inc., thepetition was always fierce. Almost everyone wanted to work there. I heard that it was hard to get hired there, though.

    It was because of this mysterious persona that several pieces of gossip rose over the years.

    For one, the CEO was rumored to be antisocial or had hideous scars on his face that he didn¡¯t want people to see. Things like that.

    There were many other reasonable and also outrageous rumors about him, but the fact remained that he was supposedly very good to his employees. He had quite a sharp memory, so he remembered every worker¡¯s name, even the cleaning staff¡¯s. He remembered their family backgrounds and would give high incentives every now and then.

    Basically, everyone in thatpany loved working for him, and most of the reviews expressed their satisfaction.

    The only bad reviews spoke of the CEO¡¯s constant nitpicks and perfectionist attitude, that he would often have his employees revise and rework those details that he deemed unsatisfactory. He did pay them extra for the additional work.

    But hey, at least their games were a huge sess most of the time.

    Talks about NA Games Inc. often circted through the inte, so I was naturally curious about thepany. My brother liked to browse through articles about it as well. It was one of our ways to bond.

    I personally never yed one of their video games, but from what I saw when my brother yed them, the story, graphics, and gamey were indeed impressive.

    And like every other person out there, I was also quite curious about their CEO.

    For a moment, I wondered what he really looked like.

 Chapter 11: Some Good News

    Since then, I would often see Nathaniel at the bar during the weekends. I figured that he had a weekday job since he never came while I was on waitress duty.

    He returned my sketchbook to me the next weekend after that incident, and I was grateful that he remembered.

    ¡°Here you go,¡± he told me. ¡°I kept it safe.¡±

    ¡°Thank you,¡± I said, feeling relieved at having the sketchbook back in my hands again. It had really been too long. ¡°I should treat you to a drink.¡±Content is property ? N?velDrama.Org.

    He waved me off with a smile. ¡°No need. I only gave this back to its rightful owner.¡±

    I shook my head. ¡°You made an effort to find me and to return this to me. I can¡¯t just say ¡®thank you¡¯ as the only way to express my gratitude. After all, this sketchbook is very precious to me.¡±

    He looked a little sheepish at this. ¡°Well, I¡¯ve already ordered a drink¡­ Maybe next time?¡±

    Next time?

    I wondered if I should treat him to dinner instead, but immediately changed my mind. He was, after all, still a stranger. A man.

    And I didn¡¯t trust men anymore no matter how kind they seemed.

    If I treated him to a drink here at the bar, at least I was surrounded by people I knew. They would look out for me if something ever happened. Madison was here, too.

    This was the safest way for me to say thank you, so it didn¡¯t really matter when I needed to treat him.

    ¡°Okay,¡± I agreed.

    I never knew then at that time, that treating him to a drink would be the start of aplicated rtionship between me and Nathaniel.

    ***

    When I told Madison about what happened that night, she waspletely freaked out.

    ¡°You see? You should¡¯ve waited for me!¡± she scolded.

    ¡°I couldn¡¯t do that to you. You would¡¯ve walked the long way back to your apartment. Then you would¡¯ve been the one who got in danger,¡± I reasoned. ¡°Maybe even both of us!¡±

    ¡°Still! Girl, you could¡¯ve gotten kidnapped! We could¡¯ve had many chances to escape with the two of us instead of you being all alone!¡± Madison said, shaking her head. ¡°So what happened to that woman? Did she manage to escape?¡±

    I nodded. ¡°Nathaniel filled me in on what happened. Apparently, the police contacted him not long after I got home that night. It turned out that, thanks to him fighting off those two men that came after me, the woman managed to get away from the one man that held her in ce. She bit him on the arm and ran away.¡±

    Madison breathed out a heavy sigh of relief. ¡°Oh, that¡¯s great to hear!¡±

    I nodded. ¡°Also, Nathaniel reported their license te and the exact location, so the police managed to apprehend them before they could make a quick getaway. It turned out that there were two patrol officers near the neighborhood, so they didn¡¯t have a chance.¡±

    ¡°Well, serves them right! I can¡¯t believe those were the same guys that made chaos here at the bar that night! The thought of it just gives me the shivers!¡±

    ¡°Me, too,¡± I admitted. ¡°Oh, also! It turns out that that woman¡¯s boyfriend ¨C the guy that you told me was with her at the bar ¨C actually did steal the wallet! He gotid off from his job that day and saw how much money those guys had, so he couldn¡¯t resist¡­¡±

    ¡°What?!¡± Madison eximed in disbelief. ¡°Well, I never!¡±

    ¡°I know, right?¡± I shook my head. ¡°That guy escaped and left his girlfriend to those guys. Just despicable.¡±

    ¡°Men. They¡¯re all the same!¡±

    ¡°I can¡¯t believe guys like him exist in this world,¡± I muttered. ¡°I could¡¯ve gotten hurt because of him, too¡­¡±

    ¡°Just wait till I see him next time!¡± Madison said angrily. ¡°I¡¯ll surely give him a piece of my mind!¡±

    I smiled wryly. ¡°I can¡¯t even imagine what might¡¯ve happened if Nathaniel didn¡¯te to save me just in time¡­¡±

    ¡°Oh, right!¡± Madison¡¯s eyes grew wide in surprise and wonder. ¡°Nathan saved you that night, didn¡¯t he?¡±

    ¡°Yeah¡­ um, Nathan? You call him Nathan?¡± I said, confused. Not that it mattered greatly when she shortened his name, but there was a sense of casual familiarity to her tone when she spoke about him, as though they were good friends.

    ¡°Of course I do! We¡¯re a bit close now. We converse a little whenever he has his drink,¡± Madison said with a chuckle. ¡°He doesn¡¯t talk much about himself, but he¡¯s a good listener. He seems like a nice guy.¡±

    I shrugged. ¡°Most guys are like that at first. Also, he basically admitted that he onlyes here during the weekends to see me perform. Though before that, he told me that he followed me around because he was worried about me and that he didn¡¯t know how to approach me so he could give me back my sketchbook¡­¡±

    ¡°Hmm. Creepy.¡± Madison shrugged. ¡°But hey, he saved you anyway, right? And he did have your sketchbook with him. At least he told the truth.¡±

    ¡°True. But still¡­ I don¡¯t feel entirelyfortable about it. Being indebted to him, I mean.¡±

    ¡°No need to worry too much over it. It¡¯s not like he¡¯s going to ask you to reward him or something.¡± Madison leaned over towards me with a sudden, serious look in her eyes. ¡°But if he does, it¡¯s a trick, you hear me? Don¡¯t be fooled!¡±

    I chuckled. ¡°Who do you think you¡¯re talking to? Of course I¡¯m not going to get tricked by things like that.

    Madison was silent for a moment. ¡°Well, maybe I¡¯m just exaggerating or being paranoid, but yeah. Everything¡¯s over now,¡± she said, wisely changing the subject. ¡°He might have good intentions, but we don¡¯t know him that well, either. But I am thankful to him for being there when he should.¡±

    ¡°Me too.¡±

    And I meant it.

    If Nathaniel hadn¡¯t been there, I would¡¯ve been done for.

    I probably wouldn¡¯t have the chance to see my family again, and all that I had done so far would be fruitless. I hadn¡¯t even lived my life yet.

    I still wanted to make a future for myself.

    ¡®Just one more year,¡¯ I told myself.

    ¡®Just one more year and I could finally start over.¡¯

    ***

    ¡°Would you mind if you buy me that drink now?¡±

    It was the month of July, just another Saturday. I had just finished performing the songs onstage, so I went over to Nathaniel to say hi before going to the locker room.

    ¡°Now?¡±

    I thought about it for a moment. I didn¡¯t have anything particrly urgent to do tomorrow. I had another part-time job during the weekends aside from this one in the bar, but it usually only took ce in the afternoon.

    Maybe by the time Nathaniel finished the drinks, Madison¡¯s shift would be over, and she could apany me to the bus stop. I remembered her mentioning that she needed to buy some groceries since she forgot.

    ¡°All right.¡±

    Maybe this way, I could learn a little more about this mysterious man.

 Chapter 12: Iéˆ¥æª’l Buy You

    In the end, I was the one who got drunk.

    It had been a long time since Ist indulged myself in alcohol. I was usually too busy to drink, and since all my friends from college were all working and traveling women now, they normally didn¡¯t have matching schedules with me. I was also always stressed about working too much, so when I started to drink even one ss, I couldn¡¯t stop myself.

    Nathaniel tried to stop me with a worried expression on his face, but I waved him off. Madison was busy with the other demanding customers, so it was only me and him.

    My mind was already hazy from the alcohol, and my tongue started saying things on its own. Whenever I was drunk or even a little tipsy, my inhibitions lowered considerably.

    I hated it whenever I was like this. Being drunk brought out my vulnerable side, something that I really didn¡¯t want other people to see.

    I was forced to be independent while growing up. Being the eldest of the family, I had responsibilities of my own. I needed to look after my younger siblings and also take care of our parents. My family depended on me the most, especially when I started helping with the finances.

    Through time, my parents subconsciously started to rely on me more, especially when their health slowly deteriorated over the years. I couldn¡¯t let them down.

    Which also meant that I carried this huge burden on my shoulders for so long.

    I was only human. I was bound to break sooner orter.

    I had never vented to anyone before. I didn¡¯t know why I did it to Nathaniel, of all people.

    But I just knew that I was already at my tipping point, so I couldn¡¯t stop myself.

    ¡°Slow down,¡± Nathaniel told me, trying to take away my ss.

    I waved him off and chugged it down, feeling the alcohol burn through my throat as it passed. I could feel my cheeks heating up, and all the stressful thoughts in my head started to fade into the background.This content belongs to N?/velDra/ma.Org .

    Finally, I could focus on what was in front of me. I could focus on my own feelings and not have to worry whether or not I had enough money left for this month after paying for my brother¡¯s tuition fees.

    I felt a little light-headed and somewhat dizzy. I had only been drunk a couple of times in my life, most of them happening when I was in college. I didn¡¯t like it that much when I was still in university since I would get nausea afterwards and a huge hangover in the morning.

    But right now, none of that mattered to me.

    I didn¡¯t mind even if my head would throbter in the morning. All that mattered was that I would finally forget about all the stressful things in my life at least for this one night.

    ¡°Leave me be,¡± I told Nathaniel. ¡°I want to be drunk.¡±

    Nathaniel still had that concerned look on his face. ¡°You¡¯ll probably regret drinking once you wake up tomorrow.¡±

    I shook my head. ¡°I might, but at least I feel free right now. I just want to have no worries for once.¡±

    ¡°Worries?¡± Nathan said hesitantly. ¡°What kind of worries do you have?¡±

    I shrugged, still too engrossed in my dizziness. I liked the warm feeling spreading to my face and chest whenever I drank. ¡°I have a lot of worries! Why do you think I work so many jobs?¡±

    ¡°Is it money-rted, then?¡±

    I felt irritated at his dumb questions. ¡°Of course it is. What else would it be,¡± I muttered. ¡°Everything in this world revolves around money. Even when you¡¯re chasing your dreams, you still need money. When you need education, when you want to enjoy something like a movie or a book, all of them involve money.¡±

    ¡°Do you need money?¡± Nathaniel¡¯s voice was unusually solemn, as though he really meant what he had just said.

    ¡°What kind of question is that?¡± I snapped. I had no control over my emotions anymore. It was so ridiculous that he had to ask such a dumb question. ¡°Of course I do.¡±

    Suddenly, Nathaniel told me the most shocking and absurd thing that I had ever heard in my entire life.

