Jenna Axton closed her front door and rushed to the water dispenser to pour herself a glass of water.
The cool water settled in her stomach, and her anxious heart cald a little.
"So thirsty just from seeing ?"
Russell Frost stood on the doormat, a cryptic smile playing on his lips.
Jenna Axton took a cup from the shelf, filled it with warm water, and handed it to him.
She shot a cool glance at the man by the door. "You’re flattering yourself."
Jenna Axton stood to the side, waiting to take the cup from his hand the mont he finished drinking.
As if oblivious to her displeasure, Russell Frost sat down on the end of the long sofa near the entryway. "I need a pair of slippers."
"I don’t have any." Jenna Axton’s voice ca from the open-plan kitchen. She was starving and just wanted to make dinner.
There was no shoe rack in the living room. When she had co in, there was only one pair of slippers by the door. She really didn’t have a spare pair.
Russell Frost took off his shoes and stepped into her territory.
The apartnt was squarish and not very large. It had two bedrooms, one of which contained only an empty bed.
"I’m taking this room," he announced.
Jenna Axton was chopping vegetables. When she heard him, her knife slipped.
"Hiss—" She sucked in a sharp breath. Thankfully, her fingernail had protected her. The cut wasn’t deep, and it didn’t draw blood.
She pretended nothing had happened and continued chopping.
"Don’t you have a job?" ’Given the nature of his work, he should already be back at his post. Why does he want to stay here?’
Russell Frost strolled into the living room, casually flipping through the books on a bookshelf. His tone was nonchalant.
"Kamaria has a project launching in Kensing. As the special envoy for diplomatic relations between our two countries, I’m in charge of following up."
They fell into a pattern of question and answer, one chopping vegetables in the kitchen, the other wandering around the apartnt, with a familiarity that made it seem as if they had never been apart.
But they both knew that beneath the calm surface of their exchange lay the cautious probing of strangers.
Jenna Axton: "How long will the project take?"
Russell Frost raised an eyebrow. ’She still can’t hide what’s on her mind.’
He crouched down, pulled a first-aid kit from a bottom cabinet, and walked over to her with a bandage in hand.
"How long does Adriana want it to take?" His teasing tone was laced with an ingrained, reckless abandon.
Jenna Axton knew his words were never as simple as they sounded.
She stretched her lips into a smile, though the muscles in her face didn’t move. "The sooner, the better."
Russell Frost chuckled nonchalantly and took the knife from her hand. "Wash your hands and put this on."
Jenna Axton did as she was told. She didn’t have to ask how he knew her hand was hurt.
His hearing had always been sharp. He must have heard the pause when the knife hit her nail, even from the other room.
He had always been like this, ever since they were young, showing two different faces to the world.
To the Frosts and outsiders, he was a refined, humble, and gentle young master.
But with her, his "little sister," beneath the gentle indulgence was a mischievous streak. He loved to tease her. When he saw her getting flustered, he would deftly soothe her emotions. Her happiness was entirely within his control.
It was just like now. He seed to be casually wandering around the house, seed to be in Kensing for a work transfer, but he had probably already uncovered all her secrets. Yet, on the surface, he maintained an air of ’you confess, and I’ll be lenient’.
She had never been a match for him. But this ti, she had nowhere left to run.
The apartnt fell silent again, leaving only the CHOP CHOP CHOP of him cutting vegetables in the kitchen.
Russell Frost quickly sliced the potatoes into perfectly uniform shreds, his knife skills impeccable.
There were already chopped tomatoes on the counter.
Russell Frost guessed what she was making but asked anyway, "How should I cook these?"
"Beat so eggs. Make stir-fried shredded potatoes and a tomato egg drop soup." Jenna Axton had already taken a seat at the dining table.
’He likes to cook, so let him. I’m tired after a long day at work. Why wouldn’t I take the chance to be lazy? I’m not an idiot.’
Russell Frost willingly let her order him around. He took four eggs from the fridge. "I burn a lot of energy, so I need to eat this much."
The warm light shone on her face. With her peony-like beauty, she was vibrant and proud. Just seeing her sit there, doing nothing, saying nothing, was enough to satisfy his heart.
