Norah, busy looking up the bus schedule to Dreamview Villas on her phone, was suddenly covered by a large black umbrella.
The umbrella shielded her from both the wind and the rain.
Thinking it was just some guy trying to impress her, Norah glanced up only to find a familiar face.
“Mr. Scott?”
“Scott?” she widened her eyes, somewhat shocked.
Seeing Sean in such an unexpected place caught her off guard. Even more surprising was that he held an umbrella over her.
Sean, with his long fingers gripping the umbrella handle, stood with an imposing presence. Norah got to her feet, barely reaching his chest. She stepped back, her back against the bus stop’s billboard.
“What… What a…”
Sean looked at Norah intently and said, “Miss Wilson, in this downpour, wouldn’t it be wiser to wait it out rather than get soaked? Why bother getting wet?”
Norah looked at him and responded, “That seems to be my own business, Mr. Scott.”
The lack of makeup only enhanced her natural beauty, especially evident after the rain had drenched her. Her effort to keep her distance intrigued Sean even more.
“Miss Wilson, considering your expertise in medicine, shouldn’t you know better than to let yourself get drenched?”
Because of the rain, there were few people at the bus stop. With the raindrops tapping rhythmically, Sean’s voice sounded even smoother.
Norah casually glanced around and noticed a sleek black car parked on the roadside, with Phillip seemingly behind the wheel. Curiosity sparked, she pondered why, despite having someone in the car to assist, he had stepped out alone with an umbrella.
She couldn’t help but notice the mud stains on his expensive leather shoes.
Norah raised her gaze, carefully assessing Sean. He wore a sharp suit, his shirt buttoned to the top, and a dark blue tie neatly in place, giving off the vibe of someone heading to an important meeting. With eyebrows sharp as blades and eyes twinkling like stars, he stood out with his remarkable looks.
Yet, his expression was stern, and his eyes met hers with a chill, clearly not pleased with her observing him.
“Miss Wilson?” Sean called again. “Should you wish to discuss something, we can talk about it in the car.”
After a moment’s pause, Norah, still fixed on Sean’s face, nodded in agreement. “Okay.” It seemed rude to decline since Sean had offered the ride. There was no bad blood between them. Besides, she was the physician for Rodrigo and Susanna. Once she had treated them, Norah planned to distance herself from Sean. They were simply acquaintances.
As Sean led Norah to the car, she felt a bit ashamed, her clothes clinging to her from the rain. She aimed for the seat next to the driver, but was taken aback when Sean held the back door open for her instead.
Given the stormy weather, Norah didn’t protest and climbed into the back. Sean shut the door behind her, and Norah noticed his suit was wet on one side. Unlike him, she hadn’t caught a single raindrop walking from the bus stop to the vehicle.
Norah mused that Sean seemed kinder than the rumors suggested.
Though their paths had crossed a few times, Norah had never witnessed the harsher side of him. Phillip offered her two clean, dry towels. Norah accepted them, dried her completely drenched hair, and noticed that her wet skirt had left marks on the leather seat, with mud everywhere. She was sure she looked a mess.
Trying to remain calm, she murmured, “Thank you, Mr. Scott.”
“Dry off well. We wouldn’t want you catching a cold,” Sean said, not glancing up.
Norah bowed her head to towel dry her hair, contemplating that despite Sean’s chilly demeanor, he might not be as difficult to deal with as she had once thought. The fact that he had tilted the umbrella to her side had already improved her opinion of him. Maybe being friends with him wasn’t such a bad idea after all.
Seemingly casually, Sean asked, “Miss Wilson, you own a car, don’t you? Why would you choose to wait for a bus in the rain?”
“I came out for some personal stuff,” Norah briefly stopped drying her hair, then resumed. It was clear she didn’t want to go into details.
Sean sensed her reluctance and smoothly shifted the conversation, saying, “Are you on your way to Dreamview Villas, Miss Wilson?”
“Yes,” Norah answered, her eyes downcast, her voice soft.
Phillip chimed in, “Mr. Scott, the office…”
“Let them wait,” Sean interjected.
“Mr. Scott, do you have important matters to attend to? You don’t have to go out of your way for me. You can drop me off along the road, and I’ll catch a taxi,” Norah, with her hair and body mostly dry, overheard Phillip’s words and promptly interjected, “I’d feel bad if I hindered your work.”
Phillip, torn between whose advice to follow, used the red light to ask Sean, “What do you think I should do?” With Dreamview Villas and the company lying in opposite directions, making the round trip would eat up hours.
Sean, with a hint of laziness, lifted his eyes. “Miss Wilson, if you’re worried about holding up my schedule, then accompany me to the office. Once there, you can get another car to take you home.”
“There’s no need to bother. I can easily flag down a taxi by the road,” Norah replied.
“With a storm like this, are you sure about that?” Sean asked.
Norah glanced outside. The relentless downpour seemed to be getting even worse. The weather wasn’t on her side. Turning down his offer now would seem rather ungrateful. “You’re right, Mr. Scott.”
Norah surrendered, realizing it would only slow her down. She had already faced enough delays today because of Derek. At the thought of Derek, a flicker of irritation passed over her face, her heart momentarily burning with annoyance.
“Miss Wilson, is something troubling you?”
Caught off guard while checking her phone, Norah paused before responding, “No.”
Sean observed Norah closely and noticed her expression change. “I wondered if you were facing a problem you couldn’t solve, Miss Wilson.” He retrieved a business card from the side pocket and handed it to her.
“If there’s anything you can’t handle, don’t hesitate to call me. And if I’m not around, you can contact Phillip,” he added, holding out the card. “Feel free to mention my name.”
Norah took the card, tucked it away, and said, “Thank you, Mr. Scott.”
She assumed his gesture was mainly due to her role as his sister’s and grandfather’s doctor, which made it easy for her to accept his offer. A quiet moment settled over the car.
Norah’s phone still showed no response from Derek. Frustration crept in. Was Derek playing games with her? She had always been kind to him, driven by her past feelings for him. But now, with Derek leaving her for Madeline, any affection for their bond had vanished. Derek’s nerve to mislead her with messages, leaving her waiting in the courtyard for more than thirty minutes, irked her deeply. Norah was not one to sit idly by. Before taking on her position at the hospital, she made sure to handle her personal matters efficiently.
After more than an hour of driving, the car stopped in front of a grand office building. The skyscraper, boasting over 30 stories and clad in blue glass, displayed the name “Nexa Tech” from a distance.
Norah guessed this was just one facet of Sean’s vast business empire. The Scott Group had its hands in various industries, and their deep-rooted aristocratic heritage meant they had plenty of money to spare.
It was rumored that Sean was keen on venturing into the technology industry, and this company appeared to be his passion project.
The car’s engine quieted to a halt. Norah, seated in the rear, stayed put.
New Book: Back Home to Marry Off Myself
Loredana’s father left the family for his mistress, leaving them to fend for themselves abroad. When life was at its toughest, her father showed up with “good news” after 8 years of absence: To marry off Loredana to a paralyzed son of the wealthy Mendelsohn family.