Chapter 2 : The Shared Bathroom

Grandma''s birthday was always lively. The living room was brightly lit, laughter spilling from the dining room all the way to the sofa area.

As soon as Avella entered, she tucked the brocade pouch from her schoolbag into her embrace, as if protecting some treasure.

"Grandma, happy birthday. I got you a little gift."

She took out the Tiffany silver bracelet. The design was simple and elegant, the knot tied neatly.

Grandma was delighted at first sight, her eyes crinkling into slits as she grabbed Avella''s hand and wouldn''t let go. "Oh my, our Avella is so lovable. Sweet-talking and thoughtful."

She gently placed the bracelet in Grandma''s palm, her voice softening. "Wear it. For peace and safety."

Grandma was so happy she couldn''t stop smiling, repeatedly praising her for being sensible.

Warmed by the praise, Avella was about to coax a few more words when a light thud from the side interrupted her.

Sebastian opened a gift box and pushed it in front of Grandma. The Cartier diamond brooch inside shimmered brightly under the light.

Grandma let out another "Oh my!", her smile widening even more, though she chided him, "Wasting money again! Your thought is enough."

Sebastian simply said flatly, "As long as you like it."

The smile on Avella''s face didn''t change, but her eyelashes trembled slightly.

What''s the meaning of this?! Stealing assets, and now stealing Grandma''s affection too?!

She wanted to say something but didn''t want to seem petty. After a moment''s thought, she let it go.

Sebastian looked up, his gaze resting on her face for half a beat before shifting away, as if he hadn''t noticed anything.

Dinner ended late. After the dishes were cleared, a sudden downpour started outside, making driving inconvenient and the roads difficult. With Grandma''s "Don''t trouble yourselves tonight," everyone was persuaded to stay over.

Grandma''s bedroom was on the first floor. Their mother and father occupied the master bedroom on the second floor. The two other guest rooms on the second floor were for the two of them. The guest rooms didn''t have en-suite bathrooms; they had to use the shared bathroom at the end of the hallway.

Back in her room, Avella curled up on the bed scrolling through her phone. The AP exam scores had just been released. Chloe sent a voice message lamenting how she''d been scolded by her mom right after checking her score. Avella glanced at her own score before swiping away, and by the time she regained focus, it was past midnight.

She picked up her change of clothes and slipped quietly out of her room.

The hallway light was a warm yellow. The villa was eerily quiet at night.

The shared bathroom was at the end of the hall. Pushing the door open released a stale, unused smell. The sink was dry and slightly rough, the drain was dry too. The air held only a faint scent of tiles and residual cleaning agent.

Avella wrinkled her nose, dusted off the clothes rack with a tissue, hung her change of clothes, then swiftly undressed. Barefoot, she stepped across the tiles and pushed open the frameless glass door to the wet area. The door hinge first let out a soft "creak," as if it hadn''t been used in a while. The magnetic seal also felt a bit stiff. She forced the door shut, turned, and turned on the hot water.

Soon, steam billowed up, quickly fogging a layer of white on the glass door. After washing her hair, Avella reached up to feel the ends, thinking of going out to get her hair towel.

It wouldn''t push open.

She pushed again. The glass door didn''t budge, as if something was jamming it. She looked down at the hinges and the magnetic seal, a string of curses running through her mind.

Didn''t ''Unlucky Bear'' get cancelled? Why is it still following me around?

She knocked on the door. "Grandma? Mom? Anyone there?"

The soundproofing was absurdly good; not a sound came from outside. She raised her voice and called out twice more. The echo bounced off the tiles, making it feel even more awkward.

Avella gripped the handle, trying to force it open from the inside, her fingertips turning red, but the door still showed no mercy. The steam grew heavier, water droplets sliding down the glass. She stood inside, feeling trapped in a transparent box.

Just as she was contemplating trying to pry open a gap, a knock suddenly sounded from outside.

Knock, knock.

Avella''s eyes lit up. She immediately called out, "The door''s stuck! Come in for a second!"

Thinking it was one of the household maids, her tone relaxed. "See if you can open it from the outside..."

There was a soft click of the lock. The door was pushed open, footsteps entered, steady on the tiles.

In the mist, the figure was blurry at first, the silhouette tall and cleanly built. As he took two steps forward, the steam dispersed slightly, and his face slowly came into focus—

Avella''s blood rushed to her head.

Sebastian!

"What are you doing in here?!"

She instinctively turned her back, her shoulders tensing, shame and anger simultaneously exploding, her voice cracking.

"Heard you calling."

Sebastian''s tone was cold as if stating a fact, without any inflection. The light from above cast shadows, making his features appear deeper, but his eyes held an indescribable intensity.

"You... you should go get someone else!"

"Who, at this hour?"

"Then you still shouldn''t have come in!"

Avella gritted her teeth, her arms wrapping around herself, her spine straight and rigid, practically wanting to write "Don''t look!" in the air.

Sebastian didn''t reply. He approached two steps, raised a hand to test the door. The jammed point made a slight grating sound, but the door remained immovable.

The steam swirled inside the shower stall, the light softened by the vapor. Her exposed back was clear one moment, then swallowed by the mist the next. The ends of her hair dripped water, trailing down her spine, pausing for a moment at the small of her back before disappearing into deeper shadow.

Sebastian''s throat tightened, his knuckles turning white.

He withdrew his gaze, turned, and rummaged in the storage cabinet under the sink, finding the spare suction cup tool. After testing it on the glass, he pressed the heel of his palm against the edge of the door, increasing the force. The glass door shuddered slightly, and the stuck magnetic seal snapped open with a pop.

Cooler air rushed in through the gap. Avella almost sighed in relief, but the next second she realized the problem.

The door was open. And she was still naked.

"The bath towel. Hand it to me."

Sebastian didn''t move immediately.

That pause was a second too long, long enough for Avella to feel his gaze on her back, lingering, carrying a heat that seemed to burn down her spine.

Avella clenched her fingers, her nails almost digging into her palms. She really, really wanted to kick Sebastian hard right now.

Finally, Sebastian reached out, took the bath towel from the towel rack, and extended it to the doorway.

Avella reached for it, her fingertips accidentally brushing against the back of his hand.

For an instant, she flinched as if burned, immediately snatching the towel, swiftly wrapping it around herself and tying it tightly.

She took a deep breath and finally turned around.

The mist hadn''t fully cleared yet. Her face in the mirror was flushed from the heat, the corners of her eyes slightly red—from anger, or perhaps something else.

But she found Sebastian was already gone.

He had left quickly, even pulling the door to the dry area shut behind him as he went out, with a soft click.

Footsteps faded down the hallway, sounding as if he had really just come to open a door.

Avella stood in the mist, the towel tied tightly around her.

She stared at the glass door he had just opened and muttered under her breath, "Asshole..."

She really did dislike Sebastian.