    ¡°I can give you money if you want,¡± he said earnestly. ¡°I can¡¯t use it all up, so if you need it, you can use it.¡±

    I blinked at him, not knowing if I was just hearing things or not. Either way, I felt like I sobered up a little just now from the surprise.

    Did he just say he could give me money, not lend me?

    Wait. Wasn¡¯t I being the ridiculous one here? Wasn¡¯t this just some silly, insensitive joke?

    I shook my head with a chuckle. ¡®Damn you, Julia, for believing a stranger outright. It¡¯s like you haven¡¯t experienced something like this before.¡¯

    ¡®Once something feels too good to be true, there has to be a catch. And if there isn¡¯t, it has to be a stupid joke.¡¯

    So I decided to humor him instead.

    ¡°I need a lot of money, wise guy,¡± I said. ¡°I need to pay off my brother¡¯s tuition, I need to pay for food and rent, I need to pay my parents¡¯ hospital bills and medicine, my sister¡¯s school fees, and also for my university savings. So, unless you¡¯re the kind of rich guy who likes to show off, I¡¯ll just consider this as some kind of twisted way of expressing your sympathy for me.¡±

    Nathaniel was quiet for a moment. ¡°Julia,¡± he said, solemnly looking into my eyes. ¡°I¡¯m not joking. I want to give it to you with no strings attached, I promise.¡±

    I was getting irritated at this point. What the fuck was his deal? ¡°I don¡¯t appreciate being yed around like this, Nathaniel,¡± I said angrily. ¡°Are you so damn wealthy, then? Is that why you¡¯re treating your own money as something that can be given away so easily?¡±

    To my surprise, instead of getting annoyed with me, Nathaniel just sighed. ¡°Julia, I don¡¯t care if you think I¡¯m a rich, spoiled brat. I make my own money, and I work hard. I don¡¯t depend on anyone. I¡¯m single and unmarried. I don¡¯t have anything else to spend on except for the drinks here at this bar. I offered to give money to you because you need it far more than I do. That¡¯s all.¡±

    I frowned. The tipsiness was starting to fade from my system, and because of it, I was getting even more irritated.

    What kind of blow to my pride was this? I worked so hard all these years, even barely eating more than I wanted, barely sleeping so I could wake up early the next day despite being exhausted, and yet this stranger came into my life like this, offering me money like it was so easy for him to do so.

    And just like that, my worries were all resolved? All thanks to a rich man?

    There was never anything good about receiving something without the other person expecting anything in return. There was always, always a catch.

    Still¡­

    ¡°This is ridiculous,¡± I muttered. I admitted that it was tempting, but there was no way that I was epting his money without paying him back somehow.

    ¡°I don¡¯t have any other intentions, Julia,¡± Nathaniel said softly. ¡°If you need money, I can give it to you.¡±

    He repeated that sentence again. Oh, how easy it must be for him to say such a thing. Me, who took care of my money like it was so precious, and then him, who was willing to give it away even to a stranger whose voice and drawings were the only things he liked.

    It was absurd, but I was still drunk nheless.

    So I considered his offer.

    Although I felt a bit insulted, I figured that he was just some rich guy who didn¡¯t know anything about poverty and suffering. He had everything handed to him in a silver spoon while I had to work for my own wants and needs.

    Envy stabbed me in the gut, but I forcibly held the negative feelings in. It wasn¡¯t like he mocked me in a derisive way or made fun of my concerns. He offered, and I could refuse it if I wanted to.

    It might be because I was tipsy, but as I looked straight into his eyes, it was like I could see the sincerity in them.

    That he really meant what he said, with no catch at all.

    ¡®But that¡¯s impossible,¡¯ I thought to myself wryly.

    Unfortunately, I did not trust men anymore. I learned that the hard way.

    So I decided to humor him a second time.

    ¡°I can¡¯t ept your money without you getting anything in return,¡± I told him calmly. ¡°That would make me feel indebted to you, and I don¡¯t like owing people. I already have enough on my te as it is.¡±

    ¡°Then I¡¯ll buy you,¡± Nathaniel suddenly blurted out.

    I froze right then, stunned at what I had just heard.

    What¡­ did he just say?

 Chapter 13: An Unusual Arrangement

    I was still a little drunk, so I thought I was only hearing things.

    Because hell, who in the world would say something like that to a woman in this day and age, right?

    Or was this actually a thing? Was I thinking too traditionally?

    Still, he couldn¡¯t be implying what I thought he was implying, right?

    ¡°I mean, I¡¯ll buy your time,¡± Nathaniel said quickly, looking flustered. It seemed that he hadn¡¯t meant for it to sound that way. ¡°Since you feel ufortable about me giving you money without receiving anything in return, I¡¯ll buy your time instead. I don¡¯t mean that in a ¨C in a perverted way. You can just apany me for a period of time each day. Like¡­ a friend.¡±

    I blinked. ¡°Like¡­ a friend?¡± I repeated.

    So he didn¡¯t mean it sexually?

    But who in the world would pay someone just to have theirpany?

    ¡°I¡¯ve¡­ been feeling a little lonely nowadays,¡± Nathaniel admitted. ¡°I was warned not to return to work for the time being, so I¡¯m bored, and I don¡¯t have many friends. I¡¯m always alone at my house, thinking about random things. I think the only entertainment I¡¯ve gotten recently is your performance here at the bar every weekend¡­¡±

    He paused for a moment before continuing, ¡°And I¡¯ve always wanted somebody to talk to, you know? Most people aren¡¯t interested in knowing about me, and if I ever reveal my true identity to them, they would either feel intimidated or try to win my favor. Like I said, I¡¯m not exactly good with¡­ handling people.¡±

    I looked into his eyes as he talked, trying to see if he was telling me the truth.

    His words and tone of voice seemed genuine enough, but I wasn¡¯t sure if I should agree to something like this. It was a little unorthodox, but it made a bit of sense since he seemed like the lonely rich guy type of person. In the novels I read when I was in high school, rich guys usually had a hard time distinguishing which ¡®friend¡¯ was genuine or not.

    Then again, I knew of an acquaintance who had a ¡®sugar daddy¡¯, but they never had sex together. Basically, the man just paid her so she would listen to him talk because nobody ever cared about his worries, so he was really lonely.

    But they onlymunicated through text and online chatting, so there wasn¡¯t much dangerpared to being there for him physically.

    ¡®If it¡¯s like that, then it doesn¡¯t sound so bad¡­¡¯ I thought to myself.

    The more I thought about it, the more I hesitantly warmed up to this idea. I may have been doing this for years now, but working too many jobs like this would eventually lead to burnout. I was bing more exhaustedtely, and my creative processes were put to a halt.

    The only time when I rxed was when I was asleep. It was so hard to keep living these days, and I only had myself to rely on.

    If I agreed to Nathaniel¡¯s offer, I would only have to listen to him and be there for him as a friend. I would apany him wherever he went, maybe? What kind of limitations and expectations were there in an arrangement like this?

    But as long as he didn¡¯t ask me for any sexual favors or anything weird that went way outside the boundaries of friendship, then it wasn¡¯t such a bad offer, to be honest.Text ? owned by N?velDrama.Org.

    With regard to safety, I could always have my brother or sister check in on me every day, and if I failed to respond to them within a specified period of time, they would call the police. Maybe it was also good for me to set up an emergency rm in my phone just in case, one that required me to press the power button three times to call 911.

    It didn¡¯t take me long to realize that I was actually considering this absurd idea. I must¡¯ve been more drunk than I thought.

    Then again, I could always just¡­ try it out.

    Nathaniel was still staring at me, looking a little ufortable at my silence. The bar was still noisy as always, but those sounds seemed to fade into the background the more I stared into his eyes. It must¡¯ve been the alcohol talking, but gazing at him so closely, I was bing more aware of how handsome he was. Behind those sses were bright blue eyes that captivated me, as if they were pulling me right into their fathomless irises.

    ¡°All right,¡± I finally said.

    And I hoped that I wouldn¡¯t regret it.

    His eyes widened in surprise. He looked like he hadn¡¯t really expected me to agree. Had he made that offer impulsively, then?

    ¡®What¡¯s done is done,¡¯ I told myself.

    ¡°I¡¯ll ept your offer. I can be your listening ear, and I can be there for you whenever you need me, like a friend, but¡­¡± I took a deep breath before staring straight into his eyes solemnly. ¡°I want to make it clear that this arrangement is something that won¡¯t involve any deep feelings, especially from my side. You can consider me as a friend and tell me everything, and I won¡¯t say anything or judge you. But I can¡¯t give you my heart.¡±

    I had toy it on to him straight. In this kind of arrangement, honesty was the best policy. After all my experiences with men, I wasn¡¯t about to risk it with another one. My life had been much better without them, anyway.

    I was only taking a chance with this one, but only with several restrictions in hand. There was no way I was going to get my heart broken again. Not this time.

    However, to my surprise, Nathaniel only smiled in response.

    It was a genuine smile, one that made him look even more handsome. It was a smile that unexpectedly took my breath away, a smile that made my heart instantly skip a beat.

    Yeah. I was definitely drunk.

    ¡°That¡¯s okay,¡± Nathaniel said softly. ¡°I can give you mine instead.¡±

 Chapter 14: The Morning After

    Ever since that day, I felt like I had been living a dream.

    That night, Nathan ¨C ¡°Call me Nathan, okay?¡± he told me with a smile ¨C and I exchanged phone numbers. He told me that he would contact me tomorrow when I was sober so that we could talk about the terms and conditions of this arrangement.

    He even asked if I wanted there to be a contract, but I felt that a contract was a little too formal for my taste just yet, so I responded by saying that I would try this out for a week first.

    He nodded in understanding and escorted me to the bus stop, watching as I got on. When I returned home, I texted him that I arrived safely, to which he replied that he was d I remembered to inform him since he was worried.

    It all felt so foreign to me. I couldn¡¯t believe that I had just impulsively agreed to a friendship agreement ¨C rather, a transactional rtionship ¨C with some stranger in exchange for money.N?velDrama.Org: text ? owner.

    Even if that stranger was the same man who rescued me a couple of nights ago.

    It was still a little weird for me to process.

    Not to mention the fact that he insisted I text him whenever I came home so that he¡¯d know that I returned safely. Tom never asked me of that before. Ben did, but only because he wanted to make sure that I was following curfew.

    It felt so strange. Was this really what Nathan wanted in return? My friendship?

    I fell asleep that night while pondering about my decision. When I woke up the next morning with a hangover, I didn¡¯t remember what I did until the headache finally passed an hourter.

    I felt like an idiot, but there was a small feeling inside of me, a subtle hope that there might be a way out of this stressful situation that I was in. It was too good to be true.

    I began to wonder who Nathan really was. He was surely wealthy since he didn¡¯t seem to have any problem with giving out arge amount of money, but what was his identity?

    Was he a sessful businessman? A spoiled kid who got inheritance from his parents? An employee with a very high position in apany? Or perhaps a hardworking entrepreneur who found sess with his products?

    There were various possibilities. Not only that, but what kind of man was he? Was he perhaps the maniptive type? Was he normally this calm, gentle, and polite kind of person?

    When he saved me from those thugs back then, he seemed to know how to fight and defend himself. Was he perhaps someone who worked in security, or someone who was skilled in martial arts?

    My thoughts stopped short the moment I realized where it was heading.

    This was bad. I was starting to get curious about him.

    I needed to detach my heart from this arrangement in order to prevent myself from getting hurt in the end. I was only expected to be his friend and listen to his worries, nothing more. Just someone he could vent to¡­

    But it would also be a great problem if he turned out to be a terrible man. Tom was a yboy, while Ben was an abuser. Was Nathan the man that was different from both of them, or was he also another person who would only ruin my life in the end?

