"..."

Mia Grant turned to look at Lee. Lee blinked, her expression purely innocent, completely unaware she’d said anything wrong.

"What did you say?" Lee’s nonchalant expression threw Mia Grant for a loop, making her wonder if she’d misheard.

Lee, genuinely thinking she hadn’t been heard, raised her voice slightly as she repeated herself. "The boss likes you so much. If anything happens, he’ll definitely protect you. He won’t just abandon you."

"..."

This time, she heard it perfectly clearly.

Mia Grant narrowed her eyes. Her expression flickered rapidly between surprise, confusion, and something rather intriguing.

It was a look that seemed to say, ’Well, well, well. I’ve finally got something on you.’

"He... said that himself?"

Lee shook her head. "Simon told me."

"Oh." Mia Grant sounded disappointed.

No one could resist a damsel in distress, and Lee was certainly no exception.

Seeing her reaction, Lee started spilling the beans. "But, but, Simon said the boss bought your photo! He spent a fortune on it."

"And he even cleared his schedule to go to your engagement party."

"Is that so."

"But I feel like he hates me."

"He’s just tricking you," Lee exclaimed, her tone exasperated, as if scolding a hopeless case. "He’s just a stubborn tsundere who won’t admit it. Why else would he move in with you?"

"Really?"

"Of course! I may be clueless when it comes to romance, but Simon is never wrong about this stuff!"

Mia Grant nodded, as if only half-understanding.

"When the boss truly hates someone, he’s definitely not like this."

"Has he ever had a girlfriend?"

"No. His family tried to set him up once, but it didn’t work out."

"Why not?" Mia Grant asked, curious.

"Because the woman said he was too caustic and was afraid his sharp tongue would be the death of her after they got married."

"BWAHAHAHAHAHA..." Mia Grant couldn’t help but burst out laughing.

"So, is he still single because he’s scarred from that experience?"

"I guess so. In any case, his family never tried setting him up again after that."

—

When Simon Adler returned, he only saw Lee.

"Where is she?"

Lee pointed upstairs.

Simon Adler took off his jacket, ready to head to his room to rest.

Lee hurried after him. "Oh, right, Boss. Miss Grant said you should go see her when you got back."

"Did she say what it was about?"

"Nope."

Without thinking much of it, Simon Adler knocked on Mia Grant’s door.

After waiting a moment, he knocked again a few more times.

When there was still no sound from inside, Simon Adler called out uncertainly, "Mia Grant?"

In the bathroom, Mia Grant finished drying her hair. She set down the hairdryer and walked out, adjusting her bathrobe as she went.

CLICK.

The door was pushed open from the outside.

Before Simon Adler could say anything, he heard singing drifting over from one side.

Humming an off-key tune, she walked through the doorway and into his line of sight.

Their eyes met. The singing stopped short.

Mia Grant froze. "How did you get in?"

Simon Adler stared at her for two seconds before abruptly turning his head away. "Ahem. Your bathrobe."

Mia Grant looked down and realized the sash of her robe had come loose.

She sucked in a breath and quickly turned her back to him. "Uh... just wait over there for a second. I’ll go change."

Fortunately, the walk-in closet was right next door. Mia Grant dropped the bottle of body lotion she was holding and scurried away barefoot.

When she came out again, the man was sitting ramrod straight on the sofa across from the bed. Hearing her footsteps, he looked up, a little uncomfortably.

The pajamas the Hughes Family had prepared for her were all frilly, lacy nightgowns, which looked a bit odd.

In the end, Mia Grant didn’t wear any of them. Instead, she found a sweater and a pair of pants.

Simon Adler’s eyes swept over her, discovering she was now bundled up from head to toe. Never mind her neck—not even her ankles were visible. She had even put on a pair of socks specifically.

"Tch." Simon Adler chuckled.

Mia Grant adjusted her turtleneck. "What are you looking at? Can’t be too careful."

"Then why did you ask me to come to your room? Do you have any idea what time it is?"

Mia Grant sat down across from him. "What else was I supposed to do? Is there a better place to talk privately? Besides the bedrooms and bathrooms, where in this entire house *isn’t* there a surveillance camera?"

"What did you want to see me for?"

"The old gentleman spoke with me tonight."

Simon Adler raised an eyebrow, motioning for her to continue.

"From the looks of it, I don’t think my life is in danger anymore."

Simon Adler wasn’t surprised. "I know. Didn’t I tell you? The old gentleman has taken a liking to you."

"But that was just you saying it. Why would I have believed you?"

"..." Simon Adler looked up. "Then why are you telling me this now?"

"Because now, I think I can trust you."

"..."

’This girl is really... strange,’ he thought.

’Are all young people like this these days? Their minds work in such strange ways.’

’Talking to her is exhausting.’

"To be honest, up until half an hour ago, my trust in you was practically zero. In my eyes, that contract we signed was worth about as much as a piece of scrap paper."

"You’re the one who said it. Don’t come crying to me later saying I didn’t give you a way out," Simon Adler said, wondering what she was getting at now.

Mia Grant nodded, then suddenly smiled. "But things are different now."

"My trust level in you..." She held out her hand, her fingers indicating a gap that had visibly grown.

"Why?" Simon Adler asked, confused. ’Did I do something today to earn her trust?’

’Doesn’t seem like it.’

’Their relationship was still lukewarm, barely a step up from complete strangers.’

’And it was a very small step at that.’

"Because I found out your secret."

"?"

Simon Adler frowned.

The little fox across from him was smiling mischievously. It didn’t look like she was bluffing.

She looked for all the world like she really had some leverage over him.

Simon Adler hadn’t been too concerned at first, but seeing her smile like that, he suddenly felt a little unnerved.

He grew agitated. He wanted a cigarette but then remembered this was her room.

Instead, he just pulled a cigarette from the pack and stuck it between his lips, with no intention of lighting it.

Chewing on the filter, he racked his brain, trying to remember what secret he could possibly have that would make her this happy.

"Aren’t you going to take a guess?"

He glanced up lazily. "What’s it about?"

Mia Grant smiled. "Your love life."

Suddenly, the cigarette at his lips slipped. He caught it just a second before it could fall.

"Getting nervous? Looks like you’ve guessed what it is, huh?"

The room fell silent for a few seconds. Mia Grant thought he was no fun at all. She sighed in disappointment and opened her mouth to say, "That on your blind date, you were called caustic and that you’d be the death of..." 𝐟𝗿𝐞𝚎𝚠𝐞𝚋𝕟𝐨𝚟𝐞𝕝.𝕔𝕠𝚖

"Are you talking about the fact that I like you?"

"..."

Caught off guard, their voices collided.

Mia Grant’s voice died in her throat.

Realizing what had just happened, Simon Adler’s hand, the one holding the cigarette, clenched involuntarily.

Broken tobacco flakes scattered to the floor.

Mia Grant blinked. "Ah, so you were talking about..."

Simon Adler met her gaze, his brow furrowing in what looked like annoyance, and cut her off again. "Yes. I’m talking about liking you."