Seeing that Gwen and Stefan had offered, Kurt did not think it was polite to refuse anymore, so he nodded and agreed, “Alright, then.”
However, he had one request. “Can I stay in the room underneath the stairs?”
Gwen froze, then turned to glance at the room he was talking about. “Why… Why do you want to stay there?”
That room had been converted from a storage space to a bedroom meant for the servants. Back when she and Ben got married, Ben had insisted on renovating the room underneath the stairs to become the servant’s bedroom to assert his dominance as master of the household.
At that time, Gwen had disagreed. The servants could have just slept in the guest bedroom, and she did not think it was necessary to force them into a cramped bedroom just to save face. However, Ben insisted and went ahead with his plan anyway.
She and Ben had been close for a period of time after their marriage, so she tolerated his little quirks.
However, despite having prepared the room, Gwen never once arranged for any of the servants to sleep there, and eventually, the room became a storage space.
She never once imagined that someone would specifically want to live there.
“I like small rooms. It makes me feel safe and cozy.”
Kurt was not an idiot. He knew that the bedroom was too small and cramped for him, but he did not feel comfortable taking up too much space in Gwen and Stefan’s house.
This was the perfect bedroom to remain out of sight and out of mind.
“Sure,”
Stefan replied before Gwen could even say anything. “I’ll help you clean the room up after dinner, and you can move in immediately.”
He was more than familiar with Kurt and knew that if he did not comply with Kurt’s request, Kurt would likely feel uneasy for the rest of his stay.
Therefore, he would much rather go along with Kurt’s request, no matter how outrageous, to ease his concerns.
“Thank you.”
Kurt grinned at Stefan, then began to eat.
Gwen could not help frowning as she watched this exchange. If she remembered correctly, Kurt and Stefan had only met that afternoon after Stefan saved him.
Why did they appear to be so comfortable with each other within just a few hours of meeting?
Not only that…but the way they talked to each other reminded her greatly of how Luke used to interact with Kurt.
At the thought of this, she could not help sneaking another glance at Stefan.
She never once made any associations between Stefan and Luke, but ever since they returned to Sea City, she could not help feeling that Stefan was growing more to resemble Luke.
Could it be because her return to Sea City had stirred up many of their shared memories?
After finishing their dinner, Stefan and Kurt jumped straight into their task of cleaning out the room underneath the stairs.
After an entire afternoon of chores, Gwen was too exhausted to help and instead returned to the master room to get some rest.
She lay on the bed with her eyes closed, and she could not help recalling the way Stefan talked.
The more she thought about it, the more resemblances she could find between him and Luke.
Finally, she flipped over, grabbed her phone, and sent Sean, who was still in Saigen City, a text. [Have you heard anything from Steven lately?]
Steven had lost touch with everyone ever since he left Saigen City, but Gwen could not help thinking that he would never have done something so cruel. As much as he wanted to get away, she was certain that he would still find a way to get in touch with his sister, Denise.
Sean had been taking care of Denise all this while, and if Steven tried to get in touch with her, he would surely know.
[Nope.] Sean’s reply came. [We haven’t heard anything since he left. Why do you ask? Did you find him?]
[I…didn’t.] Gwen sighed when she saw Sean’s text. [Nothing. Just asking.]
[Don’t you worry.] Sean sent a reassuring sticker alongside his reply. [I know how much Luke and Steven meant to you, so you’ll be the first to know if I hear anything. Don’t be too sad, okay? Since Steven has chosen to start his new life afresh, I’m sure he must’ve landed on his feet, and we should be happy for him.]
[You should move forward and stop getting caught up in the past. Remember, you have your own life to live.]
[You’re right.] Gwen sighed. [I shouldn’t be caught up in the past anymore, and it’s about time I live my own life. Thanks for trying to cheer me up. How’s Denise doing?]
[Not too well, but the doctor says she’s improving, and I’m sure she’ll be up and at it in no time.]