    It was driving me crazy. I shouldn¡¯t have epted that agreement!

    I let out a heavy sigh and rubbed my temples slowly. Even though I was regretting it, there was nothing that I could do about it now. I understood that, but it was still hard to swallow.

    ¡®I am never drinking with a stranger again,¡¯ I thought to myself bitterly. Bad things always happened whenever people got drunk. I was no exception.

    At that moment, my phone vibrated with a new message. When I nced at the screen, I saw that it was from an unknown number.

    ¡®Good morning. It¡¯s Nathan,¡¯ the text read.

    I froze in ce, feeling my heartbeat drumming in my ears. This was really happening, wasn¡¯t it?

    At that moment, I rememberedst night, with that gentle, charming smile of his as he spoke in a soft voice.

    ¨C

    ¡°You can consider me as a friend and tell me everything, and I won¡¯t say anything or judge you,¡± I told him solemnly. ¡°But I can¡¯t give you my heart.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s okay,¡± Nathan said softly. ¡°I can give you mine instead.¡±

    ¨C

    That memory started to haunt me suddenly, and I had to fight to keep the hot blush off my cheeks.

    Gosh! What was I, a schoolgirl? I couldn¡¯t possibly be blushing at some man¡¯s flirty words!

    ¡®That smug guy must be an experienced yboy or something. Like Tom,¡¯ I thought to myself bitterly. ¡®I can¡¯t get tricked like that again.¡¯

    I took a deep breath, trying to calm myself. Anyway, there was still the problem of that ¡®friendship¡¯ arrangement.

    I had to be realistic about the situation. In truth, I could benefit from this. As long as I listened to his worries and acted as his friend or confidant, there was nothing for me to worry about.

    Then again, like he said, this was only a tryout. It was all up to me.

    ¡®Okay, Julia,¡¯ I told myself as I took another deep breath. ¡®Let¡¯s just try! Reminder, don¡¯t get fooled!¡¯

    I pressed the call button and waited.

    The phone rang only once before Nathan¡¯s voice came from the other end of the line.

    ¡°Hello, Julia?¡±

    The sound of his soft voice made my heart jump in my chest.

    ¡®This damned traitorous heart!¡¯ I cursed internally.

    I needed to calm down for a moment. ¡®You don¡¯t know anything about this guy, Julia,¡¯ I reminded myself sternly. ¡®Don¡¯t get too ahead of yourself.¡¯

    ¡°¡­Yes. Hello,¡± I said stiffly. ¡°Can we¡­ meet somewhere private? I believe we need to talk properly about what happenedst night.¡±

 Chapter 15: The Arrangement (I)

    Nathan suggested that we meet up at a caf¨¦ during the weekend, so I managed to free my schedule and go there in the afternoon.

    My heart was pounding like crazy when I neared the caf¨¦. It wasn¡¯t anything elegant, just a small, charming building with simple yet homey decor. I woulde here sometimes whenever I just wanted to sit down and rx, even just for an hour. Their coffee tasted great, and it was affordable, too.

    When I approached the doors, I spotted Nathan almost immediately. He was sitting next to the entrance by the window seats, his head bowed while typing something on his phone. His hair was a little messy, probably styled like that unintentionally, and he pushed up his sses when it became askew.

    He was dressed casually today, in a pair of slim-fit jeans that tapered at the ankle as well as a white t-shirt. He was also wearing an unbuttoned denim jacket over his shirt and a pair of white sneakers. He was still wearing that expensive watch around his wrist, and his silver ne hung around his neck.

    It was a simple yet trendy kind of fashion, one that made him appear more attractive than usual.

    After catching sight of him, I was once again reminded of my purpose in meeting up with him here.

    This was so embarrassing. I couldn¡¯t believe that I was actually doing this¡­

    It just felt wrong to receive money simply for being someone¡¯s friend¡­

    ¡®Ah, right. I need to call him Nathan from now on¡­¡¯

    Shortening someone¡¯s name always made me feel a little ufortable, especially when they were someone I didn¡¯t know that well yet.

    ¡®You can do this,¡¯ I tried to encourage myself.

    He saw me just as I went through the doors. He waved at me with a small smile, then gestured towards the empty seat next to him. I sat down, not knowing what to say except for a simple greeting.

    ¡°Hello,¡± I said.

    ¡°Hello,¡± he answered.

    We fell into awkward silence after that. Funny, even he seemed embarrassed. He was the one who proposed the idea in the first ce¡­

    ¡°So¡­ about what I said¡­¡± Nathan finally said, lifting the slightly tense atmosphere somewhat. ¡°Have you thought about it?¡±

    I took a deep, silent breath before nodding. ¡°I have. I think¡­ we can try it out. Like you said.¡±

    ¡®It¡¯s now or never,¡¯ I thought to myself.

    Nathan seemed relieved at my answer. It made me feel a little confused. Was he really looking forward to this? He didn¡¯t even know if I¡¯d make a good friend¡­

    Thinking back to my life ever since I stopped college, I couldn¡¯t remember having a constant and vivid friendship over the past years. All my good friends had lives of their own now. Meanwhile, here I was, working my ass off to make money.

    Heck, I was even here right now to earn money for being someone¡¯s friend.

    ¡®Ridiculous,¡¯ I chanted in my head, over and over.

    But I was already desperate at this point. As long as I had enough money for my parents¡¯ hospital bills, which were growing every couple of months, nothing else mattered.

    Not even my pride.

    ¡°All right,¡± Nathan said. ¡°Well, shall we have a cup of coffee?¡±

    That was the line that started everything from then on.

    ***

    Since then, my routine changed. It took me a while to adjust, but in the end, I managed, thankfully.

    Being Nathan¡¯s friend was surprisingly an easy transition. The realization of this made me feel a bit embarrassed, because I seemed like I no longer knew how to make friends. Which was true in a sense, but then I thought about Madison.

    When I first met Madison, she was the one who talked to me a lot. She approached me first, started chatting about random topics, and it grew from there. As time passed, I grewfortable with herpany, and I considered her as a friend. However, she was also the one who took initiative each time, making me feel guilty sometimes.Text ? owned by N?velDrama.Org.

    I reminded myself to take her out for lunch or dinner sometime. I should spend more time with her.

    Then again, even though Madison was my friend, we only saw each other during my work at the bar. Otherwise, we never met up outside. We had each other¡¯s phone numbers, but we rarely contacted. I was busy all the time while Madison usually slept a lot during the day.

    So, needless to say, this¡­ ¡®friendship¡¯ with Nathan was something that I had to get used to for a while.

    Nathan wasn¡¯t all that bad. He was pretty interesting, actually. Just like his elegant and schrly looks, he seemed to know a lot of things. He was knowledgeable about several skills, and he appeared to be an avid reader of various genres.

    That day at the caf¨¦, we talked about how we should do this. We decided to start slow by speaking about ourselves.

    ¡°Working that many jobs seems too stressful,¡± Nathan had said after asking me about my career. He already knew that I was in need of money anyway, so there was no point in watering down the facts. ¡°You should quit one of them at least. The one that makes you feel exhausted the most.¡±

    I almost choked on my iced coffee. It tasted delicious, and Nathan was the one who insisted on paying for it, saying that he was the one who arranged for the deal and this meeting in the first ce. I let him, simply because I wanted to save money.

    ¡°Are you telling me to quit my job already when this is only a trial phase at the moment?¡± I said in disbelief. ¡°I¡¯m not even sure if I can go through with this a hundred percent. For all you know, you might get bored with mypany.¡±

    ¡°True,¡± Nathan said thoughtfully. Well, at least he was honest. ¡°But still, if we ever get past this trial process and you be morefortable with me, you have to quit at least one of your jobs. Or two of them, even. It¡¯s wearing you down.¡±

    Uncertainty instantly filled my heart. ¡°That¡¯s true, but still¡­¡±

    ¡°Even if this is just a trial phase at the moment, I want to pay you for your time nevertheless,¡± Nathan said softly. ¡°I know how precious your time is to you, especially since you¡¯re working so hard to earn money. Just the fact that you agreed to spend paid time with a stranger like me makes me feel¡­ happy. Because to be honest, I think you¡¯re quite the amazing person.¡±

 Chapter 16: The Arrangement (II)

    I felt my heart skip a beat at those words.

    Me? Amazing?

    Nobody had ever told me that before¡­

    ¡°I know that this isn¡¯t easy for you and that it might seem like I¡¯m joking, but I promise you, Julia, that I¡¯m being very serious right now,¡± Nathan said in a solemn voice. ¡°This might be a strange way to start a friendship, but even if it turns out to be one-way, it doesn¡¯t matter. You don¡¯t need to be emotionally attached to me or anything. I just need someone to listen and to ask some¡­ advice from.¡±

    He looked sheepish for a moment before continuing.

    ¡°As for the kind of advice¡­ I¡¯ll tell you all about it if ever we get past the trial phase. So for now, I¡¯ll just text and call you during a schedule that you specify, and then we¡¯ll discuss payment details and avability of your schedule.¡±

    My head was spinning. It felt like everything was happening too fast and my brain was too slow to process it. Thankfully, Nathan patiently waited for me to respond, taking sips of his coffee to give me some time.

    But I knew that he meant his words. His voice rang with a calm kind of sincerity as he spoke, something that touched my heart deep inside. He was being transparent about all this, and it didn¡¯t seem like he wanted to do anything shady.

    Maybe he really was just lonely and needed a friend. Well, if he wanted a listening ear, I could be that person to him.

    ¡®Oh, great¡­¡¯ I thought to myself as a sudden thought crossed my mind. ¡®Why does it feel like I¡¯m signing up to be his therapist or something¡­?¡¯

    Then again, it did feel like that kind of arrangement. It wasn¡¯t like we were going to go on dates or anything romantic, right?

    As long as friendship was only what he needed, I could do that.

    However, I knew that it would only be one-sided.

    Because getting emotionally attached in a transactional rtionship was bad news all around. There was the obvious power imbnce and uncertainty in how to interact. There would also be tension and conflict over what was genuine or fake.Content is property ? N?velDrama.Org.

    Plus, our ¡®friendship¡¯ or whatever this was would never have happened in the first ce if Nathan didn¡¯t propose this unusual arrangement.

    In other words, we wouldn¡¯t even be meeting each other like this, especially considering my aversion towards men.

    So, no matter what, I shouldn¡¯t let him grow on me, especially when I had no idea where this was going.

    Unless he managed to make me trust him fully¡­

    ¡®No, no. Stop. I¡¯m getting ahead of myself,¡¯ I scolded. ¡®We haven¡¯t even started yet!¡¯

    Geez¡­ this was probably going to drive me crazy.

    ¡°So, a¡­ schedule,¡± I said slowly. ¡°I¡¯m not sure if I¡¯m avable for long each day¡­¡±

    We started negotiating after that. It was strange. It was like we were discussing terms of an agreement, but with no contract present. I wondered if we even needed a contract. When I thought about it, it seemed too formal and a bit embarrassing¡­

    But Nathan told me that we would need it once the trial phase was over, just so I could have a peace of mind. He also hinted that he would be revealing his identity to me, which made me think that he might be some kind of influential figure.

    However, if that was the case, I couldn¡¯t remember anyone remotely resembling his appearance. I would check news articles from time to time, so I knew most of the popr businessmen in various industries.

    Then again, I didn¡¯t usually read hundreds of news articles, so there might have been something that I missed.

