~Reynold’s POV~
My heart slammed against my ribs, and I stumbled back a step as a cold wave of panic washed over me.
How? My mind spun into chaos. How on earth did he find me?
The man in front of me gestured toward the open door, his expression unyielding.
I looked at him, then back at the car. I still couldn’t understand why Frederick had come looking for me. After everything that had happened, why had he returned?
Yet somehow, his sudden appearance felt like an opportunity I couldn’t afford to ignore.
"All right," I whispered.
The bodyguard pulled the door wider, and I climbed into the back seat, sinking into the plush leather beside Frederick.
The second the door clicked shut, I turned toward him, a desperate apology already rising in my throat for running out on him at the restaurant.
Before I could get a single word out, Frederick beat me to it, his voice calm but carrying a hint of displeasure.
"Can you stay out all night, or are you not allowed to sleep away from home?"
I blinked, caught off guard by the question. There was a restrained edge to his voice, the kind that told me he was still annoyed about what I had done without actually saying it.
I thought about my family. It wasn’t like they actually cared where I was or what I was doing. If I didn’t sleep at home that night, they probably wouldn’t even notice. And even if they did, I doubted anyone would bother asking where I’d gone.
"I can sleep out," I answered quietly.
He gave a small nod toward the front, and his driver put the car in drive. We pulled smoothly away from the curb.
I wanted to turn to him and ask where he was taking me, but I couldn’t bring myself to face him after leaving him without a word. So I sat quietly beside him, staring down at my lap with my fingers loosely intertwined.
A moment later, Frederick glanced over. His eyes settled on my lowered head and the distance I was keeping between us. He let out a quiet sigh.
"Why are you sitting so far away?" He murmured, his voice softer now. "You don’t want to sit closer to me?"
Instinctively, I shifted closer, the heat of his body radiating against my side. He watched me for a long moment, saying nothing before steering the conversation toward the one subject I wanted to avoid.
"How did your family welcome you when you ran back to them?" he asked quietly.
I froze, looking down at my hands. I couldn’t answer. A sudden wave of shame tightened my throat, and I swallowed hard.
"I’m sorry," I whispered.
"For what?" he asked, tilting his head.
"For leaving without telling you."
Frederick gave a faint, dismissive shake of his head. "It’s fine. But you haven’t answered me, Reynold. How did they treat you after you ran back to them?"
I kept my mouth shut, staring blankly out the tinted window as the city lights blurred past.
When I refused to speak, Frederick let out a quiet, humorless breath.
"Fine. If they treat you like absolute dirt and you still crawl back to them, then either they have a collar around your neck, or you’re just painfully stupid, Reynold." His gaze remained fixed on me. "Either way, you’re going to have to answer my questions when we get to my house."
My stomach dropped.
His house?
Panic flickered through me. Why was he taking me to his place? I didn’t know whether I was walking into another cage, and I certainly didn’t know if I could trust a man like Frederick Corvin. Why would someone of his status come looking for someone like me?
So many questions filled my mind, but I had no answers.
He offered no further explanation. Silence settled over the back seat as the luxury car sped through the night, carrying me deeper into a world I was completely unprepared for.
After a drive that felt like an eternity, we finally reached Frederick’s estate. The towering iron gates swung open, and the driver steered the vehicle smoothly into the yard.
From the grand entrance to the expansive grounds beyond, the estate looked like something straight out of a billionaire’s dream.
The compound was vast and breathtakingly spacious, with manicured lawns, pristine white stonework, and a large private car lot filled with rows of sleek, expensive vehicles, each one more extravagant than the last. Off in the distance, a massive circular helipad was set into the grounds, with a gleaming helicopter resting quietly against the backdrop of dark, looming trees.
The car came to a stop, and the driver immediately stepped out to open the door. Frederick emerged first, then turned, extending his hand toward me.
Hesitantly, I placed my hand in his and let him pull me out. My head constantly swiveled as I tried to take in the sheer scale of the estate. I couldn’t even close my mouth, completely dazed by the opulence surrounding me.
