Chapter 209 Separate Rooms
Only then did Nevio flash a satisfied smile. "Good girl. You don't have to do a thing. Tonight, I'll have them stay here to rest. When the time comes, I'll arrange everything for you."
As he spoke, he turned to gaze upon his granddaughter's face. It was as if he could see through her, to the beloved wife he had lost. Of all his descendants, only Seraphina bore the greatest resemblance to his late wife.
"You're breathtakingly beautiful, so only the most outstanding man in the world can be your husband. I can't bear to see you married off to those old men or those upstarts who appeared out of nowhere! They're all a bunch of lowborns, not aristocrats!" Nightfall arrived, and the banquet went off without a hitch, no errors or mishaps in sight. The only issue that arose was the matter of accommodations for the night.
When at Fairchild Manor, Calista and Kallum shared a room. Even in Jeahron, when Kallum insisted on rooming with Calista, no one dared to object.
However, here, Calista was considered as Kallum's sister in name. If Kallum had wanted her to be his woman, he would have simply declared her as such. But since he had chosen to call her his sister, it meant he wanted to protect her without any romantic intentions. Given this, there was no way they would be assigned one room.
When he arrived at the guest room, it was only then that Kallum realized that fact, his face turning particularly grim.
No, I want to share a room with Callie!
Calista was somewhat troubled. Although Kallum was a decent fighter himself, his current condition was indeed special, and he required constant company. It seemed like tonight, Quintus and the others would have to stand guard.
Quintus mentally bemoaned, No way! I don't want to spend the night with Mr. Kallum!
The smile on the butler who had been in charge of room assignments froze on his face. "Mr. Kallum, do you have some objections regarding the room allocation? Your bodyguards have been arranged in the rooms adjacent to yours. As for this lady, she has been assigned a presidential suite of the same standard as this."
In other words, he was implying he had been fair in the room assignment and had not mistreated Calista.
Seeing Kallum frown, clearly intending to speak, Calista quickly stopped him!
"Everything is fine! We're really pleased with your arrangements," she said. "How about this? I'll accompany my brother inside. You all wait for me out here, okay?"
As she spoke, she pulled Kallum into the room. No sooner had the door closed than Kallum pinned Calista against the wall, holding her tightly in his arms!
"I want to sleep with you." There was a hint of grievance in his voice. "You came here without a word, during that time I barely got any rest. It was only these past few days that I managed to get some decent sleep. And now, you're leaving me again? Hmm?"
As soon as they stepped in, the warm lights in the room automatically came on. In the dim lighting, the contours of Kallum's face appeared even more strikingly handsome. There was an indescribable tension and restraint in his eyes as he gazed at her. Calista felt utterly helpless. "Since I'm your sister, it's best if we don't do anything too inappropriate. If you really can't stand the others staying with you, then I'll come over later..."
Only then did Kallum break into a delighted smile. He tightened his arms around Calista, cradling her entirely in his embrace. Breathing in her sweet scent, he murmured in a low voice, "Then come over earlier. I'll change your bandage." "Okay."
Calista nodded, understanding that flesh wounds, once stitched up, would heal quickly. She could already feel the itchiness of her healing wound.
When they emerged, the person in charge of settling them in was a bit uneasy. Anyone with working eyes could perceive the underlying sexual tension between Kallum and Calista. His bone-deep desire was suppressed deep within his rationality. Although only a
ovel
nt of it
was revealed through his gaze, it inexplicably sent shivers down one's spine, as if there was no room for anyone else to intervene.
At last, everyone was led to their rooms. However, Calista was on a mission, so she was destined not to enjoy the large water bed alone. Resigned to her fate, she stealthily entered Kallum's room. By this time, he had already finished bathing. Upon seeing her, Quintus let out a sigh of relief, as if a weight had been lifted from his shoulders.
"Mr. Kallum, Ms. Calista, please rest well! I'll take my leave now."
"Go ahead."
Calista had also just finished bathing, so her hair was still slightly damp, not completely dry. At that moment, she sat on the large bed. As they were high up in a skyscraper, the neon lights below seemed incredibly distant. Through the floor-to-ceiling windows, she could see the brilliant starlight. Calista looked up at the sky and then down at the ground, finding the view quite pleasing.
Kallum originally wanted to have a drink, but after his last encounter with "counterfeit liquor" which led to a stomach pump, Calista forbade him from drinking. He had remained sober that night, not even a drop of alcohol touching his lips. Thus, he had no choice but to put on some music before he moved closer to Calista, embracing her from behind and letting them both fall onto the bed.
If they lay on their side, the stunning view outside the window was fully visible. Even silence was a form of bliss when one was able to quietly embrace the one they loved.
"I didn't expect this place to be this beautiful. I never had the chance to travel properly before. This time, it feels like I'm on an overseas trip," Calista said with a smile.
Yet, her cheerful voice stirred a deep bitterness in Kallum's heart.
Suddenly, he remembered what his mother had once told him. She had said that Calista was having a hard time living under her stepmother's roof. Every time the holidays rolled around, his mother would encourage him to take Calista out for fun whenever he was on a business trip. At the time, he found this suggestion incredibly annoying and never agreed to it. Now, reflecting back, he realized that if he had simply gone along with it, Calista could have visited many places and might have
been much happier. How could he have been so cruel back then?