Chapter 230
Come to My Place?
"No way... Why call it off? We can talk this through!"
Olivia Lopez scoffed.
"Weren't you just implying the deal was over if I didn't agree?"
"I dislike forcing people.
I despise indecisiveness even more.
You can't just change agreed terms on a whim.
Is this a game to you?"
"I'm very particular.
Unreliable partners should part ways early.
It saves everyone time.
Don't you think?"
Julian Winston sat up straight.
"How am I unreliable?!"
She cut straight to the point.
"So, do you still want to renegotiate the rules?"
"...N-no, not really." His spine instantly went limp again.
What was pride?
How much was it worth?
"Hmph. That's more like it."
He muttered under his breath.
"I came all this way... haven't even eaten..."
"What did you say? Speak up, will you? A grown man mumbling like that."
"Fine! I said I'm hungry!"
Olivia was taken aback.
She thought he was secretly cursing her.
"Can't the great Julian Winston afford a meal?"
He instantly flared up.
"I've been camped outside your damn door for an hour! Where was I supposed to eat? Thin air?"
She pursed her lips.
"I didn't tell you to camp out. Your own foolishness isn't my fault."
Julian: "!" His liver ached. Seriously.
In the end, Olivia made him a cup of instant noodles.
He slurped noisily while complaining.
"Couldn't you offer something better to entertain me?"
She sat at the other end of the sofa, scrolling on her phone without looking up.
"Eat it or leave. Your choice."
Julian: "..."
Fine. He'd eat the noodles.
He even drank every last drop of the broth.
"...Burp!"
Olivia shot him a disgusted sidelong glance.
"You've eaten. When are you leaving?"
He leaned back on the sofa, patting his full stomach contentedly.
"Anything to drink? Iced, preferably."
She raised an eyebrow.
"Really? Treating me like your maid now?"
"Don't get mad. You're so quick to explode. Can't you be a little nicer?"
"No."
"..."
Julian got up and went to open the fridge himself.
Wow. No real food, but plenty of drinks.
He opened a soda and gulped it down.
A satisfied fizzy burp escaped.
Olivia: "Must you make such disgusting sounds?"
"Burp! Burp! Burp!"
He took another sip and burped again.
Olivia: "..."
The desire to murder someone was clear in her eyes.
...
A sweltering summer afternoon.
Laziness permeated the air.
Their bickering filled the entire apartment.
Julian stubbornly refused to leave.
Olivia was utterly exasperated.
She swore to herself she'd block him from her Moments next time!
...
Meanwhile, Sophia Sullivan woke from her nap and read two research papers.
Sitting for too long, she got up to stretch.
She went to the kitchen to prepare a fruit platter.
One downside of summer was that fruit peels attracted mosquitoes easily.
So, after peeling, she tied up the trash bag.
She decided to leave it outside her door temporarily.
She would take it down when she went out later.
As she opened her door, she saw the door across the hall wide open.
Several repairmen were crowded in Alexander Laurent's living room, discussing something.
Alexander emerged from the bedroom.
"Tried it. The bedroom AC isn't cooling either."
One repairman slapped his knee.
"Right! Must be an issue with the external unit then."
Sophia blinked.
"Professor, is your AC broken?"
Alexander's gaze shifted past the repairmen to her.
"You're home?"
"Yes, it's Saturday."
He gave a wry smile, pointing at the AC.
"It broke this morning."
Sweat beaded on his forehead.
His shirt was damp, clinging to his chest and back.
Coming from her air-conditioned room, Sophia felt hot just looking at him.
"The technicians are working on it. Would you... like to come to my place? My AC is on."
Alexander was taken aback.
"Is it convenient?"