~Reynold’s POV~
I stayed that way, keeping my back to him as silence settled over the room. Eventually, exhaustion took over, and I fell fast asleep.
The next morning, light filtered softly through the curtains. I slowly stirred at the sound of Frederick’s voice. He was speaking softly on the phone, his words low and difficult to make out. I kept my eyes closed, pretending to still be asleep as I listened.
Even without opening my eyes, I could hear the warmth in his voice. It was so different from the cold, matter-of-fact way he had spoken to me the night before. I tried to catch what he was saying, but his voice was too quiet. A moment later, his conversation came to an end.
"Love you, baby," Frederick said softly before ending the call.
Such a liar, I thought, scoffing inwardly.
So he did have someone he loved. Maybe that person was far away, which explained why he needed a convenient bedmate to pass the time. A hypocrite wrapped in wealth and charm. I stayed completely silent, giving him no indication that I had heard the conversation.
After a moment, I slowly opened my eyes.
Frederick noticed almost immediately. He turned toward me and leaned closer, a soft, infuriating smirk playing on his lips.
"Good morning, little pet," he murmured. "How do you feel this morning?"
Despite my lingering resentment, I was slightly surprised that he even bothered to ask. I kept my voice flat. "I’m not your pet, Mr. Corvin."
Frederick smiled, completely unbothered. "Get up and take a shower. I’ve prepared some new clothes for you. We’ll go downstairs for breakfast afterward."
I tried to sit up against the headboard, but a sharp ache ran through my lower body, and I winced.
"Are you okay?" he asked, his tone immediately becoming more attentive.
"I’m fine," I muttered through clenched teeth.
The pain reminded me why I had agreed to spend the night with him in the first place. I looked directly at him. "What about the money you promised me?"
"I’ve prepared a card for you," Frederick answered. "The money on it should be more than enough."
"Alright. Thank you."
Frederick chuckled softly and climbed back onto the bed, leaning over me. "How about we do one more round before you leave?"
Panic flared in my chest. I immediately pushed my hands against his chest. "I have to go to class, Mr. Corvin!"
Frederick looked down at me and shook his head, a deep laugh escaping him. "Alright, alright. Go freshen up."
I pushed myself away from him and managed to stand, ignoring the ache in my limbs.
"Before you go," Frederick said, stopping me as I started to walk away. "Are you heading straight home?"
"No," I answered, keeping my guard up. "I’m going straight to campus."
"Alright. I’ll drop you off."
"No, no, no," I shot back immediately, shaking my head. "I can manage on my own."
"Alright," he conceded far too easily.
I headed into the bathroom to wash off the night. When I came out, I walked over to the closet and picked out one of the simple, well-fitted outfits Frederick had laid out for me. As I finished buttoning my shirt, Frederick stepped closer, holding a small velvet box.
He looked me over once, a small smile touching his lips. "The outfit looks good on you."
Before I could say anything, he opened the box, revealing a sleek, minimalist silver chain inside. "Let me put this on you."
"I don’t want anything expensive from you," I said, taking a step back.
"It’s from one of the cheaper collections under my company," he said casually, stepping closer. "It’s not that expensive."
I looked at the chain for a moment before reluctantly nodding. "Alright."
He stepped closer, lifted the chain, and carefully fastened it around my neck. His fingers brushed against my skin, sending a strange, unwanted shiver down my spine. He stepped back and looked me over, seemingly pleased with how it looked.
"You look really good."
"Thank you," I muttered stiffly.
He went to get ready for the day. A short while later, he came back out wearing a sharp white suit that accentuated his tall, commanding frame. He looked undeniably striking, but I felt completely detached. His appearance did nothing to stir anything inside me.
Before we left the room, he grabbed a bottle of cologne and sprayed some on himself. Then he stepped toward me and lightly misted some over my shoulders as well.
"There," he murmured with a smug grin. "Now you smell rich, just like your sugar daddy."
"You are not my sugar daddy," I snapped back immediately.
He simply smiled, clearly amused by my irritation. It’s obvious he just likes pushing my buttons, I thought bitterly.
He led the way out, and we took the grand staircase down to the ground floor. As we reached the foyer, the household staff greeted him with practiced respect, their eyes drifting toward me with barely concealed curiosity.
An older, stern-looking woman who appeared to be the head housekeeper stopped near the dining room entrance. She looked from Frederick to me, taking in my appearance, but wisely kept her questions to herself.
"Good morning, sir," she greeted Frederick respectfully.
Frederick gave her a brief nod before gesturing for me to follow him into the dining room.
The dining room was just as impressive as the rest of the house. A large dining table stood in the center of the room, already set with a variety of breakfast dishes.
