13 A Pleasant Morning

The night was too warm for Elena and too comfortable for Xavier, both of them falling asleep in their own comfort until the sun rose high into the sky.

Xavier did a bit of work in his study after eating his share of pasta and accidentally falling asleep on the couch. Meanwhile, Elena snuggled comfortably under the thick blanket up to her neck.

It was only after the sun was high in the sky that Elena opened her eyes. The sunlight that hit her face instantly made her wake up. She rubbed her face and sat on the bed.

Good grief! The sun is up!

Aunt Ursula would be furious if she woke up late. There were so many things Elena had to take care of early in the morning. She also had to clean the apartment.

As her gaze swept around her, Elena let out a long sigh and released her tense breath. She just remembered that she wasn't in the apartment anymore.

She felt the soft sheets and the warm duvet. Ahh… she had never slept in a bed this comfortable.

Was this how rich people feel when they sleep every night? The bed was very comfortable and soft. Elena didn't feel like getting up at all.

She closed her eyes and rolled over once to the edge of the bed, enjoying her bed one last time, before she finally forced herself to get up.

Elena walked to the terrace in front of her room and enjoyed the beautiful view of the city below the hill. The place was secluded and private but had a great view. At the end of the horizon, she could even see the sea.

Meanwhile, Xavier already looked fresh in a black shirt and black jeans. The man seemed to have a penchant for all-black outfits. When he closed the closet door and was about to leave the room, the corner of his eye caught the figure of Elena standing on the terrace of her room.

He frowned and looked at the girl who was gazing at the vastness of nature spread below the house. Xavier then came out of his room to the balcony.

Elena's strands of hair were clearly blown away by the gentle breeze. The girl's expression looked astonished. She seemed enchanted by the view.

To Xavier, this beautiful scenery was meaningless because for the past four years he had seen it every day. During the time Elleard was in the hospital and after his parents died, Xavier never dared to return to their family mansion.

Going back there was the same as tearing a wound that had not yet healed. That was why he bought this house and spent his private time here.

Even though this house was sold for a high price because of the stunning view under the hill, he never cared about it or considered it important… until this morning when he saw Elena looking so amazed at its beauty.

A few minutes Xavier spent fixing his eyes on Elena. The girl finally realized someone was watching her from the upper balcony. Elena turned her head, and sure enough, Xavier's sharp eyes looked at her with a complicated look.

The man's pair of brown eyes showed neither anger nor tenderness. Elena did not understand the meaning of Xavier's gaze. The two of them were both lost in each other's eyes.

The unofficial staring contest ended when Elena lowered her face and entered her room, followed by Xavier coming down from the second floor.

When they met in the living room, she cleared her throat to let go of the awkwardness as they looked at each other. Elena scratched the back of her neck and then followed Xavier's steps towards the sofa.

"Mm… your house is really nice. From the top of this hill everything looks very beautiful," said Elena stiffly.

"Is that true?" Xavier reached for the car keys that were on the table.

"Where are you going?" asked Elena.

Xavier turned around. "I have to solve some problems."

"I thought you must be a very busy, hard-working person," said Elena admiringly.

Xavier wanted to laugh at the girl's innocent words. Elena must not have expected that Xavier was going to kill someone today.

"Where did that thought come from?" Xavier asked curiously.

Elena pointed at Xavier's body. "Your house is big, you look great, your car too, and… you're a nice person."

"Nice? How did you get to that conclusion? You only know me from a plate of pasta."

Elena laughed awkwardly. She tucked her hair behind her ear while Xavier was still watching her every move.

"What is so funny?" Xavier asked, but not in a curt tone. He was just really curious why Elena was laughing. He only realized that this girl looked very charming when her lips curved upwards in a smile and let out sweet laughter like this, not looking worried and frightened like yesterday.

"Uhm… can I come along?" asked Elena quietly, changing the subject. "I need a ride to town."

"Where are you going to go?" asked Xavier.

"I work, too, in a small shop." Elena walked past Xavier. "It's not far from the cemetery. Can you bring me there? If it's too much hassle, you can just drop me at the nearest bus stop."

Xavier stared at Elena for a long time. It felt almost like he didn't want her to leave, for some reason. However, he realized that he had no right to keep the girl here.

Gosh, I must be crazy, Xavier said to himself. Why would he keep a girl here? He was very busy and didn't have time to be a nanny.

Before he knew it, Xavier had nodded.

"I'll be waiting in the car," he said simply. He then turned and walked out of the house into the garage.

Elena immediately went back to her room and took the rest of her things from there and rushed to the garage so that she could ride with Xavier down to the city.

When she got into the garage, Elena found Xavier standing motionless next to his black car, waiting for Elena patiently.

"Thanks for waiting for me," Elena said with a grateful smile.

"Hmm." Xavier said nothing. He tossed a key to Elena then opened the car door and got in.

Elena quickly caught the key. She asked in surprise. "What is this key?"

"I'm not coming home tonight," Xavier said calmly. "That's the key to this house if you need a place to hide."

Elena pursed her lips. She didn't think this man would give her the keys to this house. Why did Xavier trust her so much? She wondered in her heart.

Ah.. she couldn't refuse this very generous offer. What an extraordinary coincidence. Elena was still pondering about where to live after she came home from work. If her aunt had really kicked her out, of course, Elena wouldn't be able to return to the apartment and she'd have to find a place to live on her own.

"Th-thank you..." Elena stammered. Her tears were almost flowing again.

She hastily rubbed her eyes and smiled in relief. Xavier waited patiently, and the girl immediately realized that they had to leave. Elena opened the door beside the driver's seat and sat down.

The black car sped out of the garage which closed automatically. It was a very sunny morning and nature was bathed in sunlight. As they moved east, the scorching sun began to dazzle Elena's eyes.

Xavier, who had been wearing sunglasses took another pair of sunglasses from the dashboard and gave it to the girl.

"No need, I'm fine," Elena refused. She felt that the expensive sunglasses that Xavier offered were not suitable for a poor girl like her. It wouldn't look good on her anyway.

"Let's just say I'm protecting your eyes!" Xavier's orders were firm and somehow Elena didn't dare to disobey. She finally grabbed the sunglasses and put them on even though she felt awkward wearing them.

The car was moving faster. The open roof of the car allowed car passengers to enjoy the warm summer breeze. Elena loved the warmth of the sun on her skin, accompanied by the caress of the wind.

Slowly, a smile of joy curved on the girl's lips. It was like a dream for her to ride in such a fancy convertible car like this and have a very pleasant ride, right?

"May I stand up?" Elena asked Xavier. Her face was flushed with beauty and her expression was filled with joy as if she had forgotten what her evil aunt and the three thugs had done to her yesterday.

"Just for a bit," Xavier said, hiding his gaze behind sunglasses.

"Thank you..." Elena smiled broadly. She slowly stood up from her seat and spread her arms wide.

Elena really enjoyed the wind blowing against her face, her hair fluttered, her arms spread freely and now her smile was even more beautiful.

Out of the corner of his eyes which were covered by sunglasses, Xavier watched the girl's behavior. He rolled his eyes, but his lips curled up in an amused smile.

It was ridiculous to imagine a man like him in a car with a girl in such a sweet scene, while he was on his way to kill.