Hearing this, Iris let go of Theo and took a few steps back, her eyes wide open in disbelief.
Live in his house? This was only the third time she had seen this man, the first time she had slept with him as a stranger, and the second time she had seen him as a work client. The third time, he invited her to live in his house.
"Theo, do you have any idea what you're talking about?" Iris asked him with great uncertainty.
"Of course, the security at my house is very good. No one can disturb you like they did today." Theo turned around and turned on the lights.
It was only then that he saw Iris's tear-stained face. She was dressed in her pajamas, disheveled.
Seeing this, Theo felt like his heart was struck by something. He took a step forward and intended to reach out to wipe Iris' tears.
But Iris came to her senses. She tilted her head a little more, and Theo's hand stopped in mid-air.
Theo was a bit overwhelmed, "Iris, I know what you're thinking, reporters are very scary, but they can do worse things, like chase you down the highway and risk not only their lives but also yours."
Iris looked at Theo again, as if to confirm that if he was lying, Theo looked back at her, firmly and seriously.
He was not joking or exaggerating anything.
"I don't want you to be hurt or disturbed by this," Theo added, bending slightly to look Iris in the eyes. "I will protect you, and after this tough time, you can go back to your normal life."
Iris looked down on the ground. She was still thinking about the feasibility of this.
"I've got more than one house! I don't have to go back to the one you live in." It was Theo's home, but it seemed he was the one who was afraid of disturbing Iris.
Iris was almost reassured, and she gritted her teeth, nodding, "Okay, thank you then. How long will I stay there?"
Theo thought for a moment and gave a number. "Two weeks."
"Deal!" Iris clapped her hands.
Theo smiled, that smile was innocent like a teenager in love, and Iris was baffled by his laughter. "What are you laughing at?"
"You make it sound like a deal," Theo replied with a smile. "It's cute."
——
Iris quickly packed her things and Theo left the house. She lingered at the door and looked downstairs, hesitating.
"There won't be any reporters outside. Do you hear the sirens around?" Theo comforted her.
Iris felt much relieved, she walked out the door and followed Theo downstairs to the car.
"To the apartment in the 15th zone," Theo said to Antony as soon as he got in the car. Antony nodded and drove in silence.
After a while, the car drove into a big villa with tight security. The door was locked with a two-story code and equipped with four tall and serious guards.
It took 10 minutes just to drive from the door to the entrance of the villa, trees and flowers were planted along the way, which is like a large garden pattern.
Iris looked around curiously. "You don't have any other family living here with you, do you?" She turned to Theo and asked.
As the car stopped, Theo got out and opened the door on Iris' side.
"I'm the only one who lives here," he said. "I go to competitions and events, and I rarely come back.
Iris got out of the car and followed Theo into the house, which was very big and had a tall roof, and the overall decoration was very simple and clean. There was not too much sumptuous stacking, and everything was just right, but it lacked the warmth of home, it just looked like a mansion.
Iris was convinced that Theo's family didn't live here.
"You take the master bedroom upstairs, and I'll be right below you. Stamp your feet if you need anything from me," Theo said as he took out the keys and handed it to Iris.
Iris couldn't help but laugh. "Hello? You're so popular out there, but at home you can just be called like this? By making noises upstairs?"
Theo, aware of what he was saying, responded with a smile, "Anyone else stomping on my upstairs would only be going to get a complaint."
Then Theo walked to the master bedroom in the middle of the first floor. Iris realized something and called out to him, "Wait, you're staying here tonight?
After Iris said that, she thought it was so weird. This is Theo's house! Shit!
Theo was obviously stunned, not expecting her to ask for it.
"I...It's 10:30pm now. I have to go to the national team training tomorrow morning at 8:30am." Theo turned to look at Iris with a pitiful expression, as if begging her to let him stay.
Iris couldn't really kick him out. After all, she was the guest.
"All right, all right...Have a good night!" Iris said and ran upstairs.
Theo laughed as he watched her flee, "Mind you! Don't fall down like a kid!"
He reminded her downstairs, with a loud laughter.
Iris rushed to the master bedroom upstairs, only to find its decoration was as simple as the hall downstairs, but luckily, she got all the toiletries she needed for personnel hygiene.
When she was about to brush her teeth in the bathroom, she noticed a picture on the wall, it was a little boy, holding a football in his arm, smiling happily.
Was he when Theo was a kid, or was he Theo's son?
She felt bad thinking of the 2nd possibility.
——
Iris felt bored, it was 11pm, but she wasn't sleepy at all, suddenly, what Theo just said come to her mind.
He said he would be upstairs if Iris stamped, Iris wondered if this was true, she did really wanted to test it.
She stamped twice on the ground, heavily.
'Will he come over?' She thought to herself.