Jenna Axton acted as if she hadn’t heard him, her attention fixed on the news playing on her phone.
She needed to find sothing to do, anything to avoid talking to him and accidentally revealing sothing.
Russell Frost finished the prep work and saw that the rice cooker showed nine minutes left until the rice was done.
He put on his shoes and went out.
Jenna Axton was puzzled. ’Did I manage to anger him into leaving?’
Ms. Brooks didn’t have evening study hall, so she ca ho after finishing grading her students’ howork.
A strange man had been following her ever since she entered the residential complex.
Now, he was following her up the stairs.
It was an old walk-up building with two apartnts per floor. She had no choice but to steel herself and keep walking up.
Ms. Brooks’s heart was pounding like a drum. THUMP THUMP THUMP.
’Mr. Coleman has evening study hall, so I ca back alone. What am I going to do?’
’Ms. Axton’s lights are on, but I can’t ask her for help and put her in danger.’
The closer she got to her front door, the faster her heart beat.
The hallway suddenly went dark. Without the light, Ms. Brooks was so frightened she almost scread. Fortunately, her professionalism as a teacher helped her hold it in.
Deciding to face the situation head-on, she spun around, trembling, and challenged the person behind her, "Who are you?"
As she spoke, the hallway light flickered back on.
Under the dim, yellow light, the man had his back to her. Hearing her words, he turned around slowly, a smile on his face...
"Russell Frost!"
Ms. Brooks gasped. ’It’s Special Envoy Frost!’
He was about her age, and she saw him on the news all the ti. How could she not recognize him in person?
"Hello." Russell Frost hadn’t expected to run into a neighbor on his way back from a quick trip out, let alone be recognized.
Ms. Brooks noticed the basin he was carrying held a toothbrush, a rinse cup, and a pair of slippers. She asked uncertainly, "Are you..."
"Oh, I’m staying with Adriana for a bit."
’Jenna!’
’He said it so intimately.’
Before Ms. Brooks could say anything more, Russell Frost had already inserted a key and unlocked the door.
’He even has a key. They must know each other well.’
He gave her a small smile and closed the door.
Ms. Brooks stared at the closed door in a daze. ’Why does Russell Frost’s profile look a bit like Luna’s?’
’Could he be Luna’s...’
’Father.’
Ms. Brooks was so shocked by the sudden thought that she imdiately clapped a hand over her mouth, turned, opened her own door, and went ho.
She had to tell Mr. Coleman about this discovery right away, or she’d burst.
Jenna Axton heard the noise and was about to get the door, but it opened on its own.
Her gaze fell on the basin Russell Frost was carrying. "You... you’re really going to stay here?"
"There’s a spare room, anyway. Just think of it as doing your part to save the organization so money."
Jenna Axton’s polite upbringing failed her. Her face fell as she tried to shoo him away. "Leave after you finish dinner. It’s not convenient for you to be here."
"What’s not convenient? You’re single, and I’m unmarried. If it cos to it, and Luna cos back to stay, I can just sleep on the floor."
The mont he ntioned Luna, the assertiveness Jenna Axton had just mustered instantly faded.
She tightened her grip on her water glass, fighting the impulse to ask all her burning questions. But she was afraid he had already dug a pit and was just waiting for her to fall into it.
Seeing her fall silent, Russell Frost didn’t press her. She needed ti to sort things out.
He put away his toiletries. The rice was ready, so he went to the kitchen, turned on the stove, and got both burners going at once.
Before long, two dishes and two bowls of rice were set on the table.
Russell Frost handed her a pair of chopsticks. "Let’s eat."
Jenna Axton stared at the perfectly cooked grains of rice in front of her. "Can you just leave alone?"
Her tone was stiff, filled with a deep sense of helplessness.
Russell Frost had waited in the security office for a long ti and was now starving. He wasn’t in the mood to discuss things with her.
"Don’t worry, I won’t be mooching off you. If I stay here, I guarantee you’ll co ho to a hot al and fresh fruit every day."
Jenna Axton’s head snapped up, her eyes red as she accused him,
"Can you stop dodging the real issue? You know perfectly well that’s not what I an!"
"The Frost Family raised ! Do you really think I’d complain about you eating my rice?!"
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