Chapter 10

Cassidy had always been a goody-two-shoes. Growing up, she had never given Kate much reason to worry. If she had to name the most outrageous thing she had ever done, it was probably falling in love with Stefan at first sight and secretly liking him for more than a year. Stefan was simply too attractive. His deep-set eyes were magnetic, and his straight nose made his side profile striking. His features were so refined that they looked as if God himself had sculpted them. Whether he wore a tailored suit or a casual shirt, he pulled it off with effortless ease. For a teenage girl who had just started to yearn for love and develop crushes, it was nearly impossible to remain unmoved by a face like that. Still, the huge gap in wealth between them robbed Cassidy of her courage to confess her feelings. On top of that, she had a lot on her plate academically at the time. In order to get into a good university, she had to bury those feelings deep in her heart. Even though Cassidy didn't go to Zoe's home very often, Stefan just happened to be there every time she went. So, they had their fair share of running into each other. Occasionally, when their eyes met by accident, she would blush and quickly look away. Cassidy had a dream when she was sound asleep. In the dream, she returned to her high school days. She saw herself wearing the white-and-blue school uniform that looked simple and plain. It was her first time visiting the Archer residence. She followed Zoe into the villa. When she saw the luxurious, beautiful house before her, she was filled with a deep sense of admiration and inferiority at the same time. Her fingers tightened around the straps of her backpack, and she suddenly felt nervous. Before coming, she had known Zoe's family was wealthy, but she had never expected they were this wealthy. The garden in front of their villa alone was larger than several school basketball courts combined. It was the height of summer. Flowers of every color bloomed in competition. The breeze carried their fragrance as butterflies fluttered among the blossoms. The scene looked like something straight out of a fairy tale. The swimming pool behind the villa was filled with clean water. With its sky-blue tiles, the pool was a stunning shade of cerulean. Cassidy trailed after Zoe self-consciously, taking awkward, careful steps. As they passed the pool, a loud splash rang out. Someone suddenly emerged from the water, startling her. Stunned, Cassidy stood still as their eyes met. She saw a face so handsome that it knocked the wind out of her. The 20-year-old Stefan had deep-set eyes that gave off an air of aloofness. His hair was soaked, water dripping from the strands and catching the sunlight. The image of him was thus seared into her mind and heart. That was the first time she met Stefan. The first word he had ever said to her was just a simple "Hello." The scene shifted and morphed into Zoe's birthday party after the SAT. Cassidy saw Stefan in a sharp suit standing beside Beatrice Cooke, who wore a high-end designer gown. Given their outstanding looks, they looked like a match made in heaven. They attracted everyone's attention that day. She felt her heart breaking into pieces at that moment. Every breath she took inflicted a sense of suffocating pain deep in her lungs until her chest ached faintly. The pain was so vivid that she woke up and stared at the ceiling in a daze. For a moment, she felt disoriented. Cassidy had no idea why she had dreamed about high school again. Perhaps it was because she had spent more time around Stefan last night. She was with him before falling asleep, so her mind somehow featured him in her dreams. She lay in bed for a while, and her eyes gradually focused. The dream had ended, but reality was even more stifling and painful. Cassidy sat up and let out a heavy sigh. The first thing she did was check her phone to see if she had any missed calls or messages from Kate. She scrolled through quickly and saw that there were none. There was only one missed call from Isaac, and the other three were from Shawn's wife. Cassidy frowned at that and decided not to call her back. Early that morning at the police station, after Stefan finished speaking with the officers, Shawn had been officially placed under investigation for attempted sexual assault. Under pressure from Stefan, Shawn had reluctantly settled Cassidy's wages for the month on the spot. His wife was either calling to curse her out or to beg her for help. Either way, Cassidy didn't want to hear it. She had already been paid, and she would never go back to work for them again. She didn't want any further contact with them and decisively blocked her number. After washing up, she checked the time and saw that it was 1:00 pm. She hadn't slept for long, so she had a slight headache. When Cassidy opened the bedroom door, she saw two bags placed outside. Inside were the clothes and pants she had worn the day before. From the living room came Stefan's cool voice. "The hotel staff took your clothes and washed them." It was his way of explaining that he hadn't touched her belongings. Stefan had always been careful with boundaries. He was probably worried she wouldn't have anything to wear today, which was why he had the staff wash them. Cassidy thanked him softly. She took the clothes and went back into the bedroom to get changed. Then, she called Kate to ask if she had eaten. Kate said that a caregiver had helped get her some food. That caught Cassidy off guard. "A caregiver?" "Yes. Didn't you hire one?" Kate replied. Cassidy stepped out of the bedroom with her phone, still on the call. Stefan was sitting on the couch in the living room with a laptop on his lap. He seemed to be working. She walked up to him and mouthed the word "caregiver", to which Stefan nodded slightly in response. Only then did Cassidy relax. After hanging up, she looked at Stefan, her eyes flickering with a complicated mix of emotions. "Thank you for hiring a caregiver for my mom," Cassidy said. Stefan kept his eyes on the screen. His fingers tapped away on the keyboard as he replied monotonously, "It was nothing." "Again, sorry for causing you so much trouble this morning," Cassidy added, pursing her lips. The moment Stefan finished replying to a message, he looked up at her. She had already changed back into her clothes from the day before and had even put on her coat. It was obvious she was about to leave. "Heading out?" he asked. "Yes," she replied. "I don't want to be a bother or cause you any further inconvenience. I'm going to the hospital to see my mom." There was no visible emotion in his eyes as he replied evenly, "Alright. I'll have someone take you." "There's no need. I can just take the bus." Cassidy declined politely. But before she finished speaking, Stefan had already made a call. She heard him tell the driver to come to the hotel. He allowed no room for refusal. Cassidy pressed her lips together and lowered her gaze. She said nothing further. While waiting for the driver, she sat awkwardly in the single armchair beside him. Stefan was wearing a pair of headphones and fully focused on his laptop. Cassidy thought she shouldn't disturb him. She stayed quiet, but Stefan glanced at her and said, "There's food on the table." Cassidy paused for a bit before thanking him and going over to the dining table. There was a plate of taco bites with some dipping sauce beside it. She picked one up and took a bite. Instantly, her eyes lit up. She could tell the taco bites were from Lucio's Tacos, which was her favorite taco restaurant. It was an old shop that had been around for about seven or eight years. The tacos were always made fresh with quality ingredients. They didn't do delivery, and one had to go to the shop in person. Cassidy turned around to look at Stefan. But from where she was, she could only see the back of his head. Did he like Lucio's Tacos too? Maybe it was Zoe who had recommended it to him. Back in high school, she had strongly recommended that restaurant to Zoe. Later on, Zoe had fallen in love with it as well. Not long after she finished eating, the driver arrived. As Cassidy passed Stefan on her way out, she said, "Goodbye… Stefan." On the laptop screen, a group of corporate executives, who were in the middle of an online meeting with Stefan, stared at each other in shock. Had they misheard? There was a young woman speaking from the CEO's end, and she called him "Stefan" in such a sweet voice. This was shocking news. Had Stefan finally come to his senses and found himself a woman?