    Which meant that a contract would make a lot of sense. There might even be a nondisclosure agreement in there¡­

    Anyway, after that day, we agreed on a schedule and started the day after.

    Nathan was polite and understanding. He would text me for two hours each day, sometimes even calling. He would tell me about his day and about interesting things that he discovered on the inte.

    There was a time when he talked about the most mysterious ces in the world.

    ¡°You know about the Bermuda Triangle, right?¡± Nathan asked over the phone as I leaned against the headrest, listening to him carefully.

    ¡°Yeah. It¡¯s that area in the Antic Ocean where nes and ships have mysteriously disappeared, right?¡± I said. I didn¡¯t know anything more than that, though.

    ¡°Uh huh. Don¡¯t you think it¡¯s interesting that all those hundreds of nes and ships have disappeared without a trace? There are a lot of theories about the ce. Some of them are alien abductions, a mysterious third dimension, and even time travel¡­¡±

    He started exining each theory, with me making hums of agreement from time to time. I couldn¡¯t bring myself to tell him that I didn¡¯t quiteprehend a few of them. He seemed enthusiastic when talking about wild theories and hypotheses, after all.

    It was then that I understood why he needed someone to talk to. He really had a lot of things to talk about. It was as though he needed to share every little interesting detail that he learned and would discuss it thoroughly like aboratory specimen.

    He was¡­ truly a unique person.

    When almost an hour went by, he seemed to realize that I wasn¡¯t giving too much input and said sheepishly, ¡°Sorry¡­ I went overboard there, didn¡¯t I?¡±

    ¡°No, no. It¡¯s fine. I¡¯m here to listen, after all,¡± I said quickly. ¡°I mean, it¡¯s¡­ very intriguing¡­¡±

    ¡°Really?¡± His voice seemed to perk up at this. ¡°Which part?¡±

    ¡°Ah¡­ the time travel part, I mean,¡± I said, and I meant it. I did think that the concept was interesting. After all, it could exin the mysterious disappearances¡­ maybe.

    I didn¡¯t usually delve much into things like this. Sure, there weren¡¯t any exnations yet for these mysteries, and I couldn¡¯t deny that there were also some paranormal events urring in various parts of the world¡­

    Time travel? Ghost stories? Fantasy concepts?

    I used to think of them all as ones that belonged only to fiction. After all, it was bizarre to think that they blended with reality.

    But what if¡­?

    ¡®Oh great. Now even I am thinking too much about this.¡¯

    ¡°Right? I could use it as a concept¡­ perhaps a portal to another world¡­¡± Nathan started muttering to himself. ¡°First, it needs to be usible¡­ I have to take down some notes¡­ Hold on.¡±

    Despite myself, I couldn¡¯t help but smile. Even though it seemed like he was the nerdy type ¨C maybe it was rted to his job or something? ¨C it was cute how genuinely enthusiastic he was about things like this. It made him feel human and sincere.

    ¡®Maybe it won¡¯t be too bad to keep doing this¡­¡¯ I thought to myself absently.

 Chapter 17: Dinner Talk

    ¡°Have you eaten yet?¡±

    ¡°No.¡±

    ¡°Would you like to have dinner with me?¡±

    I was already on my way to the kitchen when Nathan¡¯s suggestion made me freeze in ce.

    Dinner?

    Five days had passed since the beginning of this¡­ trial period. It was an arrangement that I had never imagined myself getting into.

    But to my surprise, I was beginning to feelfortable with it, even though two weeks or a month hadn¡¯t even passed. It was as if talking to Nathan every day was a natural urrence, one that did not seem like a random appointment in my daily schedule. Not to mention that I talked to him more than I talked to my own family.

    Not that that was unusual. After all, Ken was very busy with his first year of residency, which I heard was quite demanding, while Louisa was in the middle of a job search. She had always wanted to be a kindergarten or elementary school teacher, but after graduation, she wanted to help our parents out first. She was truly a sweet girl.

    I made a mental note to buy her a nice gift for her birthday. It was only a few months away.

    ¡°My treat, of course,¡± Nathan said, snapping me out of my thoughts. ¡°I just have something I¡¯d like to talk to you about, if that¡¯s okay. I mean, if you¡¯re free.¡±

    I couldn¡¯t help but smile a little. Despite our short time together so far, I could tell that he was an interesting kind of man. Maybe it was because of all the romance novels and TV dramas I used to watch, but I always had this preconceived notion that rich men were always arrogant and selfish.

    It was fun to read about the drama and passionate romance in stories like that, but I knew deep inside that reality did not work like that. Fiction was fiction, and real life was real life.

    But Nathan, despite his obvious wealth, was nothing like those men. Instead, he was kind, almost suspiciously so. But he didn¡¯t seem maniptive at all.

    Instead, he interacted with me genuinely, always asking for permission or consent. He wasn¡¯t one of those people who couldn¡¯t take no for an answer, and he also respected my space and schedule.

    Granted, this is how friendships work most of the time, but we were in a transactional rtionship at the time, so it just took me by surprise. He had the opportunity to use his power over me, but he continued to treat me as an equal.

    Like a friend.

    Also, the trial period was almost over. I was about 90% sure that this rtionship was going to continue, so it was inevitable that we would meet in person.

    I had no reason to refuse his invitation at this point.

    ¡°¡­Okay,¡± I conceded.

    ***

    After getting dressed, I went to the restaurant downtown. Nathan had proposed that we meet up there and look for a table together.

    ¡°That way, we can both decide where to sit,¡± he had told me over the phone earlier. ¡°I don¡¯t know if you prefer the table by the window or maybe somewhere isted¡­¡±

    ¡°All right. Thank you,¡± I said softly.

    I was surprised at the considerate gesture. Where we sat didn¡¯t really matter to me.

    Back then, Tom and Ben always reserved the table and waited for me to arrive. Sometimes Tom would even choose a table in the middle of the restaurant, which made me feel ufortable, but I chose not to mention it to him.

    After all, it was just a table. We only needed to eat, talk, and then leave. I tried not to think too much about it and swallowed my difort each time.

    It was a small thing, but I appreciated Nathan seeking my opinion.

    I arrived at the restaurant wearing a creamy white blouse with cuffs at the wrists. It was the fanciest one I had in my closet. As for my pants, I chose a ck pair with a simple ck belt around my waist.Content is property ? N?velDrama.Org.

    The restaurant wasn¡¯t particrly elegant or expensive, but this was my first dinner meeting in a long time, so I wanted to dress ordingly. Not too simple and casual, but not too fancy either.

    We chose a table by the window. I liked to look outside from time to time, being someone who usually loved to gaze at sceneries. I supposed that it had something to do with my drawing hobby, but things like this always made me feel calm inside.

    Nathan seemed satisfied with the table position as well.

    As the two of us ordered, he initiated the conversation like always. After all, the only reason why I spent time with him was so I would listen to him.

    Like a friend.

    It was funny how one-sided it was thanks to the rtionship being transactional, but if Nathan was content with this arrangement, then I had no objections.

    ¡°I found my dad¡¯s old PC today,¡± Nathan said as he set down the menu after the waiter took down our orders. ¡°It¡¯s an old model. I remember having so much fun ying games on it when I was a kid.¡±

    ¡°So you like ying games?¡± I asked. He was like Ken then if that was the case.

    Nathan seemed to hesitate for a moment before nodding. ¡°Yeah. Nothing fancy, just games like ying cards, exploding mines, stuff like that.¡±

    I smiled. ¡°Sounds familiar.¡± Ken used to watch me y those games on our oldputer, after all.

    Nathan looked at me. The hesitation returned to his eyes.

    It was a bit puzzling. Did he think I would disapprove of a grown man ying games? No, that was ridiculous.

    But¡­ why did he also look a little guilty?

    ¡°What is it?¡± I decided to ask.

    There was a pause on his end. ¡°Do you y games, Julia?¡± he asked.

    ¡°I haven¡¯t yed one for a long time. Like you, I used to love ying card games on our old PC,¡± I responded. ¡°But my brother loves to y video games, the ones on consoles. I would buy him a new game every Christmas.¡±

    Ken really loved them, especially the ones from NA Games, Inc. Based on what I saw while Ken yed, thatpany¡¯s games were indeed amazing. The graphics were impressive, and the gamey and cutscenes were good as well.

    He once asked me to try it out for myself, but I declined. It wasn¡¯t that I thought it was childish. Rather, it was out of fear. Fear that I might love ying so much that I would eventually neglect my responsibilities.

    It was easy to fall into the addiction of gaming. When I was a child, I remembered ying on my dad¡¯sputer all the time. So it was a lot like what Nathan said, something we obviously had inmon. But then again, that was normal for kids my age, right? Computers were pretty amazing to us kids back then.

    Back then, there weren¡¯t any fancy consoles like today, and games with amazing, almost realistic graphics. Back then, characters were small and 2D at best, especially in role-ying games.

    But action and adventure games were also super fun. I used to y a lot of multiyer games with my dad on the old console he bought me for my birthday. I remember him telling me that he wanted it to be something that we could both enjoy from time to time, and that he had saved money to buy it specifically so that we could bond over the hobby.

    But that was the only console we had back then because of my parents¡¯ financial difficulties. The games were simple and straightforward with noplex storyline.

    The old PC was never upgraded, either. Ken and Louisa were very little at that time, so my parents focused on raising all three of us to the best of their abilities. Soon enough, there was no more time to bond over games.

    Now, it was time for me to pay back the favor. To give back to my parents for all of their hard work.

    Not because I was obligated to as the eldest, but simply because I loved my family very much.

    ¡°That sounds nice,¡± Nathan said, and his face seemed to light up a little. ¡°What kind of games does your brother like?¡±

    ¡°Hmm¡­ He likes fighting and shooting games like the ones you can y at the arcade,¡± I said. ¡°But he loves adventure, fantasy, and role-ying games the most.¡±

    ¡°Oh? He sounds like a cool guy.¡±

    ¡°He is,¡± I responded with a smile. I was always proud to talk about my siblings in any way. ¡°My brother, Ken, will be starting his residency at Meadowbrook Hospital next year. He¡¯s a good and intelligent kid. He loves games, but he makes sure to manage his time well between leisure and studying.¡±

    Nathan smiled softly. ¡°That¡¯s great to know. He¡¯s been brought up well. I¡¯m sure he¡¯ll grow up to be a fine man in the many years toe, one that you¡¯d be very proud of.¡±

    It was silly, but his words almost brought tears to my eyes. Thinking about all of the hard work and sacrifices that my parents made for us siblings, about all the things I did to secure Ken and Louisa¡¯s futures¡­

    To have him acknowledge that with those simple words made my heart swell.

    ¡°Thank you,¡± I said sincerely.

 Chapter 18: Opening Up

    It was then that I realized I was talking too much about myself.

    ¡®Oops,¡¯ I thought. ¡®I should be listening to him, not the other way around.¡¯

    ¡®After all, this transactional rtionship was formed for the purpose of being Nathan¡¯s listening ear. Straighten up, Julia!¡¯

    ¡°Ah, enough about me and my family. What about you?¡± I asked, swiftly changing the topic. ¡°You do love to y games, don¡¯t you? From the sound of your voice earlier, you seemed excited to talk about the subject.¡±

    It was true. Nathan would talk to me about various topics, like interesting facts and trivia and even random insights here and there.

    But when he talked about video games, his expression seemed to brighten in a way that signified a genuine interest. Like it was his passion.

    So I was a little confused as to why he acted strangely about it earlier. It kinda felt like he was restraining himself for some reason.

