Although Cordy picked a thicker set of clothes, she still felt a little cold after putting them on.After musing on it for a while, she decided to go shopping for some thicker clothing with Sean.Just as she stepped out of her hotel room and entered the elevator, she saw a familiar figure inside, and was left lamenting that she had to run Lucas everywhere she went.Lucas was scowling when he saw her too, and muttered sarcastically under his breath, "You really know your timing."Cordy ignored him—there was nothing to say to despicable men like him.The elevator descended, stopping halfway as many guests swarmed inside, seemingly from a tour group of elderly women. Cordy was squeezed further inside the elevator, and one of the elderly women knocked into her.Cordy lost her balance, and fell squarely over Lucas.She didn’t need imagination to expect more sarcasm from the man, and even steeled herself for it…but it never came.She frowned, and straightened herself away from him
The elderly woman was still fuming. After moving away, she growled, "Youngsters these days… They leave their manners at home!"Not one to back down, Lucas retorted, "So you didn't turn senile with age. You're just rotten in the first place."Cordy watched as that elderly woman grew livid, and felt glad for a second—women of this type tend to throw the weight of their seniority around to disrespect everyone.Soon, the elevator reached the lobby, and the elderly woman left with the others in a huff.Cordy shifted, and Lucas quickly released her as if he touched something filthy. He didn’t forget to mock her. "Don't give yourself too much credit. You'd be pushed towards me if that woman kept pushing you—that's why I snapped at her. Also, I despise physical contact the most.""I never did," Cordy replied as she strode out of the elevator. She wanted to thank him, but then thought that it was unnecessary. She strode straight towards the hotel entrance, and caught a chilling breeze
Cordy had no idea how many times they ran into each other by chance since yesterday.And judging from the look in Lucas’s eyes, she knew that he must be thinking that she was following him.She promptly put a hand around Sean’s arm, who appeared surprised by her action.Cordy had never taken the initiative in the years since he met her. The sudden gesture made him smile, and the smile turned gloating as he turned to see Lucas. At the same time, Cordy scowled a little—Lucas had never been nice to her, and he was even prejudiced against her just because she allowed her eyes to linger on him a little yesterday at Maron's backstage lounge.Still, leaving a good impression was unnecessary when it came to strangers. So, she simply kept her hands around Sean and strode past Lucas.A shop assistant promptly received them, but Cordy didn’t have any style in mind since she just needed something warm. Thus, she told the shop assistant to pick a clothing article for her at random.The sh
Sean continued, "He really resembles John, and even carries his bearing. Are you really—""No, he doesn't," Cordy snapped, cutting him short. "You'd know that he and John have nothing in common if you had the displeasure of his acquaintance."Sean smiled faintly, actually surprised that the day would come when someone could push Cordy buttons to this extent.Nonetheless, they returned to his car; Sean took her straight to Cranston House.Cordy inhaled sharply. "Nervous?" Sean asked."No, just not used to it," she replied."Just come back more often, and you'd get used to it.""Don't bother talking me into it," Cordy said bluntly. "My mom left all those years ago, and that makes it very clear that this place isn't all that nice."Sean actually had nothing to say about that. His family was really nothing to brag about. Otherwise, his aunt—that is, Cordy's mother—wouldn’t have cut all ties with Sean's grandfather just to run away from home.As they strode into the front hall, t
The Cranstons all sat down together and enjoyed a calm, peaceful chat before having a meal together.Cordy's coat was much thicker now, but she still felt very cold and lethargic, which was why she kept yawning."Didn't sleep well last night?" Jesse asked in concern. "I've been saying that the hotel is bad, and you should stay here with us.""I worked a little late last night, so I didn't sleep at the usual hour," Cordy lied."Work never ends. Don't work yourself sick," Jesse told her."Yes, I’ll be careful.""Do you want to sleep in your room? I've had the servants prepare it for you, so you could stay here whenever you come back.""It's alright. I've agreed to have a business discussion with Maron later, so I’ll be leaving soon," Cordy excused herself.She actually didn’t like being in the company of such a big family, even if everyone was friendly. Naturally, that friendliness might be surface-level—or perhaps because she posed no threat to them. It didn’t hurt to be nice
When they arrived outside Platinum Club, Cordy alighted. Sean told her. "Call me anytime you need me. I'd be on standby 24/7 as long as you're in the capital.""Why are you being this nice?" Cordy blurted, unable to help herself. Most of the time, she could accept things as they were—or to put it bluntly, she didn’t regard it with that much importance. In other words, she was fine with however Sean would treat her.And yet, her curiosity suddenly got the better of her.Sean was in turn silent for a couple seconds before replying nonchalantly, "It's my first impression of you, I guess. You looked likeable when I first laid eyes on you."Cordy was speechless, but she would give a perfect score to that answer which answered nothing.The Cranstons were certainly as sly as foxes."Drive safe," she told him politely.Sean smiled, and drove away.He was being honest, but Cordy was obviously skeptical. However, his Aunt Evelyn might have played a huge role in that impression too.
Cordy was suddenly very angry.Strangely enough, she couldn’t control her own temper when it came to Lucas."Why did you buy it?" she demanded.Lucas smirked as he looked up at her. "You're such a funny person. I have my own freedom in deciding the clothes I would like to buy—or maybe you're suggesting I should ask for your opinion first?'"You knew I bought the same design.""That's your business. What does that have to do with me?" Lucas’s smirk widened. "I liked it, so I bought it. As for your opinion, Miss Sachs, I'm sorry, but we're not that close that your feelings are within my consideration."Cordy bit her lip, livid.However, she had no comeback against Lucas' words.And did he really grow up abroad? Why was his Zidonian so fluent?!"That just means you both share the same standards," Maron said, quickly trying to calm things down. "You two really are frontliners in fashion—I agree that the design of that coat is good, and I was just talking to Lucas about it."Cordy
It was a hotel staff member, who brought Cordy her medicine. "Miss Sachs, if your symptoms aren't easing even after taking the medicine, you may call our front desk. We’ll provide transport to take you to the hospital.""Okay, thank you." "You're welcome."Cordy closed the door. She never had the habit of going to the hospital, and would usually recover from minor colds with just some medicine.She boiled some water and took her medicine before getting in bed again.She shivered as she curled into a ball under her blanket. She already had layers of those, and she was almost suffocating from the pressure.She finally touched her forehead—why was this one so awful? How bad was her fever?It had been two hours since she took the medicine, but she wasn’t sweating at all; her body temperature wasn’t decreasing either.What was more, it hurt like hell.Cordy eventually gave in—it was the first time she needed the hospital for a cold. Picking up the phone, she called the front d