Chapter 3.0

Half of my day was spent hanging out with Alliya.

When it was almost 7:00, we decided to head home. Maybe tomorrow, I’ll be the one to invite her out since I have nothing else to do at home—no one to talk to, no one to hang out with, and nothing to keep me busy.

“Take care,” I said as she got into a taxi. We lived in different areas, so we had to go our separate ways.

Since there weren’t any taxis passing by, I booked a Grab online. I didn’t want to be out too late, especially since I didn’t grow up here and I wasn’t used to the area.

As soon as the car arrived, I got in right away. Thankfully, it didn’t take long before we reached the house.

I checked the time on my phone—it only took a little over nine minutes to get there.

“Just stop here,” I told the driver, asking him to pull over in front of the gate. Cars weren’t usually allowed inside unless permitted, and honestly, I felt shy about it. I wasn’t the owner’s daughter, after all.

When I got out, the guard greeted me, and I greeted him back before walking toward the house.

I was still a few meters away, but I could already hear loud voices and laughter coming from inside.

What’s going on?

“Is there a birthday party or something?” I asked the head maid, who was grilling barbecue near the entrance.

“Oh, it’s Sir’s friends. They’re having a little get-together. Are you hungry? I can fix you a plate,” she said while fanning the grill.

“Oh, no need, I already ate outside,” I replied shyly.

I slowly turned the doorknob, careful not to interrupt their fun—but to my surprise, there was no one in the living room. Still, the noise was louder now, with music blasting like we were in a bar.

Since no one was around, I went straight upstairs to my room, took a shower, and changed into my sleepwear—a pair of matching shorts and a tank top.

I lay down for a few minutes, but later woke up feeling thirsty.

Half-asleep, I got out of bed, scratching my head as I made my way down the stairs.

There were five steps left when I froze mid-yawn—my mouth hanging open—because everyone in the living room suddenly turned to look at me.

One of the guys near the corner—right beside Ace—had a nosebleed. At first, I was confused, but when I saw Ace glance at him, then back at me, realization hit me. His eyes weren’t exactly on my face.

Oh my God. Please, someone just bury me alive.

I forced a smile and walked down slowly, pretending everything was fine—even though inside, I wanted to disappear.

The moment I got near the kitchen doorway, I darted inside as fast as I could.

I scratched my head again, even though it wasn’t itchy, and bit my lower lip in embarrassment.

“Jesus, Shim! You’re not in your own house—remember that. How embarrassing,” I muttered angrily to myself.

“Did you do that on purpose?”

I almost dropped the glass I was holding. My heart leapt as someone suddenly spoke behind me.

“What?” I snapped, still startled. When I turned around, it was Ace—leaning casually against the doorframe, his hands tucked into the pockets of his light gray sweatpants.

Hot.

God, forgive me! Get a grip, Shim!

My irritation melted away the moment I saw him, even though I knew I should still be mad.

“No, I didn’t. I just thought… I thought I was still at home,” I explained awkwardly.

“Really?” His tone carried a hint of mockery. “You thought it was fine to walk around like that in front of everyone?”

“What do you mean like that? I’m wearing clothes! It’s not like I was naked.”

“Yeah, you’re wearing clothes,” he said, tilting his head slightly, “but do you even know why Aries had a nosebleed? I’m pretty sure you do. He saw your—” he paused, his gaze flicking downward, “—nipples. It was… pretty obvious.”

I could feel my whole face burn red. My cheeks were on fire—I probably looked like a walking tomato.

“What are you even talking abou—” I froze mid-sentence when I noticed him raise an eyebrow, his eyes flicking deliberately toward my chest, as if to prove his point.

"What’s wrong with you? Your eyes are darting everywhere! Are you even listening?" I asked irritably.

He smirked and started walking toward where I stood, making my stomach tighten a little from nervousness.

He passed right by me, reached for a glass from the top of the cabinet, and filled it with cold water from the refrigerator.

"What do you think?" he asked mockingly before taking a sip from the glass.

"Wait—why are you making such a big deal out of that? That girl sitting on your lap earlier was practically showing her entire soul in that skimpy dress!"

"Why are you dragging Andrea into this?" His tone suddenly shifted, cold and sharp, and I instantly felt a flicker of fear crawl up my spine.

"I’m not making it a big deal," he said. "I just thought maybe the reason you wanted to stay here is because you’re planning to seduce my friends. Is that what you’ve turned into now?"

"What?? Wow, that’s really how low you think of me now? If you ask me, that girl sitting on your lap earlier is way lower than I’ll ever be." I gave a small, bitter laugh.

I wasn’t going to let him step on me just because I’m living here even though I'm a nobody.

"You’re nothing compared to her. Look at yourself," he sneered.

I swallowed my saliva twice as he took a step closer, his presence heavy and suffocating.

"You’re no different from her," he whispered right by my ear before turning around and leaving me there—completely frozen, every hair on my body standing on end.

My heart was pounding so fast, it felt like I was being chased by something terrifying.

I straightened myself up and quickly finished the water in my glass. I didn’t go back right away—I was too embarrassed to face them again.

I went to the dining table and decided to stay there for a while. I was sure they’d all go home soon anyway—it was almost midnight.

Resting my head on my folded arms, I decided to take a quick nap while waiting for them to leave.

When I woke up, the place was completely empty. The kitchen lights were off, and it seemed like I was the only one left.

“They didn’t even bother waking me up. How annoying,” I mumbled, pouting.

I went upstairs and flopped down on my bed. It didn’t take long before I fell asleep—I was already exhausted and sleepy earlier anyway.

***Download NovelToon to enjoy a better reading experience!***