I took a seat across from Frederick, still taking in the unfamiliar surroundings. I had never eaten in a place this grand before, and everything from the tableware to the food looked expensive.
Frederick barely seemed to notice my fascination. He simply picked up his utensils and began eating.
I followed his lead, and for a while, neither of us said much. The quiet between us wasn’t exactly uncomfortable, but I still wasn’t sure what to say to him after everything that had happened the night before.
By the time we finished breakfast, I was more than ready to leave.
We made our way outside through the grand front entrance, where a sleek black car was already waiting in the driveway.
A bodyguard stepped forward and opened the door for us. We climbed into the back seat, and as the car pulled away, I noticed another vehicle following closely behind us.
A whole convoy.
Why does a man like him even need so many bodyguards? I wondered, glancing at the vehicle following behind us.
The car soon merged onto the main road, leaving the quiet luxury of Frederick’s estate behind as we headed toward the city.
After a while, Frederick turned toward me.
"Give me your phone."
I frowned suspiciously but handed it to him anyway. Frederick typed his own number into my phone and called it. A moment later, his phone rang. He ended the call, then slipped a small debit card into my hand.
He explained how to use the card and told me the money on it was ready for me to use.
I took my phone back from him. "Thank you."
"You’re welcome, little pet."
I rolled my eyes at the nickname but said nothing.
He had promised to drop me off halfway, but apparently, that had only been a suggestion. True to his stubborn nature, he had the driver continue all the way to my university, even though the journey would take almost four hours.
Frederick didn’t seem bothered by the long drive. He spent part of the journey taking business calls and later spoke to one of his friends on the phone. I mostly kept to myself, watching the scenery pass by through the window and counting the minutes until we finally arrived.
When the familiar red-brick gates of my university finally came into view, panic immediately tightened my chest. Students and professors were everywhere, moving in and out of the campus.
"Stop—right here, please," I pleaded, turning toward him with wide eyes. "Drop me somewhere farther down. I don’t want anyone to see me getting out of your car."
He gave a slow nod and signaled the driver to pull over a short distance from the main entrance, far enough to keep us out of direct view of the campus.
I didn’t wait for another invitation. I pushed the door open, climbed out, and hurried away without looking back. Behind me, I heard the car pull away and merge back into traffic.
Once Frederick’s car disappeared from sight, I turned down the side street toward my older brother’s apartment. I needed to pick up a few things before heading to the university to pay my tuition.
When I reached the building, I entered the passcode on the digital lock, pushed the door open, and quickly gathered what I needed. I didn’t stay long. Within minutes, I was back outside and heading straight for the university administration block.
I joined the line at the payment desk and waited my turn. When I finally reached the counter, I handed over the card. My heart pounded as the clerk processed the payment.
A moment later, the transaction went through.
Relief washed over me. I had finally paid my tuition and cleared all the fees I owed. For the first time in a long while, I didn’t have to worry about being unable to continue my studies because of money.
As soon as I finished, I hurried across campus to find Julian. The moment he spotted me, his face lit up.
"You’re back!" he exclaimed happily as we walked into the hall for our next lecture.
He asked if I was finally back at university, and I nodded.
"Yeah. I’m back for good."
His warm smile made me feel welcome after everything I had been through over the past few days.
After the lecture, Julian invited me to his apartment to hang out for a while. I agreed.
Throughout the day, I kept finding myself checking my phone, half-expecting a message or call from Frederick. I couldn’t explain why I was waiting for it, but my phone remained completely silent.
I spent the rest of the day at Julian’s apartment, trying to relax and push everything that had happened the night before out of my mind. When it grew late, Julian suggested that I stay the night.
"Thanks, but I’ll head back to my brother’s place," I told him, picking up my bag. Julian didn’t argue and simply nodded.
Julian and I walked outside together. But the moment we stepped off the porch, I froze.
A police cruiser was parked by the curb, its headlights cutting through the darkness. Before I could figure out what was happening, one of the officers stepped toward us.
"Which one of you is Reynold?" he asked sharply.
My stomach dropped. "I am."
"You’re under arrest," the officer said, moving closer.
Julian immediately stepped in front of me, panic rising in his voice. "For what? What did he do? Why are you taking him?"
Before the officer could say a word, the door of a sleek sedan parked behind the police cruiser opened. Thomas stepped out into the dim streetlight, a smug, venomous grin spread across his face.
"For breaking into my apartment behind my back," Thomas snapped, pointing a shaking finger at me. "You did it just to steal from me."
I stared at him, the blood draining from my face.
"What— What are you talking about?"