Chapter 523



Without a word, Jake stepped closer and gently took the hairdryer from Kallie’s hand, his fingers sliding softly through her damp hair. “It’s alright,” he said quietly. “I’ll stay with you tonight. If it makes you uncomfortable, I’ll just sit by the window. I won’t sleep on the bed.”

Kallie looked at him, her voice low. “Forget it. You’ll catch a cold sleeping there all night, and then I’ll have to take care of you.”

Jake’s lips curved into a soft smile. “Worried about me?”

Kallie snorted but didn’t utter a word. After drying her hair, Jake scooped her up and gently laid her on the bed. True to his word, he didn’t try anything. Instead, he simply held her close, his hand softly patting her back in a soothing rhythm.

Kallie shifted slightly, her cheeks warming with embarrassment. “I’m not a kid, Jake. You don’t have to put me to sleep like this.”

Jake leaned in, his face close enough to catch her familiar scent. He sighed, his voice low. “Every time I’m this close to you, I can’t help but wonder if it’s all just a dream. I’m scared that when I open my eyes, I’ll be back in that foreign place, far from you and Sophie. The thought of you two is what kept me going.”

Kallie, growing drowsy, asked in a soft, sleepy voice, “What really happened when you were abroad? You never told me… But I can guess it must’ve been dangerous.”

Jake didn’t answer right away. He just watched her, his gaze tender, as her breathing became slow and steady, sleep claiming her. He pressed a gentle kiss to her forehead and whispered, “The past doesn’t matter anymore.”

For the first time in ages, Kallie slept peacefully through a thunderstorm.

The next morning, Kallie woke at six, her alarm softly buzzing. She had planned to get up early, make breakfast, and let Sophie sleep in a little longer. But to Kallie’s surprise, when she walked into the kitchen, she found Jake already there, busy preparing breakfast.

Kallie watched Jake bustling about in the kitchen, hardly able to believe her eyes. Jake, who hailed from the high-status Reeves family of Burmoos, was donning an apron, cooking for her, and tidying up the house. It was a sight so unbelievable that if word got out, no one would accept it as truth.

After their meal, Kallie and Sophie set off together. Kallie had expected things might not unfold smoothly, yet she hadn’t anticipated it would derail quite so dramatically on the very first day. Due to a mix-up by the program’s crew, Kallie was given a later time than scheduled. Although she usually liked to head out early, this miscommunication resulted in her arriving twenty minutes late.

Upon reaching the venue, the crew, visibly distressed and sweating, hurried over to clear the air. “I’m sorry, Miss Nixon. We originally planned to start at the time we told you, but the schedule was changed last minute. We update the guests through a group chat, and I didn’t realize you weren’t included in it.”

Kallie’s eyebrows arched in mild surprise as she scanned the area and noticed three young people standing nearby. “Who set up that group?” she inquired.

An employee quickly responded, “It was organized by Elaine. The group’s admin is another celebrity, Saniya Mason.”

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