Vincent woke up the next morning with a dull headache. Maybe going for that jog last night had been a bad idea.
With a groggy sigh, he slipped out of bed and checked the time on his phone.
"Urgh… 8:44…"
Sluggishly, he dragged himself to the bathroom, twisting the faucet open. The sound of running water filled the quiet of his studio apartment for a few minutes.
After washing his face, he grabbed the towel hanging above the door, rubbing it over his wet hair.
Yawning, he moved to open his curtains—
Chime.
A notification from his phone.
Vincent frowned. Who the hell was disturbing him this early?
He turned away from the curtain, grabbed his phone, and unlocked it. The moment his eyes scanned the screen, they widened.
"Shit! I forgot about this!"
The phone dropped onto the table with a thud as Vincent sprinted back into the bathroom.
The sound of rushing water resumed—this time, for much longer.
Seconds later, he burst out, drying himself at an almost inhuman speed while hopping into his tracksuit.
The meeting with Daniel.
They hadn't set a specific time, but from the way the so-called King of Mereung had spoken, Vincent was damn sure the guy had already been waiting for over an hour.
Mereung Central Park was the hub of the city, but Vincent's estate was tucked far into the outskirts, making the commute longer. He'd need to catch a bus—while most people in Mereung could get there with a twenty-minute jog, Vincent needed at least a twenty-minute ride.
He rushed to the bus stop, impatience buzzing in his every move, scanning the road left and right.
"You must be very late for wherever you're going."
A soft voice cut through his anxious waiting.
Vincent turned toward the speaker—a girl sitting at the bus stop, watching him with mild amusement.
She had a small stature, blonde hair, and scarlet eyes, her features delicate like porcelain. A tight turtleneck sweater hugged her petite frame, accentuating her small—but noticeably perky—chest. Below that, a short black skirt barely covered the upper half of her thighs.
Vincent blinked.
For a girl her age… isn't that outfit a little too—
"Hey! Eyes up here. Don't ogle a lady so openly!"
Vincent flinched and immediately bowed at a full ninety-degree angle.
"I'm sorry!"
The girl's eyes widened. Her cheeks flushed slightly, as if she hadn't expected such a reaction. A second later, she let out a soft giggle—then, a full laugh.
Vincent scratched the back of his head, confused by her sudden amusement.
After a moment, she wiped the corner of her eyes and smiled at him.
"My name is Tessa, but I prefer Tess."
Vincent gave her a small nod.
"Vincent."
"Oh! Vincent. From the Latin Vincentius… which means…" She paused, her scarlet eyes distant for a second. Then, as if remembering, they lit up. "To conquer. To win. You're a conqueror."
The way she said it sent a strange chill down his spine.
Her lips curved into a subtle smile.
"It was very nice meeting you, Mr. Conqueror. Do you want me to call my driver for you? I don't think the bus will be here until 10."
Vincent hesitated.
"You… have a car? And a driver?"
Tess nodded. "Well, I hate to say things like this, but… I'm kind of very rich."
Vincent should have figured. Pretty much everyone living in Mereung had money.
But if she was that rich… why was she waiting for a bus?
His expression must have given away his thoughts, because Tess tilted her head, confused.
"What?"
Vincent raised a brow. "I'm just wondering. If you have a car, why are you waiting for a bus?"
"Oh. There's a man who walks by here every Saturday with a Papillon dog. I come here just to wait for him, so I can pet the dog."
She pulled out her phone, tapping at it idly as Vincent frowned.
"That's… kind of strange. If you like Papillon dogs so much, why don't you just get one?"
Tess paused. Then, in a calm voice, she answered—
"Because then, the fulfillment of purpose would be lost."
Vincent blinked.
That response had completely thrown him off.
She tucked her phone back into her purse and met his eyes.
"Purpose is not the destination. Purpose is the journey to the destination. I love seeing that cute dog every Saturday, so I come here and wait. The anticipation—the joy of waiting—is what gives me fulfillment.
"If I just went out and bought a Papillon—or even a cuter one, like a Pomeranian or a Spaniel—then what? I'd have it. I'd see it every day."
Her voice softened.
"And then… it would become boring.
"And I don't like boring things."
Vincent narrowed his eyes slightly.
I… don't understand a damn thing she's saying.
Before he could react, Tess suddenly leaned in, standing on her toes to bring her face dangerously close to his.
"I can tell… you're not a boring person."
Vincent stiffened.
"I think if I make you my friend, I'll never be bored."
A nervous chuckle escaped him.
"I don't know about that. Contrary to what you think, there's nothing fun going on in my life right now."
Tess repeated his words.
"Right now."
Vincent shot her a perplexed look. "Yes… right now…"
She straightened, casually tucking a strand of blonde hair behind her ear.
"That's fine. The fact that you said right now makes me even more interested in you.
Her hand extended toward him.
"Where's your phone?"
Reluctantly, Vincent handed over his cracked-screen, outdated phone.
Tess clicked her tongue in disapproval, but still entered her number before handing it back.
"There. Call me anytime."
Her gaze flicked past him. "Looks like your ride is here."
Vincent turned—and froze.
A pink Lamborghini sports car had just pulled up.
The driver's door opened, revealing a gaunt, middle-aged man in a tailored suit. He stepped out, slightly out of breath.
"Ma'am. I came as soon as you texted."
"Thank you, Tyler." Tess smiled. Then, casually gesturing toward Vincent, she added—
"Can you help my friend get to wherever he needs to go?"
Tyler turned to Vincent. His smile was… unsettling.
"Yes, ma'am. I will take him wherever… he… wants."
A chill crawled up Vincent's spine.
What the hell is up with this guy?!
"Stop, Tyler. You're scaring my friend."
"Okay, ma'am!"
Tyler grinned—but instead of looking any less terrifying, it somehow got worse.
He grabbed Vincent's hand and shook it—hard.
"Nice to meet you, Vincent."
A rigid cord twitched on his temple.
"Shall we move now? To wherever you want to go?"
Vincent hesitated. But Tess simply waved him off with a bright, cute smile.
As the Lambo drove away, she watched with amused eyes, lips curving into a whisper.
"I like him…"