    ¡°Oh, did I?¡± He seemed a little shy all of a sudden. ¡°Well, as you can probably tell so far since our first meeting¡­ I¡¯m a little awkward, aren¡¯t I?¡±

    I shook my head. ¡°Yes, but not so much. It¡¯s not like you¡¯re a weird person for having a personality of your own. Each of us is different in our own way, right?¡±

    ¡°R¡­ Right.¡± He seemed a bit surprised by my response. I wondered why.

    Did he not receive words like this before?

    Was it possible that he was judged by people in the past for his hobbies?

    ¡°Anyway, I don¡¯t go out much,¡± he continued. ¡°I only have a few friends in my life. I guess you could say that I¡¯m an introvert and a homebody.¡±

    I nodded. ¡°Nothing wrong with that.¡±

    ¡°So, I¡­ get hesitant sometimes when I talk. I tend to choose my words carefully and not show any weakness whatsoever.¡± He smiled a little sadly. ¡°After all, in a world like this, if a man like me ever showed weakness or a personality that people didn¡¯t approve of, contrary to their expectations of me, it would only add to the prejudice.¡±

    Prejudice? I couldn¡¯t help but frown.

    It seemed like he was saying this out of personal experience.

    Was my inkling just now really correct?

    ¡°What do you mean?¡± I asked.

    ¡°My background is¡­ in other words, quite prominent,¡± Nathan said hesitantly. ¡°Eyes and ears are always trained on me. A lot of people depend on me. If I show anything out of the ordinary, I will be judged for it ordingly. So I have to be careful all the time.¡±

    Hmm¡­

    I watched him closely.

    The restaurant was a charming mix of rustic and modern elements. The ce wasn¡¯t too small, and the tables were perfectly positioned to avoid overcrowding or invading each other¡¯s personal space.

    Soft, warm light cascaded from themps above, giving the wooden tables and chairs a cozy glow. It shone on Nathan¡¯s face, casting shadows across his handsome features. Soft instrumental music yed in the background, adding to the soothing atmosphere.

    ¡®It¡¯s like a date,¡¯ I thought. ¡®But this isn¡¯t one.¡¯

    Based on his words just now, I was able to read between the lines. He was implying that he held a high position in his workce and that he had to act as an authority figure for the people under him.

    Perhaps he was the head of the department or the director. He was probably strict and unapproachable in thepany, so he was always careful about what he did and said to other people, especially in the workce.

    But then I wondered what the nature of his job was. To be honest, I couldn¡¯t help but feel quite curious about it.

    Like, what was the extent of his authority and influence?

    Why did he have to walk on eggshells all the time?

    So I said it out loud, just in case.

    ¡°Can I ask what kind of job you have?¡±

    Nathan looked surprised, but he nodded. ¡°I can¡¯t specify what position I hold, but I work at a video gamepany. I guess you could say that I¡¯m living the dream,¡± he said a little sheepishly. ¡°I like my work most of the time, but because I¡¯m¡­ at a high position, I¡¯m left with a lot of responsibilities on my te.¡±

    I knew it.

    ¡°I see,¡± I said. ¡°A video gamepany, huh?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡± Nathan nodded. ¡°I can¡¯t disclose the name just yet, though.¡±

    ¡°Oh, that¡¯s fine. I just find it interesting.¡±

    His eyes visibly lit up. ¡°You do?¡± he said. ¡°I still do find it interesting until now. It just challenges your creativity, you know? But you also need to be meticulous and able to work under pressure. After all, in order to release a game, we have to work on a strict schedule.¡±

    ¡°Really?¡± I had to admit that I was intrigued, even just a little.

    Nathan nodded. ¡°Everyone works closely together to bring the imagination to life. It all starts with story concepts, designs, characters, plots, andbined suggestions. Personally, I like to be involved in the creative process as much as possible. For example, you are aware of the concepts and character designs, aren¡¯t you? For starters¡­¡±

    Nathan kept on talking on and on about his work, and to my surprise, I hung onto his every word.

    He was indeed an interesting man. In fact, most of the time during the dinner, I forgot that he was rich and held a high position in hispany.

    At this moment, he seemed like an average guy with his own tastes and hobbies. For the past week that we had been trying this out, he talked about the things he was interested in and shared his opinions.

    It was nice. It made him feel human, like a real friend.

    ¡®It¡¯s unfortunate that I can¡¯t allow myself to get attached to him,¡¯ I thought to myself. ¡®A friendship that¡¯s transactional is not entirely genuine, after all. Who knows if he might use this to his advantageter? What if he¡¯s just using me to vent without really seeing me as an equal?¡¯

    ¡®After all, it¡¯s not good to trust someone so easily. I should just look at this as a job and nothing else.¡¯

    I told myself that, and yet the more I knew about Nathan, the more rxed I became around him. Comfortable, to be exact.

    It felt a little strange. Scary, even.

    This was supposed to be a no emotional strings attached kind of rtionship¡­

    ¡°¡­and I¡¯d like to know your input on it,¡± Nathan was saying.

    Crap! I was too engrossed in my thoughts to pay attention to the conversation.

    He looked at me expectantly, and I felt my ears burning with embarrassment. I didn¡¯t know if it was just me, but I didn¡¯t like making other people feel like I wasn¡¯t paying attention to them while they were talking. It just didn¡¯t feel right.

    Even if I wasn¡¯t that engrossed, I thought that being polite and responding ordingly was the right thing to do.

    And now I just made that mistake.Text ? owned by N?velDrama.Org.

    ¡®Good going, Julia,¡¯ I groaned internally. ¡®You¡¯re supposed to be the listener here¡­¡¯

    ¡°Sorry, what were you saying?¡± I asked apologetically. ¡°I was lost in thought for a moment¡­¡±

    To my surprise, instead of looking hurt or even the least bit annoyed, Nathan chuckled.

 Chapter 19: Commission Work

    ¡°Sorry, was I boring you with the technical details?¡± he said, his tonepletely easygoing. ¡°I tend to go off tangent whenever I talk about my work. Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ll watch my words from now on.¡±

    Huh?

    ¡°No, no, it¡¯s fine,¡± I told him hastily. ¡°To be honest, I got a little lost in the process there, so I was trying toprehend it¡­¡±

    ¡°Is that so?¡± Nathan looked thoughtful for a moment before nodding. ¡°All right. Let me make this as simple as I can. I¡¯ve been¡­ working on a personal project of mine for a while, and I¡¯m nning to bring it up at the nextpany meeting. We¡¯re finishing up ourst game, so we need some ideas for a new one. Something different.¡±

    ¡°I see,¡± I said in realization. ¡°So it¡¯s for a new game proposal.¡±

    Nathan nodded. ¡°Remember when I told you about your sketchbook back then? That I couldn¡¯t help but stare at your drawings?¡±

    ¡°Yes¡­?¡±

    Where was he going with this?

    ¡°I was inspired by them, to be honest,¡± he admitted. ¡°They sparked my creativity, in other words.¡±

    I could feel my eyes widening in surprise. ¡°What do you mean?¡±

    Even though I had been drawing for a long time and knew that my skills had improved drastically since I was young, I remained a harsh critic of myself. I believed that in order to get better, you have to keep working hard.

    So even though I knew I had done a decent job on a piece of art, I would nitpick it. I would see these tiny details that needed to be fixed, a nted line that looked rough instead of smooth, and eyes that seemed out of proportion.

    I was a perfectionist. I wanted every detail to be wless, but also feasible within my current capabilities. That was why I worked slowly most of the time.

    But once I got the hang of it, I would draw fast, much faster than the others.

    There were times when I was proud of my work, but at the same time, I was shy about showing it to others. My drawings felt personal in a way, and sharing them with people meant exposing a vulnerable part of myself.

    I showed them to my family a few times, and I felt proud of the praise I received. I also drew during my college years, and my friends always admired my artwork. It gave me a kind of satisfaction and motivation to work even harder.

    But most of the time I felt insecure. My friends would call it humility, but I really didn¡¯t think my art was extraordinary. I knew there were thousands of people in the world whose art was much better than mine. I thought that I was still an amateur, that I needed to reach for a higher level.

    What an ambitious mindset I had¡­

    ¡°I mean I really got inspired!¡± Nathan said as he leaned a little closer. His eyes were sparkling with genuine interest. ¡°For a new game!¡±

    ¡°Hold on. What does a game have anything to do with it?¡± I asked, feeling my heartbeat slow. I was holding my breath.

    ¡°There was a pure essence to your drawings, a vibe that I¡¯d like to see in a fun, light adventure game,¡± he exined patiently. ¡°I think your style is unique, so I want to see them incorporated into the main characters.¡±

    ¡°The¡­ what?¡± I was pretty sure that I was sounding like a broken record right now.

    ¡°You like to draw in a realistic style, right?¡± he rified. ¡°I¡¯d really like your input on an idea that¡¯s been going through my head since I stumbled across your sketchbook.¡±

    Suddenly, he looked a little sheepish.

    ¡°To be honest, I wanted to ask you this a while back, but I didn¡¯t want to overwhelm you. After all, you don¡¯t have any prior experience, and this might be different from what you¡¯re used to-¡±

    I was flummoxed. ¡°Wait, slow down,¡± I told him. ¡°What are you trying to say?¡±

    He seemed really enthusiastic about this. I realized that he was actually sincere, that he was interested in my talent. He wasn¡¯t fake or polite at all.

    Not only that, but he was pleasant enough to be around. It was weird, but he had this uncanny ability to make me smile most of the time.

    Oh, trying not to get attached to him would be really hard¡­

    ¡°Sorry, sorry,¡± he apologized quickly. ¡°I started talking too much again. I¡¯ll break it down for you this time.¡±

    He exined everything to me, and I was shocked.

    ¡°Oh¡­ so the reason you kept trying to find out where I was was because of the sketchbook?¡± I repeated, trying not to show how surprised I was. ¡°Because it gave you inspiration?¡±

    That was something I never expected.

    Someone getting inspired¡­ because of me?

    And that someone turned out to be a rich man who was also a game developer from what seemed to be a big gamepany?

    It was all too good to be true.

    ¡°Yes,¡± Nathan confirmed. ¡°Of course, I dyed introducing myself to you because I didn¡¯t want to seem like a creep¡­¡±

    ¡°I see¡­¡±

    ¡°And I meant it when I said that I was captivated by your voice the moment you started singing on stage,¡± he added. ¡°Indeed, you have many talents, Julia.¡±

    ¡°Oh! That¡¯s¡­ really kind of you.¡±

    Nathan studied me for a moment, hesitance crossing his features. ¡°Am I making you feel ufortable in any way?¡± he asked softly.

    I was startled. ¡°Not at all!¡± I said quickly. Did I seem that way to him? ¡°It¡¯s just that nobody has reallyplimented me a lot like you have¡­¡±

    Damn. Why did I say that? Now I sounded like a pitiful person.

    ¡°Well, they must be blind,¡± Nathan said without hesitation. ¡°Because you¡¯re clearly brilliant and have a lot of potential.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡± I didn¡¯t know what to say to that.

    He sounded so confident, so sure of himself. How could he say something like that when he didn¡¯t even know me? When he had only seen a glimpse of what I could do?

    He didn¡¯t even know the extent of my abilities¡­

    ¡°So I also wanted to ask you to do some concept art for me, if you¡¯re interested,¡± he said. ¡°It¡¯s not a formal request. You¡¯re not an employee at thepany, and you¡¯re not a frencer, either. I¡¯m justmissioning you, if it¡¯s okay.¡±

    I could only stare at him nkly.

    Amission¡­ for video game concept art?

