Clara's heart lurched.
Across her vision, the stream of comments continued to unfurl:
[Lucas Vane doesn't trust the rival; he's already driven downstairs!]
[Wait—doesn't that mean he'll run straight into Adrian Whitmore?]
[Hold on! It's not just the male lead outside—Clara's foster sister has arrived too, and she's brought Clara's brother with her!]
[My word, this is thrilling!]
[Perfect! Once Lucas discovers the rival's indiscretions, he'll have every reason to annul the engagement and be free to claim the true heroine!]
The comments rejoiced, but Clara's stomach dropped like a stone.
If her brother collided with Lucas downstairs, her carefully spun lie would unravel in an instant. Not only would she lose the address of her foster mother's clinic, but she would also enrage her brother into cutting off the funds for her mother's care.
Clara slapped her own cheeks lightly.
Calm down, calm down. There must be a way.
Forcing herself into composure, she resolved to hurry down and intercept Pearl and her brother. At least then she could secure her mother's whereabouts. As for Lucas—
The worst outcome was simply the breaking of the engagement.
With that thought, Clara moved to the entryway. The sound of rushing water drifted from the bathroom, and, without thinking, she tilted her head.
The apartment had been decorated under the guidance of both families' elders, laced with intentional details—such as the frosted glass bathroom door. Behind its hazy glow, the amber light revealed a distinct silhouette.
[Good heavens! Those shoulders, that waist, those legs—perfection!]
[The one above is deranged.]
[Crude words, but not untrue…]
[In another life, may we all be online friends again—what a sight!]
Clara tore her eyes away, cheeks burning. This was no time for such thoughts. Her mission now was to stop her brother.
She opened the door—then froze.
Two young men stood outside, one in blue, the other in yellow.
"Ah—sister-in-law, you're home." The round-faced boy in yellow looked startled, a stack of beer in his arms. "We were just about to knock."
The taller one in blue held a box of soft drinks. He inclined his head politely. "Sister-in-law."
It took Clara a moment, relying on their voices rather than faces, to recognize them—Sebastian Kane's dorm mates, Jun and Zane.
[Where's the male lead?]
[He couldn't bring himself to return to the apartment, so he asked his brothers to carry up some drinks as an excuse to check whether Clara was home. He's waiting in the garage below.]
[What? Then we've missed a spectacular scene!]
[Not at all—Pearl and the brother are already on their way up. The rival is about to be caught red-handed!]
[This chaos is delicious—bring the wine!]
Clara's spine tightened, breath shallow.
Then, behind her, a voice drawled—
"Who's here?"
The bathroom door opened. Adrian emerged, clad in nothing but a dusky rose towel wrapped at his waist. Droplets trailed down his bare skin as his gaze met the two men at the doorway.
For a breathless instant, eight eyes locked across the threshold. Air froze solid.
Just down the corridor, Pearl's heart leapt. Though she could not see inside, she could hear a man's voice distinctly.
"How strange," she whispered, lips curling. "That doesn't sound like Brother Lucas at all."
"What did you say?" her brother asked sharply.
Pearl faltered, lowering her voice. "When Clara sent you that photo earlier, I saw it too. But the silhouette… it didn't quite look like Brother Lucas. Perhaps I was mistaken—please don't dwell on it."
Brow furrowed, he stared at the photo on his phone. If the man wasn't Lucas, then who was he?
Footsteps echoed closer down the corridor. Clara's pulse thundered.
She forced a semblance of calm. "Thank you. Just set the boxes down."
Jun blinked. Set down? As if I were a delivery boy?
Meanwhile Adrian, unbothered, poured himself a glass of water. When Jun still lingered, Adrian's cold eyes swept over him. "Won't you sit?"
Jun nearly choked. Caught in an affair, and he's this calm?
Clara, startled, asked, "You… know each other?"
"Of course we do, we—" Jun began, only to be cut off by Zane tugging at his sleeve.
