Chapter 21
The glass barrier between the balconies wasn’t particularly high. Just a single pane of glass separated the two rooms. So she climbed over it easily.
As she bent down to pick up the hair band on the floor, a wave of dizziness washed over her. Sleepiness was beginning to take hold.
The room next door had always been unoccupied.
To this day, Sally still didn’t know whose room it actually was.
Her head was splitting. She couldn’t care anymore–stumbling toward the bed, she collapsed onto it.
Just then, a phone rang from outside the room, followed by Brad’s voice. “Lena? You called me?”
Sally had no idea what Lena on the other end was saying. She could only hear Brad comfort her gently, then said in a soft voice, “Wait for me there. I’ll be right over.”
And then, she heard him leave in a hurry. Moments later, the sound of an engine drifted up from downstairs.
She didn’t bother paying attention. Eyes closed, she quickly drifted off to sleep.
Half an hour later, as Jaxon was returning to his room, he bumped into Brad’s mother, Lauren, on the landing.
“Jaxon, you came back today too?” She smiled as she stepped up the stairs, giving him a kind smile.
“Yes, Lauren,” Jaxon responded politely before opening the door to his room.
The lighting inside was dim, but he instantly spotted someone lying on the bed. Without a second thought, he shut the door.
“What’s wrong, Jaxon?” Lauren was just about to walk past behind him. Confused, she asked.
Jaxon glanced back at her, quickly changing the subject. “Why weren’t you home tonight?”
Lauren blinked in surprise. Jaxon was highly respected in the Zale family, second only to Howard. Even Lauren was always polite around him. It was rare for him to show interest in her whereabouts.
She wasn’t particularly guarded and began chatting about her outing with her sisters.
They talked for a full three minutes at the door before she finally said, “It’s getting late. I won’t keep you from resting.”
“Okay. Good night.” Jaxon replied.
Once she left, he opened the door again, and then quickly locked it after slipping inside the door.
The wall lamp cast a soft amber glow around the room. The light stirred the person in bed, but she merely rolled over without waking.
Jaxon’s brows furrowed the moment he saw her face. He reached out and nudged her shoulder. But instead of waking, Sally wrapped her arms around his neck–pulling him right into her embrace.
The sudden closeness brought her soft scent to his nose. It was familiar–stirring something in him. And then, she nestled closer, her lips brushing against his cheek.
Jaxon’s pupils widened. A strange tingling sensation spread through his chest–he’d never experienced anything like this before.
The atmosphere grew strange. He quickly untangled himself from her grip and sat upright, looking down at her.
Brad was gone from the family house, and Howard was already asleep with Nick, unaware of Brad’s leaving.
All the guest rooms were locked. Even the one next door couldn’t be opened.
If Sally were to leave this room and be spotted in the morning… Jaxon knew no amount of explaining would clear their names.
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15
Chapter 21
He had considered leaving, but there was no way he could let her wander out like this. After a moment of hesitation, he grabbed his pajamas and headed for the bathroom.
To his surprise, she was still lying in the same position when he came back from a shower.
So much for being a lightweight, he thought. No wonder she locked the door. But how did she get in here?
He looked around the room. A low chuckle escaped his lips after his gaze landed on the balcony.
Then, he fetched a fresh blanket from the closet and headed for the couch.
He was sure he made enough noise, but Sally didn’t wake once.
Sally slept soundly until the next morning, and then, she was woken by knocking on the door next to them.
“Mom! Dad! Time to get up,” it was Nick. “I’m going be late for school. You need to take me!”
Sally opened her groggy eyes and glanced toward the door. The sofa was right next to the entrance. What met her gaze wasn’t the door–but a man sleeping on the couch.
Their eyes met. Her pupils dilated in shock. “Mr. Za-”
But before she could finish, Jaxon coughed lightly, cutting her off to signal toward the door.
Sally got up quietly, her mind racing–and then, finally remembering why she was here…
So this was… Jaxon’s room?
Before she could figure out more details, more knocking came from the next room, waking up Lauren.
Oh no, she thought. If Lauren walked out the front door now… she would be doomed.
Sally hurried to the balcony, only for Jaxon to follow her. He slid the door shut behind them, leaned against the railing, and looked at her impassively.
“Mrs. Zale,” he said, unwilling to let her go like this. “Don’t you think I deserve an explanation?”
The knocking continued next door, louder this time.
“Mr. Zale, it’s just a misunderstanding,” Sally gulped. “I’ll explain everything later. But right now, I really need to exit through the other room…”
She turned to climb over–but paused. It was broad daylight. Climbing over the glass rail in front of Jaxon? That was… far from graceful.
“You’re not actually going to climb over this in front of me, are you?” Jaxon’s voice came from behind–low and rich.
Sally looked back, her expression forced into an awkward smile.
“Mr. Zale, would you mind… turning around?” She gritted her teeth and muttered.
A faint smile curved on Jaxon’s lips. He had always been reserved and distant. This was the first time she’d seen such a gentle expression on his face.
But he didn’t move–just kept watching her. “Want me to help you?” He asked.
Sally blinked in hesitation. “… What?”
-Jaxon didn’t reply. He stepped toward her, stopped right in front of her, then, he bent down and scooped her into his arms.
Sally’s heart leapt into her throat. “Mr. Zale,” she whispered, anxiously. “This… this really isn’t appropriate!”
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