After a brief chat with Sean, Gwen decided to flip through all the contacts of her old friends and family in Sea City, including the employees that had worked for Larson Group under her and her father, Andy.
She could not let many people know about her return to Sea City, and if she wanted to rescue Andy, she had to start with the people she trusted.
After all, she knew nothing about Andy’s kidnapping, apart from the fact that he had been abducted by some of Luke’s old subordinates. She needed to find out more information about this, especially the identity of the person who was keeping him hostage.
That night, she got in touch with a lot of old friends, but no one knew anything about Andy’s kidnapping.
They all claimed that after Luke’s death and Gwen becoming the most wanted woman in the city, they had all cut ties with Andy to prevent getting in trouble.
Trying to find Andy’s whereabouts was akin to finding a needle in a haystack.
By the time she finished contacting the last person on the lift, it was already two in the morning.
She stretched herself, then got up and went downstairs to get a glass of water.
However, to her surprise…
When she got downstairs, she caught sight of a shirtless, muscular man in the living room, exercising while wearing nothing but a pair of army-green shorts.
Beads of sweat clung onto his taut skin and slid down his well-defined muscles, making it almost impossible for her to turn away.
The lights were dimmed, and she could not see his face. The only thing she could see clearly were the beads of sweat sliding down his skin and dripping onto the floor.
When he sensed her gaze, Stefan lifted his head to glance at Gwen, then quickly turned around to avoid her. “You haven’t gone to sleep yet?”
Gwen suddenly found herself tongue-tied. “No…no.”
He…was oddly fair.
This was probably the fairest man she had ever laid eyes on, and he was even paler than Luke.
Before meeting Luke, Gwen used to think that an attractive man constituted tan skin and toned muscles, but after falling in love with Luke, she realized that whether or not someone was fair or tan did not change their charm.
“Why haven’t you gone to bed yet?” he asked as he put on his face mask, then pulled on a shirt. “Are you trying to track down your father?”
Gwen nodded, then went into the kitchen to pour two glasses of water, one for herself and another for him. “I can’t find anything. I don’t even know who it was that kidnapped him.”
“I’ll think of something.”
Stefan furrowed his eyebrows, downed the entire glass of water Gwen had poured for him, and set the empty glass down on the table. “Since none of the people you contacted know anything…maybe Kurt and I can give it a try.”
Gwen’s eyes widened in shock. “Are you saying that you and Kurt are going to try joining the gang?”
“Yes.”
Stefan nodded. “Kurt used to be a part of it, so I’m sure it won’t be hard for him to rejoin. As for me, you’ve seen me in combat; I’m sure I’ll hold up well against them. But…”
He paused, then glanced at Gwen. “I need your help on something.”
Gwen was puzzled by this. “What is it?”
“I need some help from the husband of your friend, that Brettley Morrison fellow,”
Stefan said with a frown, trying to pretend that he and Brettley did not know each other. “Winson has met me before, and since he’s part of the gang here in Sea City, he might be able to recognize me and, in doing so, will know that you’ve returned. This will bring a lot of trouble for you, and besides…”
He paused. “Although he might not be able to recognize me if I don’t wear my mask, my face is so disfigured that I’m afraid people will judge me and even refuse to let me join their gang because of this. Therefore, I need Brettley’s help to find someone to make me a new mask for disguise.”
Gwen was silent for a moment. “You need my help contacting him?”
“Yes.”
Stefan nodded. “You’re much closer to him than I am. He hired me to protect you, so I’m just an employee of his and am in no position to make such a huge request.”
“Alright. I’ll help you.”
Gwen let out a sigh and stared intently at the man before her. “By the way, about Kurt… Do you need me to help convince him?”
Although Stefan had saved Kurt’s life, they had only known each other for less than a day, and it was likely that Kurt would refuse to help Stefan out, especially considering he had just gotten himself out of that gang not too long ago.
“Alright, please help in any way you can.”
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.