    ¡°Since you like to draw in a semi-realistic and realistic style, I¡¯d also like to see what you can produce for character designs,¡± he added. ¡°Of course, I¡¯llpensate you for your time and drawings. Don¡¯t worry about messing it up or getting it wrong or off. It¡¯s not a formal project. I just want to see my idease to life in your own drawing style and imagination.¡±

    ¡°But¡­¡± I was hesitant for a moment. My art¡­ was going to be used for developing a video game?

    This was really too good to be true.

    No¡­ it was Nathan himself who was too good to be true.

    Ever since this man came into my life, he had been changing it in more ways than one.

    He made me want to take risks that I would never have considered doing before.

    How interesting¡­ and a little terrifying at the same time.This content belongs to N?/velDra/ma.Org .

    Because if I went through with this¡­ it could either make me or break me.

    ¡°As I said, it won¡¯t be a formal project. Not formally submitted and used, to be exact,¡± Nathan exined, his tone reassuring, as if he knew I was considering the gravity of doing thismission. ¡°But it would be like the bare bones of the project that would help me immensely ining up with the world building as well as the character designs and personalities.¡±

    The more he talked, the more I warmed up to the idea. Sure, it was crazy, and it was the first time I had ever tried to create something of this magnitude, but¡­

    He just sounded so confident in my abilities that I wanted to prove him right.

    ¡°I¡¯ll think about it,¡± I told him, and he seemed happy enough with my answer.

    That was one of the things I liked about him. He didn¡¯t put too much pressure on me, and he often let me make my own decisions. He didn¡¯t overstep my personal boundaries, and he was also considerate of my mood and feelings.

    We finished dinner and he walked me out. He called a cab for me and even paid for the taxi fare, saying that he was the one who needed my time and not the other way around, so it only made sense that he should shoulder all the payments for tonight.

    He wasn¡¯t wrong¡­

    When I was safely back home, I texted him.

    ¡®I¡¯ve arrived just now,¡¯ I messaged.

    His reply came one minuteter.

    ¡®That¡¯s good to know,¡¯ he responded.

    With that, I finally made my decision.

    ¡®I¡¯ll go through with it,¡¯ I texted him.

    ¡®You will?¡¯

    ¡®Yes. With themission¡­ and the contract friendship.¡¯

    It felt a little weird typing those words out, but the moment I sent the message, I felt as if a heavy burden had finally been lifted from my shoulders.

    Like I had finally made a decision that I would probably never regret.

 Chapter 20: Contract Signed

    The days that followed were a blur.

    Nathan was happy that I had decided to go through with it, even though I had made my decision in a short amount of time. But to be honest, I had been thinking about it for a while. About having a transactional rtionship with him.

    I liked Nathan as a person, but the fact remained that I didn¡¯t know that much about him. Of course, I knew about some of his hobbies, his interests, things like that, but it was just on a surface level. They were things that he just wanted me to see and know. They were selective, to be precise.

    Even though he needed a listening ear in this ¡®friendship¡¯, I was only obligated to listen. I didn¡¯t have to do anything or give him advice. I just had to be there for him, nothing more.

    Even if I wasn¡¯t a confidant to anyone but my own family, even if I was used to being alone, even if I didn¡¯t want to hear any sentimental talk, I was still obligated to be his friend. It didn¡¯t matter if I wasn¡¯t in the mood or if I was bored of being with him. I had to be there. I had to listen.

    So if he wanted to hang out, if he wanted me to make time for him, if he wanted me to be with him at social events, I had to do them as long as he was paying me. That was the meaning of him literally buying my time.

    Of course, since this was not a sugar daddy/sugar baby kind of contract, Nathan made sure that the terms did not include any intimate acts. He wasn¡¯t allowed to engage in romantic or sexual acts with me without my consent, and he wasn¡¯t allowed to order me to do those things with him.

    The emphasis was on ¡®consent¡¯, so as long as I agreed, there was no problem. I didn¡¯t mind too much, because one, I would never let myself be forced to do something I didn¡¯t want to do, and two, I was aware that there were gray areas involved.

    For example, if he neededforting and it was up to me, I might hold his hand or hug him for reassurance. If it came to that, there was no problem. I used to do that all the time with my siblings and friends. There was no need to make a big deal out of something so trivial.

    ¡°You should also quit some of your part-time jobs, Julia,¡± Nathan had suggested to me after we agreed on the contract and put down our signatures. ¡°I know that they¡¯ve been wearing you out.¡±

    I frowned. I wasn¡¯t sure if I should make that big of a step yet. ¡°But¡­¡±

    ¡°I remember you once mentioned that you wanted to save for your family¡¯s hospital bills, your siblings¡¯ education, and also for you to go back to college, right?¡± Nathan¡¯s voice was kind and free of mockery and prejudice. ¡°I understand that, which is why I suggested this in the first ce. I¡¯ll make sure you¡¯re wellpensated, okay?¡±

    Later on, he asked me for my bank details, and then he promptly transferred arge amount of money to my ount.

    ¡°This¡­ This¡­¡± I was stunned as I stared at the message I had just received from the bank. It was three times more than I made in a week working all my jobs!

    ¡°This is an advance for this week,¡± he exined. ¡°I know you have bills to pay before the end of the month, so I¡¯m sending this to you, and also to assure you that you can quit some of your part-time jobs. I¡¯m also sending you a digital copy of the contractter, okay?¡±

    Needless to say, that was more than enough to convince me.

    I quit everything after that. But I decided to keep my job at the bar, where I would sing on the weekends, and Nathan agreed.

    ¡°I¡¯d still go there just to hear you sing,¡± he said, and it made my heart soften.

    It was apliment that artists and creators always loved to hear.

    So for the past week, I had been working on the concept art that Nathan asked me for. Rather, what hemissioned me for.

    It was all still so new to me that I would be doing what I loved instead of constantly running errands, handling client orders, and dealing with rude customers. I even thought it would take me a long, long time to finally indulge in my hobby and passion for something. I even thought that singing at the bar on weekends would be enough for me.

    It turned out that I was slowly eroding day by day until I met Nathan for the first time that night.

    The way we met was unorthodox and a little strange, but I found that I never regretted it. Tom and Ben made me distrust men, but Nathan made me feel like I should give guys a second chance. I didn¡¯t have to love him, and I didn¡¯t have any growing feelings for him. But was a step forward for me, and I appreciated that he was the one who made me feel that way.

    Nathan and I would call each other from time to time while I worked. I didn¡¯t have the money to buy a digital drawing tablet, but I did have some of my art supplies and sketch paper. Since I was working on rough sketches, I only needed my pencil.

    ¡°You said you wanted a floating kingdom in the seas?¡± I asked as I put him on speakerphone while I sketched.

    ¡°Yeah,¡± he responded. ¡°What do you think about having skyscrapers there and slides as roads?¡±

    I paused for a moment. ¡°¡­Slides?¡±

    ¡°Wouldn¡¯t it be fun to slide down from your house?¡±

    ¡°But how would they get back up?¡±

    ¡°You have a point¡­¡±

    I shook my head fondly.

    He had an overactive imagination, but he usually didn¡¯t pay attention to logic and usibility. Then again, as he said, this was just the bare bones of the project. Rough drafts existed so that they could be reworked over and over again to the client¡¯s liking.

    This went on for seven days, with usmunicating back and forth. I must admit it was a stimting experience. It was my first time doing this kind ofmissioned work, but Nathan made it sofortable that I didn¡¯t feel nervous or pressured at all.

    When the weekend arrived, I was at the bar singing again, and like before, I saw Nathan in the audience listening to my voice. At first, I thought he was just being polite, that maybe I was just deluding myself.Text ? owned by N?velDrama.Org.

    But as time went by, I realized that hispliments were sincere.

    He was really proving to me that he liked my voice and my drawings.

    ¡°I¡¯m really pleased with what you did to the city,¡± Nathan said as I slipped into the seat beside him after my performance. ¡°Your rough drafts were amazing! You¡¯re really cut out for this, Julia.¡±

    Thepliment made me blush. ¡°Thank you,¡± I said softly. ¡°I wasn¡¯t sure if you would like it.¡±

    ¡°Of course I would like it,¡± he insisted. ¡°You paid attention to the details that I gave you and incorporated them into the drawings perfectly.¡±

    I was getting a little shy with the praise he kept giving me, so I decided to change the subject.

    At that moment, I watched him for a while. Nathan was really handsome, and the sses he usually wore gave him an elegant, schrly look. Even when he was dressed casually, he was still attractive.

    But now I could see that there were tired lines on his face that weren¡¯t there before. His eyes seemed dimmer than usual, and I think he also forgot tob his hair beforeing here.

    ¡°Have you been sleeping well?¡± I asked in concern. ¡°You look tired.¡±

 Chapter 21: Come To My Home

    Nathan blinked, seemingly startled for a moment, before letting out a slight chuckle. ¡°Is it that obvious?¡± He lifted his hand to adjust his sses, which were lopsided on the bridge of his nose. ¡°I just needed to finish some work. It¡¯s been a while, after all.¡±

    ¡°What do you mean it¡¯s been a while?¡± I asked, eager to listen.

    I felt like for the past week ¨C and before that, even ¨C I was the one benefitting the most from this situation. It wasn¡¯t supposed to be that way.

    Part of the reason we started this in the first ce was so I could be his listening ear. I was used to taking care of customers in my part-time jobs over the years, so I subconsciously thought of it as my job.

    Nathan hesitated for a moment before speaking again. ¡°Do you remember the first time we met?¡±

    That was an unexpected response. ¡°Yes?¡± I said unsurely. I wasn¡¯t sure what the connection was.

    ¡°That day, I recently got out of the hospital.¡±

    I could feel my eyes widen in surprise. ¡°The hospital?¡± I repeated. ¡°Whatever for? Were you sick?¡±

    ¡°It was stress and overwork,¡± he exined. ¡°I was anemic, and I was getting weaker and weaker. My doctor and my therapist both insisted that I take a break from work and go out in the sun once in a while. I wasn¡¯t living a healthy lifestyle, so I guess karma came to bite me in the back.¡±

    ¡°Ah¡­ so you¡¯re a workaholic,¡± I said.Text ? owned by N?velDrama.Org.

    He nodded. ¡°I couldn¡¯t help it. It was the only thing I knew how to do. I also spent most of my time indoors. I barely had any free time, and I often workedte nights to make sure that every detail was perfect.¡±

    I couldn¡¯t help but feel a little amused amidst the worry. ¡°And you¡¯re also a perfectionist,¡± I remarked.

    He was probably so good at his job, which was why he held a high position in hispany. He seemed to be a perfectionist too, just like me.

    At least that meant he took his work seriously and worked hard to get where he was.

    He seemed sheepish at that. ¡°Yeah. That¡¯s what the others usually say.¡±

    ¡°So you were taking a break from work the first time we met?¡± I asked. ¡°No wonder you fell down at that time. Were you even eating well and keeping yourself hydrated?¡±

    Heughed. ¡°Now you sound like my doctor.¡±

    I snorted. ¡°I think anyone would say the same thing.¡± I crossed my arms over my chest and sighed. ¡°Work is important, but so is your health. What¡¯s the point of all your efforts if you end up sick? We¡¯re not getting any younger, so we need to take care of ourselves more.¡±

    I was in myte twenties. In just a few years, I would turn thirty. I hadn¡¯t even graduated yet, and my future remained uncertain.

    I wasn¡¯t going to do this for the rest of my life, that was for sure. But as long as I had the money to support my family for now, that was better than a lifetime of regrets.

