Iris's eyelid twitched. She could hardly believe the words coming out of Lucas's mouth right now.
She had been the one shouldering the cost of living for all these years, supporting his 'sacred and grand' medical dream even when he delayed his master's degree for a year, even when he completed the third year of his Ph.D. without producing any results, and even when he received warnings due to unsuccessful experiments!
Yet, he still had the cheek to gaslight her into offering him her blood and life as he shamelessly sapped her dry.
Completely overwhelmed by disappointment, she coldly laughed and shook her head. She then directed her words at the barely dressed couple, "One night. Pack up your shit and leave the house. If you're still here tomorrow, I will report you for illegally trespassing on private property. Don't forget that I paid for this house and it is under my name."
Having said that, Iris disregarded the confused gazes of the two behind her and opened the door. She stepped out into the snowy night, leaving behind the suffocating environment that had enveloped her.
It was already 11 PM. The streets were blanketed with swirling snow, rendering the usually bustling city unusually quiet.
How ironic. Iris had purchased an apartment just so that she could have a home to stay in with the one she loved. Coming from a small town, she had to work hard to achieve all that she had. She had finally settled down in the city of her dreams but all she felt was a desolate lack of belonging.
'I must look like a homeless wanderer on the streets,' she thought to herself. 'It's late. I should find a hotel to stay for the night.'
The frigid cold caused her to shiver and Iris wished for nothing more than some warmth. Moreover, for the past week, she had been sleeping less than four hours a night. Her body was exhausted and now that she had to deal with her backstabbing boyfriend and best friend, Iris was close to passing out.
How she wished a taxi would pass by at this moment. However, with her location, the current heavy snowfall, and the fact that it was well into the night, it was nearly impossible to hail one. She checked her phone as well— no signal.
Just great.
'If I faint here, I'll probably freeze to death,' she thought, struggling to support her body. She had to keep moving, no matter how slowly.
A bright light illuminated the path ahead, causing Iris's eyes to widen with surprise. Without thinking, she immediately dashed out to the middle of the road and stood there, stopping the Rolls-Royce.
When the driver poked his head out of the window, she hurried over and said in a trembling voice, "Please, Sir. Please take me to the nearest hotel. I'm so sorry to bother you but I can't get a taxi out here."
There was a pause before a deep voice spoke from the backseat. It was void of any emotion but coldness, but that was all Iris needed.
"Get in."
She didn't need to be told twice.
Iris immediately hopped into the backseat and the moment she entered the car, warmth enveloped her. She sighed in relief and hurriedly turned to the man, dipping her head in a bow.
"Thank you! I am so sorry for troubling you. Thank you for helping me!"
Iris secretly glanced at the man in the backseat. He was dressed in a suit and she could tell he was tall even though they were seated down. Even under the suit, his physique was incredible, muscular yet slender.
She couldn't make out much of his physical appearance other than that due to the dim lighting of the car, but his impressive aura was enough for Iris to shrink further back into her seat.
Even though she wasn't freezing out in the open now, she was still cold and tired. She wrapped her arms around herself— there was nothing she wanted more than to check into the hotel and take a nice hot shower.
Suddenly, something landed on Iris's body, causing her to open her tightly shut eyes. She held it out and realized that it was a coat. When she turned to look at the man, he had already turned to face the other direction, staring out of the window.
Her heart fluttered warmly in her chest. There was still some good in this world after all.
Thanking the man once more, she wrapped the coat around herself. It did wonders in driving away the frigid cold of winter.
With that, the weight of the past week crashed down onto Iris. She found herself nodding off shortly after, drifting in and out of sleep. Although she wasn't fully awake, she could hear a man's name called out from time to time.
Theo.
***
The driver stopped the car in the parking space before he looked into the rearview mirror at the man sitting behind him. He noticed that his boss was still quietly looking at the woman who had stopped their car, now sound asleep.
"Sir, we've arrived at our destination."
The man remained unmoving. So many others had tried to catch his attention the same way but failed. For some reason, this pale, desperate woman succeeded.
The driver tried again, his voice hesitant. "Sir, should I wake her up before getting your room card for you?"
"No need," the man said.
"Then…" The driver hesitated.
"Just get the room card. I'll take her to my room. Make sure no journalist sees us."
The driver was so in shock that he didn't react to his boss's words.
Theo opened the door and walked to the woman's side. She was still peacefully asleep, murmuring gibberish under her breath as she slept. When he reached down and held her hands, they were still cold, soft in his hold.
She didn't seem to be pretending just to get his attention.
Carefully, Theo picked her up in his arms, his long strides headed straight for the secret elevator for members before heading to his room.