In the office, Sebastian Vanderbilt focuses on his work until a pair of beautiful feet appear in front of him.
"What now?" Sebastian glances over indifferently. Habit can be a terrifying force; he can now work in peace with those seductive feet around.
"I'm hungry," Jessica announces, closing her phone with a pout.
"If you're hungry, eat," Sebastian responds. "Feel free to eat. There's no ban on food in my office."
"What I mean is, you should order something. It's mealtime, time to eat."
"???" Sebastian looks over at her. Jessica pretends to look elsewhere nonchalantly.
"Why don't you order yourself?" Sebastian raises an eyebrow slightly.
"I don't know how," Jessica replies, as boldly as ever.
"Then have your manager send something over." Sebastian shifts his attention back to his computer, where the design blueprints for a new product need revision—a significant undertaking.
Silence ensues, but the foot extends again, a beautiful foot with red nail polish under the soft lighting, exuding a healthy glow.
Sebastian pushes it away with a pen. It stretches out again. "If you extend it again, I might bite it," Seb warns. He assumes Jessica is doing this out of boredom.
"Go ahead and bite if you dare!" Jessica raises her eyebrow, her tone laced with a hint of challenge.
Would he dare? She's probably just bluffing. She doesn't believe that Sebastian would really do such a thing.
"You said it," Sebastian raises his eyebrow. Jessica is too arrogant, and he decides to teach her a lesson.
He doesn't believe she won't flinch. While he playfully lunges forward as if to bite, not actually intending to do so, Jessica extends her feet again and his act-to-bite coincidentally becomes a real bite.
"You wouldn't dare," Jessica hasn't finished her sentence when her eyes widen in shock, her mind going blank for a moment without reaction.
Sebastian is even more embarrassed. He hadn't expected Jessica to not pull away. For a moment, he finds himself in a comically awkward situation with Jessica's toes in his mouth, and he quickly releases them.
Jessica, snapping out of her surprise, quickly retracts her foot, her face hidden by her flowing hair that falls forward, concealing her flushed cheeks.
The office is suddenly filled with an awkward silence, so thick it is almost suffocating. Sebastian's mind races, looking for something to say to break the tension.
"Did you have some arguments with your manager?" Sebastian asks softly, easily deducing the heart of the matter as he tries to break away from their awkward situation.
"Some things you refuse come at a price," Jessica admits quietly, relieved to have unburdened herself. With the conversation flowing, the awkwardness seems to ease.
"It's true, nothing comes easy in the world of adults," Sebastian smiles and says, "Although I can't help much for now, I can at least treat you to dinner. What would you like to eat? I'll have someone go buy it."
After a moment's thought, Jessica decides, "Fried chicken, rice cakes, burgers, and bubble tea."
"Secretary Chelsea, from now on, whatever Jessica wants to eat, the company will reimburse for her," Sebastian asks his assistant to come and instructs.
"Understood," Chelsea nods and leaves.
"What makes you so generous all of a sudden?" Jessica glances at him skeptically.
"Well, as the brand endorser, you need to be well-nourished so you can help us make money," Sebastian replies with a chuckle, shifting his gaze from her feet to her face, where a soft glow reveals faint imprints on the left instep.
"You're still looking?" Jessica, noticing Sebastian's eyes sticking to her feet, mutters her dissatisfaction. "You really went for a bite, just like a dog."
"Hah," Sebastian laughs awkwardly, feeling out of his depth despite having lived two lifetimes. Some situations are just beyond words.
Jessica shoots him a playful glare and teases, "Bad dog!"
However, the embarrassing moment seems to have inadvertently brought them closer. "You may call me 'Seb' if you want," Sebastian insists playfully.
"Sure, dear 'Seb'," Jessica replies half-heartedly, clearly just humoring him. As they banter, a flurry of footsteps approaches.
"Sebastian Vanderbilt!" Patrick Anchor storms in angrily, "Do you have a death wish?"
Jessica looks startled for a moment. "What's got you so mad?" Sebastian chuckles. "I'm not refusing to go..."
"You're two days overdue for your rabies vaccine. If you wait until the fourth day, the previous shots will be wasted. Do you get that?" Patrick emphasizes with irritation.
"Well, it's not the fourth day yet." Sebastian pours a cup of water and offers it to Patrick, smiling. "Here, drink some water, cool off."
"Why should I cool off? It's not like I'm the one who'll suffer in the end," Patrick huffs and begins to drink, his throat parched from rushing over.
"What misfortune? Why does Seb need to get a rabies shot?" Jessica asks, still looking dazed and not quite catching up.
"Seb?" Patrick's gaze sweeps suspiciously between the two; that term is usually reserved for those close to each other. But that isn't the point right now.
"It's just that someone decided to play hero, and after the adrenaline wore off, they realized they're scared of needles," Patrick mocks.
"Playing hero?" Jessica quickly picks up on the important phrase.
"That's right. Saved someone and doesn't plan on telling them, even though they need someone to endorse them and won't say," Patrick says sarcastically, "So heartwarming, I'm about to sweat from the warmth."
"Enough talking. I said it's because I've been busy these past few days..." Sebastian tries to interject with a half-smile. "I'll definitely get the shot tomorrow, don't worry." He knows his friend means well, and it warms his heart.
"Who would've thought, the president is such a warm-hearted guy?" Jessica teases with a playful smile. "Playing the hero and keeping it a secret, you're not planning to pursue her, are you?"
"What nonsense, I..." Sebastian begins to retort, but then his gaze catches the figure at the doorway, which makes him jump out of his chair, "Why are you here?"
Standing at the door is Victoria, her beautiful eyes filled with complex emotions.
"Victoria?" Jessica looks at Victoria in surprise, then at Sebastian, and suddenly seems to understand, hesitating, "The hero's rescue... was it Victoria you saved?"
"What did you say to her?" Sebastian looks at Patrick, his words squeezing through clenched teeth.
After his reincarnation, Sebastian has learned to separate things clearly. Personal feelings are personal, business is business, and they should never mix. Saving someone is just part of his moral compass, satisfying his own spiritual needs; repayment isn't necessary.
"Didn't you instruct me to keep it a secret? Why would I say anything?" Patrick grins mischievously. "It was just overhead during the phone call. Victoria insisted on seeing you, so I brought her along."
Patrick had felt uncomfortable with how Victoria had repeatedly rejected Sebastian, and her last refusal filled him with irritation.
So what if you're impressive? So what if you despise him? Now that you know the person you despise saved you, what will you do? Patrick had thought about this scenario multiple times, and now he watches with the anticipation of someone witnessing a drama unfold.
By contrast, Sebastian is overwhelmed. He shoots his troublemaking friend a fierce glare, then turns to Victoria, about to greet her with a smile, but she speaks first.
"Why didn't you let Mr. Anchor tell me the truth about this?" Victoria's voice echoes with a mixture of gratitude and reproach.