By the tAlicia reached her residential area, it was already dark and started to drizzle. At the gate, a security guard ran out and handed her an umbrella. "Miss Blanchard, you're back!" "Thank you. I'll bring this back to you tomorrow," she said. Unbeknownst to her, the security guard was an arrangement by Frederick, to which Alicia thought they were pretty thoughtful and dedicated. "You don't need to. It's complimentary. It's the last one, you may have it if you don't mind." "I beg your pardon?" Such a beautiful umbrella as complimentary gift? Alicia nodded and thanked him again, "Okay, thank you." As the rain began pouring, Alicia waved at him and ran inside.
At the elevator lobby, there was a female security guard who specially assisted her in pressing the button and accompanying her up. At the stime, another personnel would be monitoring the elevator security camera. Once Alicia entered her room, everyone breathed a sighed of relief. "Finally tto sign out." As Alicia had the habit of staying indoors after returning hin the evening, therefore, apart from the surveillance security force and with the exception during weekends, the receptionist and the security guards were basically not on a 24/7 standby. Most of the time, they would be assisting her whenever she would reach and leave home. And at normal times, they work by shift.
As it had been raining and cold that day, the security personnel were somewhat more casual at work with all gathering in the office.
In the comfort of her home, Alicia made herself ssoup. After her meal, she turned on the TV, something which she seldom did, contentedly. Outside, the rain pattered against the window glass and brought along the faint whistling of the wind.
As Alicia snuggled down in her couch, she really enjoyed the tranquility and warmth of this moment.
If he had been here, they could snuggle close to each other on the couch, listening to the sound of the rain together. It'd certainly be a different experience! Occasionally the screen of mobile phone on the table would light up. Alicia disregarded it, knowing who was the one contacting her for it hadn't stopped since returning from the mall. After having a good laugh from an entertainment show, Alicia tidied up and took a hot shower before getting ready for bed.
Follow on NovᴇlEnglish.nᴇtAfter coming out from her bath, her phone's screen was still lit She couldn't help rolling her eyes again and thought, "Just when is he going to stop all these?" Did he want her phone battery to run out? Alicia picked up her phone and saw over ten missed calls entirely from Jeremy. There were also six unread messages which Alicia guessed must be all from him as well.
Just as she was about to open the messages, her phone lit up with an incoming call. Alicia's temper flared. "What do you want, Jeremy? Can't you letrest? Continue doing this and I'll sue you for harassment!" "I'm waiting for you downstairs!" "What?" she paused as she was just about to hang up the call. Her eyes unintendedly switched to the window's direction, where big raindrops were pelting against the windowpane.
The rain was really heavy. Could he be...
The next second, the predictable happened, 'Tm at Robson Garden and waiting for you downstairs. I'm not leaving until I see you, Alicia. I'll keep waiting." "Jeremy! You... You're crazy!" Exasperated, Alicia slammed the phone to end the call abruptly. She towards her bed. Through the closed window, she could see a silhouette standing alone under the dim streetlamp made apparent by the rain.
He didn't even have an umbrella? His head was not covered. So it looked like he didn't have a raincoat either.
"Damn it! What a lunatic!" So he had been in the rain the moment he reached here! Scratching her head irritatingly, Alicia got into her bed instead and swore, "Serves him right if he dies in the cold. It's none of my business." Deliberately turning off the lights, Alicia pulled the blanket to cover herself and then shut her eyes tightly.
As the rain and wind grew stronger in the silent night, all of one's senses seemed to be heightened that even the sound of every drop of rain could drip into one's heart, causing ripples.
Alicia tossed and turned, finding it hard to fall asleep. Suddenly, lightning flashed across the sky. With a shudder, Alicia found herself more awake.
As the thunder pealed in the following second, Alicia felt even more uneasy. Hiding her mobile phone underneath her pajamas, she turned on the phone's flashlight and walked to the side of her bed with minimal lighting. She then switched off the flashlight and unveiled one side of the window curtain.
The silhouette remained standing still under the streetlamp.
With the ongoing thunder and occasional flashes of lightning, Alicia got fidgety and thought, "How foolish! Why wouldn't he leave? It's still raining and thundering. Doesn't he know how dangerous it is?" There was a tree near the streetlamp. And yet he was standing under the streetlamp in this weather? With someone outside in the rain, she couldn't just be indifferent, as if it was nothing. She stood by the window for a while, but noticed that the rain didn't seem to be stopping at all. Underneath, Frederick stood unmoving in this big open ground. Besides the passing cars, it was only him and nothing else around, making him so noticeable that Alicial couldn't pretend that she hadn't seen him.
"Of all places, he still chose to stand under the streetlamp. He is obviously trying to gain sympathy, no?" Alicia gritted her teeth, seething.
But with the ongoing pealing thunder at this hour, it made her feeling rather contrite.
She turned around and switched on the light.
Follow on Novᴇl-Onlinᴇ.cᴏmPutting on sthick clothes, Alicia called him, "Fine! Find a place for shelter. I'll cdownstairs now. Just ten minutes." Hanging up the call, Alicia grabbed her phone and keys and went out.
As she didn't intend to go far, she just put on her slippers and went downstairs without much thought.
At the entrance of the building, she entered the security code and opened the door. Before her was a When all drenched and disheveled.
man With his face wet, his drenched clothes sticking to his skin and still dripping with rainwater, Jeremy's face appeared pale and his lips turned blue. Earlier on, Alicia was only thinking about getting an umbrella for him, but forgot to bring him a towel or a set of clothes.
Then it occurred to her that he brought it upon himself. She suppressed the sympathy for him and said coldly, "Say what you want to say quickly. And leave after that."
"Why don't you believe me, Alicia? Am I only just a liar in your eyes? Frederick hasn't been looking for you lately, right? ksaw him making out with another woman with my eyes before they left the place. I swea to God! Just look, I even checked the security footage and got a few images." As he spoke, Jeremy tried to look up the images from his phone but Alicia said all of a sudden, "I'm not going to believe it! He isn't that kind of person. Jeremy Pitcher, stop wasting your time. I won't believe you no matter what you showI trust him. We've been together for such a long time, know him better than you do Nightclub? Haha! Frederick is such a proud person that even a beautiful goddess who willingly offered herself to him won't be entertained either." How would someone that finicky and obsessed with cleanliness like Frederick possibly touch those kind of woman? "Do you really know about him, Ally?
We'd been together for three years, but what happened in the end? How long have you both known each m other? Frederick's a cunning fox in business. Do you think you'd realize if he had intended to lie to you? This woman I saw wasn't a guest relations officer at the nightclub. I've seen her before - she's also from a prominent family but not from Casterwich City. And you think Frederick wouldn't take advantage of her?"