Chapter 6: The Lakehouse

"Where are we going now?" Haylee asked in worried.

"You know, that's the third time you ask me that question," Niel replied plainly.

'This girl is super insecure. Didn't I had brought her to the best place so far? You just wait. I'll show you the lakehouse. Can't wait to see your face if I throw the house key on your lap," He was thinking in annoyance.

He drove towards the suburban area and about twenty minutes later, he entered a private area by going through a large electric gate. There was a big pavement road lead inside of the area and there was a lot of tall trees covering the pavement road from sunlight. He drove more further inside and at the end of the road, there was a big house made from glass and woods. The back of the house was built on a lake and the front part was built on the land. There was also a small guest house on the right side of the big house.

Niel stopped his car. He was silent for a moment. He looked at Haylee who was silent too beside him. She looked at the house in amazement. It was a modern lakehouse. He suddenly threw a ring of keys on her lap.

"That over there is the lakehouse. The house that my grandma gave me before. Now it's your house," he said to her while pointing his finger towards the luxurious lakehouse.

"What?" She looked at him in sceptical. Her hand picked up the keys on her lap.

'Is he being serious right now? Why would he even do that?' She wondered.

"Let's get off from the car. It's getting late. It's almost dusk. We'll have dinner inside and I'll introduce you to everyone,' Niel said.

He leaned closer to her to open the door beside her from inside. His body was so close to Haylee that she could smell his seductively masculine scent piercing through her nose. Niel quickly got out of the car and Haylee followed him. He grabbed her hand and dragged her towards the front door, then he took out another ring of keys from his pocket to open the door.

Haylee looked at the keys he had just given her before, but Niel had the keys to the house too.

"Is this the spare keys?" She asked him spontaneously while showing the keys in her hand to him. Niel just nodded.

The door was opened and now they both entered the house. Niel couldn't help but felt like they were a newlywed couple. He gazed at Haylee who was looking around the house in amazement.

'I told you before, you shouldn't be sad to leave your awful house. I'll give you a better one,' he muttered in his heart feeling absolutely contented.

"I can't possibly live here. This is too much. Why are you helping me anyways? We never even talk before," Haylee suddenly refused to live inside the house.

She felt absolutely weird that Niel would allow her to live there. They didn't even know much about each other, even though they've been classmates for over two years.

"Then, would you rather sleep on the street like a homeless person?" Niel got annoyed.

"Of course not. But you can lend me some money so that I can rent a room. Then maybe later, I can find a part-time job to pay you back."

"Why would you even need to work? I can afford to pay everything for you. Just focus on your study."

'Did I hear it wrong again? He wants to pay everything for me? But, why?' Haylee was confused. She stared intensely at Niel, and Niel looked back at her with his face full of dissatisfaction.

'This little girl! I gave her everything and she still wants to live poorly. How ungrateful,' Niel murmured in his heart.

Just then, a man in his early forties entered the house with his hands full of shopping bags.

"Good evening, Master. I'm sorry I'm late,"  he greeted Niel and bowed down his body as a sign of respect.

"There you are. Come here. I'll introduce you to Baby Girl," Niel replied.

'Baby Girl, again? Is he really going to stick calling me that?' Haylee was displeased. She turned her gaze towards the man that was walking closer to them.

"Ben, this is Haylee Johnson. And Haylee, this is Ben. He's my butler. He's the one helping me dealing with my personal affairs." Niel introduced both of them simultaneously.

"Good evening, Miss Johnson. Nice to meet you," Ben said and bowed down his body to her as well.

"Nice to meet you too..." Haylee replied politely and bowed down to Ben too.

It was a very awkward situation. She instantly felt like a big Madam of the house. It never crossed her little mind before that someone as old as Ben would talk to her in respect. Indeed, Niel's lifestyle was very rare.

"Master, I had prepared what you asked before. The new school uniforms and the new textbooks for Miss Johnson," Ben said to Niel while he showed the stuff to them.

Haylee looked at the uniforms he mentioned about. They were female school uniforms. 'Are those for me?' She wondered. Ben gave her the shopping bag containing the school uniforms and she quickly took them out. There were a total of five sets of the school uniforms.

"Why are there five here? I only need at most two. What about the old school uniform that I left at the boutique before?" Haylee asked inquisitively.

"One uniform for each day, for five days. That's why there are five of them. And your old uniform, I told Mary to throw it away," Niel answered her.

Haylee gasped in disbelief. She was speechless.

"What? Why?" Haylee felt dissatisfied.

"It's dirty and old. So why bother keeping it?"

"Haven't you heard about washing machines before? I can wash it."

Niel laughed sarcastically at her again. 'Wash clothes? You? I'll never let you do that,' he mumbled in his heart.

"I have never seen or touched such a machine before," He replied to Haylee jokingly, intending to tease her.

Haylee grabbed his hands and examined them thoroughly. His hands were soft as if he never did any house chores before. She then released them hard, causing Niel's hands to swing back at him in a very rude way.

'He's a brat and spoiled kid,' she muttered in displeased internally.