After a while, Rhysand stood up and said, "Go take a shower."
Ariel was caught off guard, her face turning red, and she quickly lowered her head and ran off.
Earlier, when she went to see Callum, she got drenched by the rain, and her clothes were still wet.
The warm water from the showerhead started to make Ariel feel better, but she couldn't stop thinking about what might happen next.
Her heart pounded faster.
Callum had never touched her before, and she had never been this close to any man.
When Ariel came out of the shower, she realized the room was empty. Rhysand, who had been there before, was now gone.
She was a bit surprised at first but then felt relieved, although a tiny bit disappointed. Her lashes lowered.
Maybe Rhysand didn't want to touch her, and that's why he left while she was in the shower.
Perhaps he thought she was just trying to seduce him.
Ariel felt weird. She made a bed on the floor and left the real bed for Rhysand.
She was only trying to stop him from thinking bad things about her earlier, but it seemed like Rhysand didn't even like her at all.
Since he didn't care for her, she wouldn't try to act close to him either.
It was getting late.
Ariel finished cleaning up and went to sleep by herself.
The room was dark and cold, and Ariel stared at the ceiling.
Today was the day her parents had died.
One year ago, on a rainy night, her parents were driving her back from her grandma's house in the village when the brakes failed, and their car fell into the river.
The fast-moving water took her mom away, and her dad, trying to save her, pushed her out through the sunroof but didn't make it himself.
Ariel was too weak to climb up the riverbank. She could only hold onto a tree branch, shaking with fear.
"Help...help me," she cried.
It was so quiet, no one answered.
She held on for what felt like forever, but her grip was slipping. The freezing water was filling her nose and mouth. She couldn't breathe.
Just when she thought she couldn't hold on any longer, a strong arm wrapped around her waist, pulling her out of the water with a splash.
She was laid on the ground.
Someone pressed on her chest and then put their cold lips on hers, blowing air into her lungs to give her CPR.
After what felt like forever, Ariel coughed up water, and her blurry thoughts slowly came back.
"You're safe now," a deep, cold voice said. "Don't worry, I'm here."
It was still pouring rain.
Ariel couldn't see him clearly, but she could tell he was tall, dressed in black. He picked her up and held her close, his body was warm, his heartbeat steady.
He took off his jacket and wrapped it around her.
Ariel was freezing, but his warmth made her feel better. She hugged him tightly without thinking.
"I'll take you to the hospital."
His voice was calm, and even though it was cold, it made her feel safe.
As they got closer to the hospital, Ariel couldn't stay awake anymore and passed out again.
---
On a rainy night, at a cemetery outside the city, everything was quiet.
Several black cars were parked nearby.
Rhysand stood by one of the cars. Two men in black stood behind him, holding umbrellas for him.
Butler Jorah, an older man, handed him a phone.
"Young Master, President Lee Golden is on the line," he said.
Rhysand looked at the phone and picked it up.
Before he could even say anything, a man's angry voice shouted from the other end.
"Aiden, you've been away from Rain City for six months. When are you coming back?"
Rhysand stayed quiet for a moment. "Dad, my name is Rhysand now, not Aiden."
His father's angry voice got louder, "Fine! You changed your name too? Do you even remember your family?"
Rhysand's tone was cold. "Dad, when you named me after your mistress, did you think about my mother or me?"
Silence.
"When you change my name on the family tree, I'll come back to Peak City."
His dad's voice softened. "I'll deal with it. But you need to come back. Your grandma isn't well, and you have to get married soon."
Rhysand hung up without another word and tossed the phone aside.
Butler Jorah carefully picked up the phone. "Master, do you plan to return?"
Rhysand shook his head. "No need. My dad's too busy with his mistress to run the company. He only wants me back because they need money. Transfer two million to his account later."
Jorah nodded, though he looked a little uncomfortable.
The men standing around also seemed uneasy.
Rhysand and his father were nothing alike.
His dad was careless with the company, too caught up with women and scandals, while Rhysand was a business genius, distant and emotionless.
He didn't care about women and had always kept things professional, even using male assistants most of the time.
At 26, Rhysand still hadn't been with anyone, and the Lee Golden Family worried he might have sexual orientation problems.
Butler Jorah quickly changed the topic, "Master, have you found the girl who was taken in Peak City?"
Rhysand thought for a moment.
"Yes, found her in Rain City."