Frederick led me toward a private entrance at the back of the mansion, where a sleek private elevator waited. We stepped inside, the doors sliding shut before gliding upward in complete silence.
When they finally opened, we stepped onto Frederick’s private floor—a massive, luxurious space that felt less like part of a house and more like a five-star resort I had only ever seen on the internet.
He led me down a short flight of modern steps into a breathtaking master suite. Warm, sophisticated tones of polished wood, soft ambient lighting, and floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking the night filled the enormous room.
He gestured toward a plush, curved sofa sitting across from an expansive, low-slung bed.
"Welcome to my room," he murmured.
I stood frozen in the middle of the room, staring around in absolute disbelief. "Wait... this is just your room? Not the whole house?"
Frederick let out a low chuckle. "Don’t be silly, Reynold. This is just my room. I’m exhausted tonight, so we took the private elevator straight here. Maybe before you leave tomorrow morning, I’ll show you around the rest of the estate."
"Wow," I breathed, my voice barely a whisper. "You must be very, very rich."
A slow smirk spread across his face. "Isn’t it great? Looks like you found yourself a wealthy sugar daddy."
I blinked, heat rushing to my cheeks. "Sugar daddy? What do you mean?"
Frederick smiled, his eyes glinting with amusement. "We have a lot to talk about. Do you want to eat first, or should we get straight to the conversation?"
"I... I want to look around your room first," I blurted out, my eyes wide as I surveyed the incredible layout. "I’ve never seen anything like this before."
"Go ahead," Frederick said, leaning back against the edge of the sofa. "Don’t worry, you’ll get used to it soon enough."
"Huh?" I muttered, staring at him.
"Take your time," he murmured, watching me with a steady, intense gaze. "Look around all you want."
I walked around the spacious room, taking in every detail and letting my eyes wander over everything that caught my attention. When I was finally satisfied, I made my way back to the sofa and sat down beside Frederick.
"Your place is incredible," I admitted quietly. "I love it."
"Then you should come here more often," Frederick replied.
He stood, walked into his sprawling walk-in closet, and returned a moment later with a crisp, oversized white shirt. He held it out to me.
"Go change into this."
"I want to shower first," I told him.
"Go ahead," he said, his eyes darkening slightly. "And after your shower, put on only that shirt. Nothing underneath."
I froze, staring at him. Are we doing this again?
Before I could get lost in my thoughts, he gestured toward the en-suite bathroom and briefly explained how to operate the high-tech shower.
When I stepped inside, the bathroom was so breathtakingly luxurious that I seriously considered locking myself in there and never coming out. But I knew I couldn’t hide forever.
I took a long, thorough shower, dried off with the thick, warm towel he had left out, and slipped into the oversized white shirt, leaving off my underwear exactly as he had instructed.
When I walked back into the room, Frederick was sitting on the sofa, wearing nothing but his boxers and waiting for me. His eyes lingered on me for a long moment, taking in the way the oversized shirt fell over my body.
I shifted uncomfortably under his gaze, unsure of what he was thinking.
"I like your body," he murmured, his voice dropping slightly. "Smooth skin, straight legs... you’re truly beautiful, Reynold."
Heat rushed to my face at his words. He really knows how to flatter someone just to get what he wants, I thought, feeling the warmth spread up my neck.
Before he could ask me anything else, I quickly spoke up, interrupting him while keeping my eyes cast downward.
"Before you ask... don’t ask any questions about my family. I can’t tell you anything about them. You can ask me about anything else, but not that."
Frederick’s eyes narrowed slightly. "Are you trying to tell me what to do?"
"No," I answered quickly, my voice tightening. "I’m just saying... I’m not comfortable talking about them with you."
Frederick fell silent, his expression unreadable for a long moment. Then, without warning, he reached out, caught my hand, and pulled me toward him.
I scrambled onto his lap, stiffening as I straightened myself. My face burned with shyness, and I could barely bring myself to look him in the eye.
"Look at me," he said, his hand settling firmly on my hip as he pulled me closer.
I slowly raised my chin and met his dark gaze.
"Why exactly did you run away from me?"