Chapter 4

"Crazy...you rascal..." Right now, Eliza's mind was in absolute chaos. She had no idea what had just happened; all she could remember was her boyfriend Jake dropping her off at the fashion show. After he left, a woman called her onto the stage and then there were flashes of multicolored lights, incessantly dazzling in front of her. She seemed to have worn a silvery-white fitted cocktail dress... Blank, blank, blank! What was the deal with this man? He carried himself like a noble, yet behaved like a rogue. Did she seek him out, or was it the other way around? Her thoughts became more scrambled, her face flushing bright red one moment and paling the next. She looked back at Xander, whose face was still filled with mockery and disregard. “Who are you?” Being smug after gaining an advantage? She was furious, her lips clenched tight in agitation. With a step forward, her voice rose to a pitch threatening to snap like a strained guitar string, a bit grating on the ears. Xander gave a dry chuckle of disdain, threw off the covers and sat upright. On the chaotic sheet, a vivid patch of red spread like a blooming poppy. Unashamed, he rose, his robust body reminiscent of a thriving poplar tree, upright and stalwart, the muscles on his bronzed skin tightly drawn up. Eliza’s mind blazed again. In a freaked flurry, she turned around, Xander glanced at her and grabbed a bath towel, wrapped it around his waist and nonchalantly walked into the bathroom. “You’ve yet to clear up what just happened!” Eliza, poundingly thumped on the bathroom door, loudly questioning. The response she received was just the rumbling noise of water running. After a long while, Xander slid open the door and stepped out, droplets of water trickling down from his damp hair and rolling down his upper body. "Take this and get out." Xander walked over to the side of the bed, pulled out his wallet from his pocket, grabbed all the cash and threw it at her in a flurry. "You despicable!" Eliza trembled with rage. She brushed off the green banknotes that had fallen on her, her expertise in lip-reading allowed her to comprehend the three words this man just uttered. What did he take her for? She stepped forward, raised her hand, and attempted to slap his face. Xander reacted swiftly, grasping her hand. With a strong push, he sternly warned, "I advise you, take the money and leave immediately. Don't show your tricks in front of me." Acting like a pure and chaste saint now? Laughable! Xander had seen many women. Most would use various means to cling onto him and then plot for his money. He was also willing to use money to solve such problems. No debts owed between them, simply serving their individual needs. He was not a man who would treat women gently. His push caused Eliza's head - perfectly and unfortunately - to collide with the bedpost, causing intense pain and making her lose consciousness. Bright sunlight flooded in unabashedly from the window, dyeing a patch of golden hue on the white bed. When Eliza woke up, rubbing the back of her head, she found herself alone in the room. Looking at the extravagant surroundings, she felt a pang of sadness. She had inexplicably lost her precious first time. Moreover, she was clueless about who the man was, and how this even happened! What was more infuriating was that the scattered green banknotes on the floor seemed to mock her, just like the man’s cold and arrogant face.