    He looked at me for a moment, and I could see a faint smile curling his lips. ¡°You too,¡± he said softly. ¡°Don¡¯t work too hard.¡±

    ¡°Touch¨¦.¡±

    We had a nice time that night. I couldn¡¯t remember thest time I felt sofortable with a man. I didn¡¯t feel starstruck and enchanted like I did with Tom, nor did I feel guilty, scared, and insecure like I did with Ben.

    It was like making friends for the first time.

    ¡®Maybe I¡¯ve been thinking backwards all along,¡¯ I realized to myself.

    Because who was to say that we couldn¡¯t be friends even after all this?

    Sure, it was a transactional rtionship, but it wasn¡¯t anything immoral. It was like a friendship of convenience where both parties benefited from the situation. It worked because I was desperate and because Nathan had enough disposable ie to convince me to go along.

    I had always been quite the overthinker. I wanted to be certain of all the consequences and prepare myself for them. I would often expect the worst so that I wouldn¡¯t get disappointed in the end. That was how I lived my life for years.

    ¡®There¡¯s no harm, Julia,¡¯ I convinced myself. ¡®There¡¯s no need to be so worried.¡¯

    ¡®Everything will be fine.¡¯

    ***

    Two dayster, I received a text message from Nathan.

    ¡®Are you free today?¡¯ he asked.

    ¡®For you, of course. What do you need?¡¯ I replied.

    To be honest, I was really reluctant to get out of bed. It had been a long time since I had a good rest, and I wanted to take advantage of being free of my duties for a while.

    But I didn¡¯t want to break our agreement just to have myzy day today.

    ¡®Can youe over to my home today? I¡¯d like somepany,¡¯ he messaged in response. ¡®I¡¯ll send you the address so you can tell your family and friends where you¡¯ll be, just in case.¡¯

    I stared at the screen of my phone for what seemed like an eternity as my mind tried to process his words.

    First of all, he was inviting me to his house. To hang out, maybe.

    I¡¯d be lying if I said I wasn¡¯t worried. Sure, I signed the contract saying I would be there for him, but¡­

    Well, the second thing was thest part of his message.

    It was really considerate of him to tell me to let my family and friends know where I was. I never told him a word about my past, especially my experiences with my ex-boyfriends, but he somehow managed to pick up on how wary I was of strangers and suspicious invitations.

    He could have chosen not to add that part, but he did. And it eased my anxiety considerably.

    So here I was, standing in front of the Lexington Condo, the most expensive condominium building in the city. I could only stare at the majestic structure in front of me, wondering how I had ever been lucky enough to be so close to this sight.

    I didn¡¯t take architecture in college, but I had always been interested in building designs and blueprints. Portrait studies, art anatomy, color theory, and experimenting with different art styles were my passions, of course, but there was just something about buildings like this that fascinated me. Not only because of their beauty, but also because of the painstaking effort it must have taken to build something so majestic from the ground up.

    The modern structure rose high into the sky, with sleek ss windows reflecting the sunlight. It was painted with a mix of metal ents on the smooth, polished surface, exuding an air of sophistication.

    Everyone knew about Lexington Condominium. It was said that only people from wealthy and influential families could afford to live here.

    Which meant that Nathan did indeed hold an important position in hispany. Important enough that he could afford to live in a ce like this.

    It was still hard for me to imagine someone as gentle and humble as Nathan being such an important figure. For a moment, I wondered what he was like in a corporate setting, if he treated his team harshly or kindly. If he was actually a ve worker or some kind of considerate manager.

    Wait, what was I thinking? I should just go in already.

    Nathan was waiting for me.

 Chapter 22: Luxurious Unit

    As I approached the entrance and walked around the fountain, one of the guards kindly held the door open for me. I stepped inside and felt my breath catch at what I saw next.

    The lobby was everything I had expected. The ceiling was high, with a crystal chandelier sparkling overhead. Plush velvet couches and contemporary artwork adorned the room, adding a touch of artistic ir to the luxurious surroundings.

    I approached the reception desk and was greeted by the clerk. She was a pretty woman who appeared to be in her early twenties, dressed in an elegant uniform with the name ¡®Annie¡¯ pinned to her breast pocket. She smiled warmly at me.

    ¡°Hello. May I ask your name and the purpose of your visit?¡± she asked politely.

    ¡°Hello,¡± I said, hoping my voice wasn¡¯t shaking. I suddenly felt out of ce in such a setting. As if I didn¡¯t belong here.

    I suddenly remembered the state of my clothes and immediately felt self-conscious. Everyone here was wearing polished and expensive, probably custom-made clothes, and yet here I was, dressed in my simple shirt and jeans, which I got for the cheapest price at a thrift store near my apartment.

    It was at that moment that I realized just how far apart Nathan and I were. Our worlds shouldn¡¯t have collided like this, but somehow they did. Was it a coincidence that I was the one who found him in the park that day, and that I conveniently left my sketchbook on the bench? Was it a stroke of luck that he picked it up and tried his best to find me?

    I didn¡¯t know the answer, and I wasn¡¯t sure that I wanted to know it just yet.

    ¡°My name is Julia Simmons, and I¡¯m here to pay a visit to my friend. His name is Nathaniel Adams,¡± I told her.

    The woman¡¯s eyes ¨C Annie¡¯s ¨C lit up with recognition, and her smile widened. ¡°Ah, yes, Miss Simmons. Mr. Adams is expecting you.¡± She handed me what looked like a guest pass. ¡°You may proceed to the elevators. Your name has already been added to the authorized guest list, so rest assured.¡±

    I thanked the woman before making my way to the elevators. My heart pounded in my chest as I stepped inside, and I let out a breath when, thankfully, no one else was inside. I was alone for a moment, allowed to be alone with my thoughts for a while.

    I was suddenly nervous. What was I doing here? Why did Nathan call me here of all ces? Maybe it would have been better if he¡¯de to my ce instead¡­

    Wait, no. What on earth was I thinking?

    Inviting a man to my house¡­ it was unthinkable.

    ¡®Oh, but a man inviting you to his home isn¡¯t that different?¡¯ a sarcastic voice in my head mocked.

    I couldn¡¯t help but frown.

    Well, considering the circumstances¡­

    My thoughts were interrupted when the elevator made a sound indicating that I had reached my floor.

    I stepped out into a modern, decorated hallway, the walls adorned with exquisite artwork and elegant light fixtures. The air was even scented with a subtle, inviting fragrance, which thankfully temporarily soothed my anxiety.

    As I walked, I couldn¡¯t help but stare at the paintings in awe. These were famous and expensive ones. The decorator certainly had good taste.

    When I finally reached room 1567, I took a deep breath. There were only two rooms on this floor, which meant that Nathan¡¯s unit was probably quite spacious. He even lived on the top floor.

    I reached out and rang the doorbell, feeling my heart pounding in my chest as I waited. It was like a first date, which was weird because I wasn¡¯t supposed to feel like this was a date.

    This was an arrangement between me and Nathan. I wasn¡¯t here to have fun. I was here to apany him and nothing else.

    Suddenly I heard footsteps approaching.

    The next thing I knew, the door swung open and Nathan was standing there, gazing at me with a kind look in his eyes.

    ¡°You¡¯re here,¡± he greeted with a smile as he stepped back to make room for me. ¡°Sorry for inviting you out of the blue.¡±

    When I walked in, I was even more amazed.

    The living room was spacious, with floor-to-ceiling windows offering a breathtaking view of the city. The decor was fashionable and contemporary, with a color scheme of chic, neutral tones thatplemented the quality of the furniture and materials. The walls were adorned with beautiful artwork, adding culture and sophistication to the space.

    But the main attraction was the magnificent entertainment setup in the center: arge t-screen TV with surround sound speakers that practically resembled a home theater. I also noticed a specialized gaming console connected to several gaming monitors and custom controllers.

    As I approached, I could see that the walls were lined with shelves carefully stocked with collector¡¯s editions and limited releases of popr video games.

    ¡®So he¡¯s also a gamer,¡¯ I realized. Of course, it made sense since he worked for a video gamepany. I wondered if he was in the beta testing department because that sounded like fun.

    Then I remembered our dinner conversation that day when he told me ¨C more like implied ¨C that he wasn¡¯t much of a gamer. It urred to me that he probably didn¡¯t want to reveal too much, just in case.

    Anyway, it was clear that we were both being pretty cautious with each other.

    But to be honest, I was really amazed at how luxurious everything looked. In fact, I thought that Nathan¡¯s unit was more amazing than the whole condo building. He had so much technology here. He was probably up-to-date with thetest gadgets as well.

    ¡°Feel free to look around,¡± Nathan called out, apparently busy with something on his phone. ¡°Sorry, I just have to answer these emails for a moment. I¡¯ll be with you as soon as I can.¡±

    I nodded. ¡°It¡¯s okay. I¡¯ll just explore, if that¡¯s okay.¡±

    ¡°Of course. Go ahead.¡±

    Giddy at being given permission, I started walking around. After all, it wasn¡¯t every day that I got to be in a filthy rich person¡¯s condo unit. This was like the opportunity of a lifetime!

    I had to stop myself from gasping when I entered the dining room. There, in the center, was an elegant and expansive table surrounded by plush designer chairs. There was also a fully equipped gourmet kitchen adjacent to the dining area that looked so clean and well-maintained. I wondered if Nathan had a personal chef or if he cooked his own meals.

    ¡®Probably not,¡¯ I thought. ¡®If he holds a high position and is really rich to this extent, he probably doesn¡¯t have enough time to cook.¡¯

    ¡®But he seems to have a lot of time when talking to me¡­¡¯

    I shook my head. From what I could remember, Nathan had mentioned that he was recovering when we first met. He had been advised by his doctor to stop working for a while to get some much-needed rest.

    He had only recently returned to work, so it made sense for him to have some time off every now and then.Text ? owned by N?velDrama.Org.

    I looked back at Nathan. He was talking to someone on the phone, and I felt a momentary sense of awe.

    He stood with a straight posture, and even though he was wearing in clothes, he seemed to exude a sense of professionalism. He spoke calmly, as always, but with an air of confidence.

    I didn¡¯t know why, but I just kept staring at him.

    It was as if I saw a different side of him today.

    Something I hadn¡¯t expected to be charmed by.

 Chapter 23: True Identity

    At that moment, Nathan spotted me.

    And to my mortification, I blushed.

    What was I doing? Why did I feel as if I had been caught red-handed doing something embarrassing?

    He pulled the phone away from his ear slightly, and then smiled. ¡°Do you need something?¡± he mouthed.

    I shook my head and waved a dismissive hand. ¡°I¡¯m okay.¡±

    I then approached the bathroom and peeked inside.

    ¡°Wow,¡± I couldn¡¯t help but gasp aloud.

    The bathroom¡­ was magnificent.

    There was arge bathtub carved from smooth white stone with gleaming gold patterns on the sides. There was also a walk-in closet with custom shelving that housed an extensive collection of designer clothing, watches, and essories.

    The sink rested on a smooth marble counter. There was arge mirror with bright lights, and the shelves below held soft towels and fancy-looking soaps. The toilet was modern and sleek, and fluffy towels and soft robes hung on hooks.

    ¡°This is really a bathroom for the ¡®rich¡¯ rich,¡± I marveled. ¡°I can only see bathrooms like this on TV.¡±

    Nathan and I were truly worlds apart, huh?

    I left the bathroom and explored other areas. Everything was beautifully decorated, and I could tell that some of the appliances were automated. Nathan could probably operate them with a single button on a remote control or a simple tap on the phone.

    There was also an expansive private balcony with a small table between the chairs, a bottle of wine and a wine ss resting on the surface. I resisted the urge to go there since it seemed too private for me to intrude.

