Chapter 7

When they walked out of the police station, snow had started to fall. It was Jervia's first snowfall of the year. The sky looked as if it were draped in a thin, gray veil. Snowflakes drifted down lightly, one by one. It looked like fine powdered sugar being sprinkled from the heavens. Cassidy trailed after Stefan, keeping a distance of two or three steps between them. She sniffed and said very despondently, "Sorry for the trouble today, Mr. Archer." "It's fine," Stefan replied. The biting wind blew flecks of snow into Cassidy's collar. She shuddered and pulled the zipper of her down jacket all the way up, tucking her chin inside. In a somewhat muffled voice, she said, "I'll find a way to pay you back for the bail." Stefan hummed lightly in response and walked toward the Maybach parked at the entrance. Cassidy followed him quietly. "I really didn't mean to hurt anyone. He was drunk and tried to take advantage of me," she explained softly. "I know," Stefan said, opening the passenger-side door. "Get in." He was dressed in a black overcoat and wore a pair of gold-rimmed glasses. His face remained expressionless and distant. Cassidy sat stiffly in the seat. "Thank you, Mr. Archer." Stefan got into the driver's seat. He had driven himself today. Feeling embarrassed for troubling him, Cassidy said quietly, "I'm really sorry to bother you at this hour." "It's fine," he replied evenly. "I'll take you back to your college." "Thank you, Mr. Archer." After a moment on the road, Stefan suddenly said, "Don't work at that place anymore." Cassidy lowered her head and answered lightly, "I won't." Even if she quit, she would still have to find other part-time work. If she didn't work, she wouldn't have money to pay for Kate's medical bills. Nevertheless, she didn't tell Stefan about any of that. They soon arrived at Jervia University. Cassidy asked Stefan to stop by the crawl hole. "You can stop here. Thanks," she said. "Why aren't you going through the main gate?" Stefan asked, glancing at her in confusion. "There's a curfew," Cassidy replied sheepishly, "I can't get in anymore after 11:00 pm. There's a hole in the fence here. I usually go in through that after work." Stefan nodded. Cassidy got out of the car and waved at him. "Goodbye, Mr. Archer. Thank you for bailing me out and driving me back." Still sitting in the driver's seat, Stefan turned his head to look at her. "Sure," he replied, his voice faint. Cassidy turned and walked toward the fence. But when she got closer, she froze. "Huh?" She gasped. Where was the crawl hole? Why was it gone? She walked back and forth several times. Finally, she confirmed that it really was gone. Under the dim streetlights, she could see that this section of the fence had been replaced with new railings. The college must have fixed it. If that was the case, where was she supposed to sleep that night? Cassidy stood rooted to the spot and was at a loss about what to do. From inside the car, Stefan watched her walk back and forth a few times before standing still with a dumbfounded expression on her face. He paused for a second before opening the car door and getting out. "What's wrong?" he asked, stopping behind her. Cassidy turned to look at him and pointed at where the crawl hole used to be. "I-It's gone! There used to be a gap here that I could squeeze through." A gust of cold wind blew past, making Cassidy shiver. The snow was falling heavier now, and the temperature outside had dropped below freezing point. "Get in the car," Stefan said. He turned and walked back to his car without another word. Cassidy hesitated for a few seconds. But in the end, she turned and followed him back into the car since she had nowhere else to go. Stefan stopped in front of a five-star hotel. Cassidy got out of the car and followed him inside. A hotel attendant stepped forward respectfully and greeted him. "Good morning, Mr. Archer." Stefan casually tossed him the car keys and walked up the steps. The attendant took the keys to park the car. Cassidy trailed behind him like a lost puppy. As they entered the lobby, the doormen on both sides bowed. "Good morning, Mr. Archer!" It was already 6:00 am by then. Checking into a hotel at that hour felt strange, but the doormen kept their heads down and averted their eyes respectfully. The receptionist greeted them warmly. Stefan walked past the front desk and went straight to the elevators. Cassidy walked behind him, puzzled as to why he didn't need to check in at the front desk. She was curious about it but didn't ask. Once they were inside the elevator, Stefan pressed the button for the top floor. Cassidy stared at the flickering red numbers as the elevator went up. Her heartbeat sped up with each second. This was her first time going to a hotel with a man. Even though she firmly believed that Stefan was a gentleman who wouldn't do anything inappropriate, she still couldn't help feeling nervous. It was also the first time she had ever been alone with Stefan at such proximity. In the confined space, she felt that even breathing became difficult. Finally, the elevator doors opened with a ding. Breathing in some fresh air, Cassidy steadied herself and followed Stefan out. The entire floor held only one suite. Stefan swiped his card and opened the door. "This is my suite. There are three rooms inside. Aside from the master bedroom I use, you can choose either of the other two." Cassidy still hadn't quite processed what was happening. She stuttered in a daze, "O-Oh… Okay." She couldn't quite believe she had come to a hotel with Stefan. It felt unreal. After they entered, Stefan took out a brand-new pair of indoor slippers and placed them on the floor. "Thank you," Cassidy said, bending down to change her shoes. Although she had known Stefan for over five years, they had rarely spoken to each other, not to mention spending time alone together. Stefan and Zoe were half-siblings who shared the same father. Zoe had once said, "Stefan treats everyone coldly. Sometimes, he doesn't even hold back when talking to my dad. "You have no idea how many girls at his school like him. I heard from his friends that he basically gets love letters every day. I'm not exaggerating. He gets them every single day. "When I was in middle school, he had countless admirers at the high school next door. In those three years, I lost count of how many senior girls came to my school to look for me. They wanted me to help deliver gifts and love letters. "What do you think of Stefan's looks, Cass? Isn't he even more handsome than the male leads in comics?" Back when they had that conversation, Cassidy had been working on a math problem. She had always been smart, quick-witted, and had never fallen out of the top three in her grade. That problem was easy for her, and she had grasped the solution after just one glance. She was just about to write her workings when Zoe mentioned Stefan. His name derailed her train of thought completely. Cassidy instantly had a flashback of the first time she had ever met Stefan. She recalled his flawless features and sculpted abs. That was the first time Cassidy had ever truly understood what "sexual tension" meant. "Yeah… he's pretty good-looking," Cassidy had said, pretending to be calm. Munching on some chips, Zoe had responded, "Right? Staring at Stefan's perfect face every day has really raised my standards. Regular guys don't even pique my interest anymore." Cassidy had hummed lightly in response, her gaze still fixed on the math problem. However, she couldn't remember her original line of thought at all. After a while, she heard herself ask casually, "So many girls like your brother. Did he ever date anyone, then?"