"What a coincidence," Zane interjected smoothly. "Didn't expect to see you both here. We'll leave these and go. Another meal together next time."
He placed the drinks and beer neatly inside and pulled Jun away.
[What just happened?]
[I didn't understand a thing.]
[Neither did I. Why drag him away like that?]
[Honestly, with their blue and yellow shirts, they really do look like delivery boys.]
Clara's palms dampened with sweat. She knew Jun—innocent, outspoken, easily roused to indignation. Zane, on the other hand, was brilliant, perceptive, with a mind far sharper than most.
By emphasizing her face-blindness, she had planted the notion that she had mistaken Adrian for Lucas. Zane would never gamble on such a dangerous revelation. He would protect silence.
Adrian, though—his composure unsettled her. To be caught half-dressed with his roommate's fiancée and still exude unshaken calm… Truly, he bore the ease of one used to dangerous games.
She bent to shift the boxes from the doorway, only for Adrian to lift them effortlessly. Clara's gaze landed, unbidden, on his chest—fresh from a hot shower, skin gleaming, steam rising like mist. Her eyes darted lower, to the towel about his waist, the cartoon bear stretched comically across the fabric. She sucked in a breath.
So this was the capital of a top courtesan? Indeed… considerable.
"Do you know them?" Adrian's voice murmured above her.
Clara startled. "W-we didn't—last night nothing—"
"I meant Jun and Zane," Adrian said, lifting his gaze with deliberate ease. His lips curved. "Baby, what exactly were you referring to?"
Baby.
The word struck her like fire, flushing her skin scarlet.
Mortified, she stumbled over her words. "I—I'll fetch you some clothes."
…
Outside in the corridor, Jun whispered furiously, "Why did you stop me?"
Zane's eyes flicked toward the shadows. "Clara is face-blind. You've forgotten Lucas's wager, haven't you?"
Jun stiffened. "You mean… she mistook him?"
"Exactly."
"But why would Adrian—" His eyes widened. "Unless he too seeks that Cullinan Lucas wagered?"
Everyone knew of the bet: Lucas offering his eight-million-dollar Rolls-Royce as a prize for anyone who could seduce Clara.
Jun's face darkened. "How pitiful she is. I heard she nursed Lucas through his accident, yet he dares test her loyalty? She deserves better."
Zane only murmured, "The moon shines high, but not for one alone."
Before Jun could reply, footsteps drew nearer. Zane cut him off. "Say nothing. We never saw Adrian."
Jun nodded grimly.
…
Inside, Clara received a message—her eyes widened. It was the clinic's address. Her brother had believed her. Relief surged, lightening her steps as she returned to the living room.
Adrian reclined against the sofa, watching her. She had changed into a soft home dress, her dark hair loose, curling gently over her shoulders. Her smile carried the sweetness of dimples, her face luminous.
She handed him folded clothes, explaining, "They're new. My… boyfriend hasn't worn them yet."
Adrian's gaze sharpened at the word. "Boyfriend?" He let out a low laugh. "You must like him very much."
She nodded.
Adrian said nothing more, only extended his hand. "Apply the medicine."
Obligingly, Clara knelt before him, tending the cut with a cotton swab dipped in iodine. Her lashes lowered like the wings of a bird, her breath brushing against his skin.
Adrian's gaze lingered on her—her modest dress, her careful poise, her guileless air. And yet, beneath the wide sleeves, beneath the innocence, was a softness that lured like honey.
A cool breath touched his wound as she blew on it gently. His lips curved.
When she finished, she smiled faintly. "There. It's late. You should go. And thank you—for what you did at the café."
Go?
His fingers twitched. Then, without warning, he caught her waist and drew her onto his lap. Her dress gathered in creases, riding up to reveal her slender ankle, pale and delicate as porcelain.
"What are you doing?" she gasped.
His hand traced upward, voice low and edged with heat.
"I have professional standards. What I left unfinished yesterday, I'll complete tonight."