Larissa received many congratulations for her successful attempt at defending her honor and vindicating herself.The general manager called her as well and informed her that he was appealing directly to his superiors for her reinstatement and that she would most probably be able to return to work at the Regal Dynasty the week after.Larissa thanked him.…On Saturday morning, Larissa received a call from Kevan.He was already waiting for her downstairs.Larissa didn't want to make him wait for too long, so she merely changed into a set of new clothes without tidying herself up or putting on makeup. She left the house after that.Kevan was the only one in the car, so Larissa naturally sat in the passenger's seat."Is Dylan not coming with us?" she asked.Kevan's fingers tightened around the steering wheel.The first thing she asked about was Dylan—how maddening."He's not coming," he replied coldly.Larissa hummed in acknowledgment. "Did you have breakfast yet?" she continued."Nope." H
"What?" Kevan asked in confusion."Your face—" Larissa's laugh was a little forced.Kevan immediately understood her meaning and raised his hand to wipe his face.But when he removed his hand and looked at it, there was nothing there."Not there—" Larissa leaned forward and brushed away the smudge on his face with two fingers.Her fingertips were warm against his skin. Even though the interaction lasted less than two seconds, it still made his body temperature skyrocket.His blood seemed to have all rushed to his brain, staining the skin above his neck red.Kevan thanked her again, but his voice was hoarser than it was the first time.He pulled out two pieces of tissue and handed them to Larissa. "Here, wipe your hands."Having said that, he straightened his posture and started the car once more.…Because they'd left so early, they did not encounter any traffic. The journey from the city center to Starry Mountain had only taken them approximately two hours.Starry Mountain was a highl
Larissa was so tired that her exhaustion and anger gradually overpowered her rationality, so much that she no longer cared about the disparities between her and Kevan's social status, which consequently made her lose her fear of him."I just have ten dollars," Kevan told her without a hint of guilt on his face.The price of one cable car ticket was twelve dollars.Larissa was rendered speechless.Eyeing the endless mountainous terrain, she carefully replaced the cap of the mineral water before supporting herself up by holding onto the metal railings on both sides of the trail."Let's go," she said weakly.Kevan stood unmoving."Are you sure?" He raised his brows, the doubt in his voice apparent."We have to get to the top before we get hungry anyway." Larissa squeezed the bottle with one hand and grabbed the metal railings with another, plowing ahead with her head down.Kevan jogged in front of her and blocked her path."What?" Larissa looked at him, puzzled.Kevan switched his bottle
That simple sentence felt like it had saved her life. Immediately, Larissa forced her eyes open.The summit stretched ahead of her, and there were no longer any tormenting stairs in sight."Mr. Rogers!" A man dressed in Starville's uniform rushed over and held a large, black umbrella above Kevan's head."Are you alright? Do we need to send a car over for you?"The summit had rather spacious roads. Some of the hotels on the mountain would send over their own electric cars the size of golf carts to the cable car station to transport their guests with large items and luggage.Kevan was fine with walking there himself, but Larissa—She'd long stood back up on her feet, and was pulled under the umbrella by him.She still looked tired, but she no longer looked as sluggish as she was before. She seemed to have regained some energy since their arrival."Do you want to take a car?" he asked her.Larissa nodded.It wasn't that she couldn't walk. It was just that Kevan was completely soaked, and
Larissa went straight into the bathroom to take a shower.After hiking up this mountain, her clothes had been soaked by her sweat, her disheveled appearance on par with Kevan's.She changed into a dry, casual outfit before going over and knocking on Kevan's door.Because of her, it was way past lunchtime when they arrived, and the little bit of breakfast she'd had that morning had already been depleted by the intense physical activities she'd been forced to perform.Larissa's stomach grumbled, and she guessed that Kevan felt the same, so she decided to invite him downstairs to get lunch together.Kevan did not open the door. Instead, he asked through the door separating them, "What is it?""Do you want to go get lunch?" Larissa asked him."You go. I'm not hungry," he replied."Oh, okay—" Larissa was a little disappointed, although she couldn't exactly tell why.…Larissa ordered two servings of food. She ate one of them and brought the other back to their room.Even though Kevan had sa
He seemed to be calling out for someone, and that name…was exactly the same as her nickname.Larissa's heart rate accelerated.She clutched her chest and straightened her body. "Don't overthink. Do not overthink—" There were so many people in this world that shared the same name as her. Who knew which one of those people he was calling out for?As if he were trapped in a nightmare, Kevan's brows knitted even tighter, his expression becoming increasingly panicked."Lari, don't go!" He almost shouted this with all of his remaining strength, his voice pitiful and desperate.Larissa had never seen him look so fragile before. Suddenly, she felt a little sad for him as well, her heart wringing with pain.Kevan's arms emerged from below the covers and flailed about the bed. His fingers clenched and unclenched, as if he were trying to search for something around him.Instinctively, Larissa reached out.As soon as Kevan's hands touched hers, he caught her arm and squeezed it, the mere force of
Larissa wasn't the only one who was shocked. The doctor who'd been standing on one side dropped the needle he had been holding upon Kevan's sudden bellow.Larissa froze, her heart stopping for two seconds and her mind going completely blank.When he'd finally identified the person standing in front of him, Kevan's rationality returned, and the ice in his eyes slowly dissipated.The tautness in his mind earlier relaxed as well, followed by a wave of sluggish drowsiness that hit him almost at once. He forced his eyes to stay open as he asked, his voice hoarse and weak. "Why are you here?"She snapped out of her daze as well.She pointed to the doctor as she replied, "You have a fever. The doctor is here to see you."It was then that he noticed the unfamiliar, middle-aged man standing behind her."Do you still have the strength to unbutton your own shirt?" Larissa waved the thermometer in her hand. "I need to take your temperature."Kevan removed her hands from his own and answered truthf
"I have no appetite," Kevan replied."What about a little water?" She eyed his parched lips."Okay."There was an unopened bottle of mineral water in the room. Larissa twisted the cap off and handed the bottle to him, but Kevan did not take it."I don't have the strength to take it." He stared at her unblinkingly.Defeated, Larissa sat at the head of his bed. "I'll help you sit up then?"Kevan's eyes lit up. "Sure."Her arms slung around the back of his neck, holding onto it carefully as she supported his upper body.Kevan sipped the water she'd brought him, finding an unexpected hint of sweetness lingering on the tip of his tongue.When she helped him lie down after he was done, Larissa asked, "Do you still want to sleep?"Kevan was exhausted, and his eyelids were so heavy that he knew he wouldn't be able to open them again once he closed them.And yet, he didn't want to waste the precious time he got to spend with her alone, especially when he could play the patient card and have her