    ¡°So how was the tour?¡±

    I jumped at the sound of Nathan¡¯s voice from behind me. I turned to face him, blushing with embarrassment at how transparent I must have been. What was wrong with me today? I was usually calmer than this.

    Maybe I was too excited because it felt like I was entering a whole new world¡­

    ¡°It was great. I mean, this ce is amazing,¡± I told him honestly. ¡°It¡¯s the first time I¡¯ve ever been in a home like this. It feels like something out of a luxury magazine.¡±

    Nathan smiled a little. ¡°You¡¯re wee to visit anytime you want.¡±

    I shook my head. ¡°No, that¡¯s not appropriate,¡± I told him promptly. ¡°I¡¯ll onlye whenever you ask me to.¡±

    He chuckled. It didn¡¯t sound mocking, but rather pleasant. ¡°Okay, I understand.¡±

    I followed him back to the living room. I still couldn¡¯t take my eyes off the ce. It was so luxurious and full of technology, like I had stepped into a whole new world. My cheap apartment could neverpare to something like this.

    ¡°I have something to confess,¡± Nathan suddenly said as he sat down on the couch, gesturing for me to sit down as well.

    ¡°Yeah?¡± I asked, looking at him solemnly. I wondered what he was going to say.

    ¡°I¡¯m¡­¡± He hesitated for a moment. ¡°About my identity. And my position at work. I think that you deserve to know.¡±

    ¡°Um, not really,¡± I said without hesitation. ¡°I mean, if you¡¯re notfortable with telling me, it¡¯s fine.¡±

    ¡°Nah. I want to do this. I don¡¯t want to keep you in the dark for too long.¡±

    He let out a short breath.

    ¡°Have you ever heard of NA Games, Inc.?¡±

    ¡°NA Games?¡± I repeated, surprised.¡±Yes, of course. Wait¡­ are you telling me that you¡¯re¡­?¡±

    I didn¡¯t need to finish my question.

    Nathan nodded.

    ¡°I work there,¡± he said. ¡°As its CEO, in fact.¡±

    ¡°As its what?!¡±

    I couldn¡¯t believe what I was hearing. I must¡¯ve heard wrong, right?

    ¡°It¡¯s the truth,¡± he said, affirming my doubts.

    ¡°But¡­¡± I didn¡¯t know how to respond. ¡°NA Games¡¯ CEO has never revealed his face in public.¡±

    Wait a minute.

    NA¡­Text ? owned by N?velDrama.Org.

    Nathaniel Adams.

    Oh my god.

    I¡¯d been such an idiot.

    ¡°Yeah.¡± A wry smile yed on his lips. ¡°I¡¯ve never really been fond of being under the spotlight. Plus, it¡¯s easier that way. The less people know my face, the better. I can go wherever I wish without anybody recognizing me.¡±

    I stared at him, open-mouthed. ¡°No way¡­ My brother loves your games!¡± I eximed.

    He seemed surprised. ¡°Thepany¡¯s games, you mean?¡±

    ¡°Yeah!¡± I could feel the excitement slowly coursing through my veins. I wasn¡¯t a gamer myself, but after finally putting a face to the prominent figure in the video game industry, I felt like I was meeting face-to-face with a celebrity.

    No wonder he was this rich! Only the top wealthy people could afford a condo unit of this standard. It all made sense now.

    Oh my god. I was interacting with a CEO. What kind of sorcery was this?

    Was I dreaming?

    Such an important man offered to buy my time? Little, ordinary me?

    ¡°He loves the Eden Shadow series,¡± I added.

    Nathan¡¯s eyes lit up. ¡°Personally, I loved what the development team and story did with the world building. I can say it¡¯s one of my favorite games I¡¯ve had the pleasure of greenlighting.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ve never yed it, but I admit that I was taken in by the graphics and the characters,¡± I said with a smile.

    Despite being starstruck, it was refreshing to know his true identity and also to realize that he was so passionate about his work.

    The pieces of the puzzle were finally falling into ce. I remembered the article I had read in the taxi that day, specifically the night Nathan saved me from those men. It was an article about the CEO of NA Games Inc. recovering from an illness. Nathan had mentioned that he was still recovering the day we first met, so the facts checked out.

    ¡°It¡¯s still a pleasure to have caught the attention of a non-gamer,¡± Nathan said, making meugh a little.

    ¡°My brother¡¯s most favorite is the Vital Sword series, by the way,¡± I told him.

    Nathan was beaming. ¡°The sequel will be out this year, but I can give him a free copy if you want.¡±

    ¡°What? No, it¡¯s okay. You don¡¯t have to do that,¡± I said, feeling a little embarrassed. He didn¡¯t even know Ken, so it would be awkward if he gave him a free copy out of the blue. Besides, Ken would definitely ask me how I got a copy when the CD wasn¡¯t even out in stores yet, either physically or digitally.

    ¡°That¡¯s okay,¡± Nathan said with a smile. ¡°I¡¯ve got a few extra copies with me. Even though I¡¯m not part of the beta testing department, I tend to y the games extensively from time to time to check for bugs and graphical issues. The copies that I currently have are the ones that were finalized. I¡¯m really okay with giving them out.¡±

    ¡°But it¡¯s moreplicated than that,¡± I protested. ¡°I can¡¯t just get a free gift from you. My brother¡¯s going to ask me a lot of questions, too. It doesn¡¯t feel right.¡±

    Nathan looked at me for a moment. There was no anger or annoyance in his features. Rather, his expression was one of contemtion.

    Then he gave me a warm smile.

    ¡°Okay,¡± he said simply. ¡°Then, in exchange for the free physical copy of the game, please watch a movie with me today.¡±

 Chapter 24: Iéˆ¥æª’l Cook For You

    I blinked. A movie?

    ¡°Pardon?¡± I said hesitantly. Of all the things that I thought he would suggest, it was definitely not this one.

    ¡°To be honest, I invited you here because I was lonely and I wanted to watch this new movie with someone,¡± Nathan admitted. ¡°I don¡¯t have many friends, and the only ones I do have are working abroad.¡±

    ¡°Oh. I mean, watching a movie is fine, sure,¡± I assured him. ¡°Um¡­ I like the idea of doing something in exchange, but this feels a little too trivial?¡±

    ¡°It is? Then should I add something more?¡± He looked thoughtful for a moment. ¡°You¡¯re free all day today, right?¡±

    I nodded.

    ¡°Okay. Then, after the movie, watch one season of an anime series with me,¡± he said brightly.

    I wanted to groan reflexively, but I quickly held myself back.

    I didn¡¯t hate anime. In fact, I loved it when I was a teenager, and I used to watch a lot of them with my siblings. Ken still loved to watch anime, while Louisa would watch it with him from time to time during the holidays.

    But as time went by and I got older, I got tired of watching shows like that. Not only anime, but also movies and TV shows. I would get bored easily, especially during sci-fi and fantasy movies. I usually couldn¡¯t watch more than two or three episodes of TV shows.

    Maybe it was because I was getting old. I didn¡¯t know.

    The only things I watched were short online videos and some tutorials and documentaries. Most of the time, I watched speedpaint videos.

    As for stimting my creative brain, I would read fantasy novels instead. I had always been an avid reader, after all.

    So, watching movies and anime, which was also ssified as a TV show ¨C and one whole season at that ¨C with someone, even if it was with Nathan or my family, was probably going to end up with me falling asleep in the middle.

    But this was Nathan, and I was technically obligated to do the things he asked, so I had no choice but to ept. Not only that, but he even offered me a free physical copy of Ken¡¯s favorite game. It was a good suggestion since I don¡¯t usually like to watch TV.

    But it didn¡¯t feel enough for some reason¡­

    ¡°Deal,¡± I told him. ¡°But I want to add a few more since I know that the CD probably costs a good chunk of my own wallet.¡±

    ¡°What would you like to suggest?¡±

    I pondered over the possibilities in my head. ¡°How about I cook lunch for you, too? I can even throw in something extra for dinner. Have you already eaten breakfast?¡±

    He looked visibly surprised by this. ¡°Cook?¡± he repeated. ¡°You¡¯re offering to cook for me?¡±

    I nodded. Then it hit me. ¡°Oh, sorry,¡± I apologized. ¡°Have you already cooked for yourself?¡±

    ¡°No¡­¡± he said slowly. ¡°I actually didn¡¯t eat breakfast yet. I was nning to order us some food¡­¡±

    ¡°What? Then what have you been eating for the past few years of living alone?¡± I asked in surprise. Surely he didn¡¯t only rely on takeout food and room service¡­

    ¡°I order food. That¡¯s it.¡±

    I knew it.

    ¡°Are you a picky eater?¡± I couldn¡¯t help but ask.

    ¡°I like to eat meat most of the time, but I can eat anything that¡¯s avable.¡±

    ¡°Only meat? What about sds and vegetables?¡±

    ¡°I eat sds whenever I¡¯m in a hurry.¡±

    ¡°That can¡¯t be healthy. I should really cook for you in return.¡± I held up a hand when he opened his mouth to seemingly protest. ¡°It¡¯s fine. I want to do this. I just need the ingredients. Do you have some here?¡±

    He rubbed the back of his head, looking sheepish. ¡°I recall my aunt stocking up the fridge about two weeks ago. I¡¯m not sure what exactly she put in there, though.¡±

    ¡°Well, as long as you have some ingredients, I¡¯m good. I can probably whip up a few recipes. Can I use your kitchen?¡±

    ¡°Huh? Oh, sure. Help yourself.¡±

    I could feel Nathan¡¯s stare as I made my way towards the kitchen.

    It looked clean. Too clean, in fact. It was pretty obvious that the owner rarely cooked in here. The cooking oil container on the shelf was full, the frying pans were as clean as if they had never been used, and the numerous spices and seasonings looked as if they had just been purchased.

    Then again, he was a CEO. It was understandable that he was too busy to cook, especially for himself. So I knew that most of the time it was convenient to just order takeout.

    ¡°You don¡¯t have any servants?¡± I asked as I opened the fridge. To my surprise, it really was fully stocked. His aunt pretty much went all the way.

    I bet that all of them were premium ingredients, too. Damn. Rich people were on a whole other level.This content belongs to N?/velDra/ma.Org .

    ¡°No,¡± he responded. ¡°My aunt always wanted me to try cooking for myself, but I¡¯m afraid Ick the necessary talent.¡±

    I couldn¡¯t help but chuckle at that. ¡°So you¡¯re not so perfect after all, huh?¡±

    There was a moment of silence that I barely noticed because I was too busy sifting through the vegetables. Since they were well refrigerated and there didn¡¯t seem to be any signs of wilting yet, I figured they were in good condition.

    I took some out of the fridge and started thinking about what to cook.

    Since I was used to living alone, I would only cook dishes that I could consume in one day. However, I tended not to cook too much because I wanted to save as much money as possible.

    Right now, I was in a CEO¡¯svish condo unit, so making a small dish was out of the question. Since there were two of us, and his pte was probably as expensive as this ce¡­

    ¡°You think I¡¯m perfect?¡±

    His voice from behind me immediately snapped me out of my thoughts. I turned around with my eyes wide open and saw him suddenly standing in front of me, watching me with an odd expression on his face.

    I worded it as ¡®odd¡¯ because he didn¡¯t seem to be angry or annoyed, but he didn¡¯t seem happy, either. It was like a line between gentle and tense, and I had no way of knowing what his thoughts were at this very moment.

    ¡°What?¡± I said dumbly. I didn¡¯t quiteprehend his words the first time since I got too distracted by his voice.

    ¡°You think that I¡¯m perfect?¡± he repeated.

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