The man's low, husky voice carried a lazy, casual tone.
But there was no response from inside.
If they weren't in a villa with top-notch security, with no way out other than the front door, he would have suspected Serena had snuck out through a window.
After all, she was a young woman. He could show off all he wanted, but he still had to respect her boundaries.
Nicholas didn't knock again.
Instead, he asked Fiona to go check on the situation.
There had been no sound from her all afternoon, and now she wasn't responding to the call for dinner.
He was getting a little worried.
Fiona warmed a glass of milk and knocked on Serena's door.
Hearing Fiona's voice, Serena, out of politeness, finally answered, "Come in."
Fiona glanced at Nicholas and pointed to the milk in her hand.
Nicholas's striking eyes narrowed slightly.
Alright, Serena...
Playing favorites, are we?
He let out a dry laugh, tilting his chin slightly and gesturing for Fiona to go in.
Fiona glanced at the Young Master, whose expression was a bit cold, and cleared her throat. "Miss Lancaster, I'm coming in."
As she spoke, she pushed the door open and went inside.
She thoughtfully left the door ajar, giving her young master a space to peek.
When the door opened,
Nicholas's gaze fell into the room.
The main lights were off; only a dim yellow desk lamp was on.
In the warm light, the girl sat at the desk, her head slightly bowed, holding a pen and sketching something.
A few strands of hair fell beside her cheek, her profile exquisite and stunningly beautiful.
Hearing the footsteps,
the girl lifted her gaze slightly. Under the warm lamp, her clear, bright eyes seemed to sparkle with starlight.
She looked at Fiona and took the milk. "Thank you, Fiona. I still have some things to finish up. You guys go ahead and eat, don't wait for me."
Fiona secretly glanced toward the doorway.
Seeing Nicholas nod,
she said, "Miss Lancaster, I'll leave you to it then. Please remember to come out and eat when you're done."
After Fiona left the room,
Nicholas leaned against the wall, watching the girl bathed in the warm
light of the lamp She was still
Stil
absorbed in her own world, not even sparing him a single glance.
He sighed.
The young woman was a workaholic. When she got busy, she not only forgot to eat, she forgot he even existed.
He didn't disturb her further. He turned and went downstairs, instructing Fiona, "Keep the food warm for when she's finished."
Fiona nodded.
And so he waited for several more hours.
During that time, Fiona went into Serena's room twice, bringing her warm milk and
some simple, delicate snacks to tide her over.
When she came out,
Nicholas, who was waiting nearby, would look at her.
Fiona shook her head. "Miss Lancaster only drank half a glass of milk and ate one snack. She said not
to worry about her and that
should get some fest."
Nicholas glanced at the time. "Fiona, it's too late. You go get some rest."
But he himself didn't feel sleepy at all.
He glanced at Serena's room one more time and sighed.
*How do you woo a girl who's a total workaholic?* he wondered. *Asking for a friend. It's urgent.*
Time flew by.
At two-thirty in the morning, Serena finally put down her pen and stretched her stiff body.
She looked up at the deep darkness outside the window, then stood up, opened the door, and walked out.
The core part of the design was
vel
finally complete. She felt a little
wired, and as the post-work relaxation set in, a wave of honger
washed over her content