"Why are you still here?" Fraine asked coldly.
However, Rodney only cast a glance in her direction and made a lazy reply, "You haven't eaten yet."
Fraine stared at him, dumbfounded at his response like they were close!
She pursed her lips, wearing a sour face. Suddenly, her heart filled with hostility, feeling aggravated. Fraine stomps her feet out of her frustrations.
'Who the hell did he think he was?!'
"I'm not hungry! I wanted to go back to sleep instead! So please, can you go now, Mister?" Fraine's finger pointed at the door. Until she could control her temper yet, Fraine tried her best to tone down her voice.
However, Rodney only glanced at the door. His expression cannot see any hint that he is leaving. Instead, he put down his phone on the coffee table and got up from the sofa, walking in the opposite direction of the door.
Fraine took a step backward when the man strode toward her. She instinctively embraced herself and stared at the man defensively.
However, he only passed by her, and Fraine scowled after hearing him snorting like he was saying he was not after her, so she must stop overreacting.
Fraine glared at the man's broad back; she creased her forehead when he sat down on the dining chair and began moving the dishes from the pushcart toward the table.
'Now what is he doing!?' she screamed in her head.
"If you don't want to eat, then fine," said Rodney before stuffing his mouth with dumplings.
He was starving even after he ate a lot during dinner. Anyway, what a waste if the dishes he ordered were only thrown away.
Fraine looked at the man in disbelief. She isn't sure whether to laugh or cry.
'He had a thick face!' She frets inwardly.
Now Fraine had developed a feeling of resentment toward him. The more she watched the man-eating leisurely in her suite, the more anger lingered in her chest.
However, the pleasant aroma from the dishes was enticing in her nose—Fraine's stomach started rumbling. She honestly felt hungry now she had sight of the food.
Rodney curled his lips when he noticed she kept glancing at the noodle soup. He actually thought that hot soup was what she must eat, so he ordered two bowls of noodle soup at the Asian restaurant in this hotel.
"The noodles are no longer tasty if they are sag."
Fraine suddenly had a hiccup. She covered her mouth; however, it didn't stop. Instead, it becomes frequent.
Rodney lifted his head and curled his lips into a smirk. He wanted to laugh aloud when the woman shot a glare in his direction. She was looking at him sideways. However, he cares less about her as hunger strikes him for real. Maybe he needs to lessen the consumption of hard liquor.
He ended up eating half of what he ordered. And since Fraine could not chase the guy out, she half-heartedly sat across from him.
Fraine does not know what occurred to her, and she let this guy do his way.
She swears to herself that if she crosses paths with anyone related to Zaijan. She will definitely take a detour.
But this man is persistent.
Fraine took a long breath before she picked up the chopsticks. She mixed the ingredients and then replaced the chopsticks with a soup spoon.
She carefully sipped the hot liquid to have a taste of the noodle soup. When it meets her liking, Fraine holds the soup spoon in her left hand and chopsticks in her right, and then she stuffs her mouth with noodles.
Fraine does not notice she has emptied her bowl already, and the guy across from her is done eating as well.
"Alright. Have a good night, missy."
Fraine blinked her eyes a few times, following her gaze at the man's disappearing silhouette in the door.
"What was that?"
The guy was persistent in bothering her beauty sleep then now, disappears out of the blue!
'Isn't what you like?' Her inner self is telling her.
That was true, but…
"That guy is sure like a storm!"
Fraine scolds herself for allowing that man to invade her sweet stay in this hotel.
'God! What if the man is actually a killer or an offender? Gosh!' She isn't vigilant at all.
On the one hand, at the back of her head, she berates herself for letting her guard down because the guy is possibly Zaijan's cousin.
"And why should I trust that heartless man's relative?"
Fraine was fuming when someone's phone rang. She gritted her teeth and hissed, "He forgot his phone again! What's with this man!? How careless!"
She gets up from her chair, stomping her feet, marching toward the coffee table.
Fraine lowered her gaze to check out the caller. She froze on her feet upon recognizing the caller. She reached for her chest when it pounded wildly.
The image that appears on the screen is a very familiar man to her. Fraine clenched her palms into fists as memories clouded her head.
'He looks.... changed.'
The man on the screen seemed annoyed when it has taken the photo. His eyes have no spark at all but coldness in them. Regardless, one cannot deny that he is more handsome now than his boyish look when he was in his twenties.
*
At the Presidential Suite…
Zaijan came back after an hour. He saw his assistant, now leisurely having a midnight snack while watching a movie on his laptop.
He looked at Rodney's bedroom, assuming that the guy had not come back yet. He took out his phone and dialed Rodney's mobile number. However, the guy is not answering his call.
'Let him enjoy his freedom, then.' Zaijan muttered to himself, walking past his assistant.
Zaijan entered his room, headed straight to the bathroom to have a quick wash, and changed into a set of pajamas. After coming out of the bathroom, he strode toward the console table to pour himself a glass of water, then swallowed some medicine for his headache.
He wants to get some good sleep tonight. However, when he lay down on the bed, that fragrance still bothered him. Zaijan tossed and turned for half an hour before he dozed off.
Thus, he was pulled into a dream…
"Zayn, I have good news for you!"
Zaijan slowly got out of bed and walked to the window of his suite. He was currently on an island for a few days vacation.
The person on the other line is his mother. He could sense in her tone that she was overjoyed. Something must have happened to put her in a good mood.
"What do you mean about that, ma?"
"Zayn, it's final! Vincent chose to manage Shen Group, rejecting the position as the next CEO of Lopez Corporation!"
Zaijan knitted his brow. He took a brief silence, pondering before he spoke up.
"What has to do with me, Ma?"
"Don't you see? The seat is available for you to take over!"
"But I am not interested," Zaijan uttered nonchalantly.
"What do you mean by that? I did not work hard in educating you just to become simply a director in one of our subsidiary companies!"
Sheila did not hide her annoyance with her son. She has been waiting for a greater chance that Zaijan will accomplish. Becoming the CEO of Lopez Corporation is an achievement and her pride of being the mom. However, her son is telling her now that he isn't interested?
"Go to Metro City for Vincent's farewell party before moving to the US to take architecture courses."
Zaijan clenched his jaw, reminding himself not to lose patience with his mother.
"Did Aunt Hilda approve of it? How about Tyler?"
"You know Tyler can't leave his mom. So he will take the position at Lopez Steel Corporation."
"But I've already decided to stay in the South Island and manage Lopez Steel. I can look after Aunt Sol..."
"Shut up! I know why you want to stay there! Stop measuring my patience, Zaijan Lopez! You have no idea what your mother could do!"
After his mom threatens him, she ends the call. Zaijan knew his mom was fretting right now. She was stubborn, so his mom would not listen to him.
Zaijan heaves a long, helpless sigh before he goes back to bed. He slid under the covers slowly, not to wake up the girl sleeping soundly beside him.
He turned to his side and studied the girl's profile. Her delicate face displayed the exhaustion that caused him. Zaijan curved his lips into a smile when a slender arm hooked around his waist, and the girl squeezed her petite bare body inside his arms.
"Is it morning already?"
He heard her mumbling in her sleep. Zaijan chuckled and shook his head even though the girl remained her eyes closed and she would not see it.
"Not yet… We still have time to take a rest."
Or just what he thought because after he felt her soft body against his, a burning desire flared out again.
"I'm sorry if I have to interrupt your sleep…." Zaijan whispered as he nibbled the girl's earlobe.
"You!"
The following day, Zaijan woke up chasing air to breathe. He stretched his hand, reaching for his forehead, massaging down to his temple.
Sadness flashes in his eyes after realizing everything is only a dream now…