Chapter 7: Encounter with Beautiful Neighbor again
1481 Words
The weekend arrived quietly,,, For most students, it meant sleeping late and escaping academic pressure, For Theo, it meant something different,,more Peace, No lectures, No campus drama, No arrogant Lucas ,,,No venomous Naomi,,,, Just a rare opportunity to breathe.
Morning sunlight poured through the floor-to-ceiling windows of his penthouse, The city stretched endlessly beyond the glass,,, Luxury surrounded him from every direction ,,, Yet Theo sat at the kitchen counter eating instant noodles.
The contrast would have made most people laugh, The chairman of a billion-dollar corporation was having the same breakfast he had eaten while broke. Theo glanced around the massive apartment. The silence felt strange. The penthouse was beautiful still as Elegant and Comfortable, But sometimes it felt too large for one person.
He finished breakfast and decided to go shopping . An hour later, he returned carrying several grocery bags. As the private elevator doors opened, a familiar voice reached his ears. "Seriously?"
Theo looked up. Standing in the hallway was Ashley,,, She wore a loose cream-colored sweater and fitted jeans. Her chestnut hair was tied into a casual ponytail,,,, Without makeup, she somehow looked even more beautiful,, Natural and she could be ranked among the top campus goddess.
Several grocery bags rested beside her apartment door,,, One had split open,,, Vegetables and fruit were scattered across the floor,,, Ashley sighed dramatically,,,,,"This is really embarrassing."
Theo chuckled,,, "Need help?" She looked up and smiled ,,, "Please." Theo immediately set down his own groceries. Together they began collecting the scattered items,, A few apples had rolled halfway down the hallway,, One orange had somehow traveled surprisingly far,,, Ashley laughed as Theo chased it down. "You know, that's the most effort I've ever seen someone put into rescuing fruit."
Theo returned holding the orange triumphantly like he had won a Battle of world war one. "Every orange deserves a chance." Ashley could bring herself and laughed harder.
The sound was bright,,Genuine,,Theo found himself smiling,, For a moment, everything felt simple and comfortable,, When they finally finished gathering everything, Ashley pushed a loose strand of hair behind her ear. "Thanks." "No problem." Theo answered shyly
She glanced at the grocery bags he carried. "Looks like we had the same idea." ,,,"Apparently." An awkward silence followed,, Not uncomfortable,,, Just unfamiliar.
Ashley cheeks suddenly brightened,, "Actually..." Theo raised an eyebrow, "What?" "I owe you dinner." Theo blinked. "Dinner?" She nodded confidently.
"You helped save innocent groceries."
"That's your justification?"
"It's a very serious matter."
Theo laughed, Ashley pointed toward her apartment,, "Come over tonight don't be late." For a moment, Theo hesitated. Since Naomi played with her feelings, he had become careful about emotional connections, expectations ,trust,
Careful about expectations.
Ashley seemed to notice the expression and questions lingering on Theo's mind,her expression softened ,, "don't worry It's just dinner."
Theo eventually smiled. "Alright." Ashley looked pleased with herself. As she carried groceries inside, Theo returned to his apartment. Yet throughout the afternoon, he found himself thinking about her invitation.
Ashley was different ,, Unlike most people he had encountered recently,, She wasn't interested in status nor obsessed with wealth, She didn't treat people differently based on their appearance. Those qualities felt increasingly rare .
Meanwhile, inside her apartment, Ashley was experiencing similar thoughts. She unpacked groceries while reflecting on Theo. The more she observed him, the more confused she became. Nothing about him fit together properly. He lived in one of the most expensive residential buildings in the city,,yet before he could pay rent ,,and still he simply dressed plainly And never mentioned money.
Most wealthy men she knew made their status obvious within minutes,Luxury watches,Sports cars,, because they believed all women were easily swayed by there wealth,but Theo was the opposite. He almost seemed uncomfortable discussing himself.
Ashley smiled slightly,,,It was refreshing,, Several hours later, evening arrived. Theo gathered courage and knocked on Ashley's door carrying a small dessert box. When the door opened, he nearly froze.
Ashley had changed. Her hair flowed freely around her shoulders,She wore a simple blue dress that complemented her natural beauty perfectly, The elegant outfit wasn't flashy, Yet somehow made her look breathtaking,,,this made Theo noise bleed upon seeing those brown sexy thighs.
Ashley noticed his brief hesitation,An embarrassed smile appeared on her cheeks. "What?" Theo cleared his throat trying to composed himself like a gentleman. "Nothing."
"Liar." Theo laughed awkwardly. Ashley stepped aside."Come in." The apartment felt warm and welcoming,, perfuming filled the room.,Soft lighting illuminated the living room, Gentle music played quietly in the background, The atmosphere immediately felt different from his own penthouse.
Ashley accepted the dessert box.
"You brought something." ,,"My grandmother used to say arriving empty-handed was rude." Ashley smiled. "Your grandmother sounds smart." Theo's expression softened slightly. "She was." The subtle sadness in his voice didn't go unnoticed. Ashley quietly stored the information away not daring to press further.
Dinner was already prepared, Nothing extravagant, Just homemade food, But the aroma alone was incredible, Theo sat at the dining table, His eyes widened, "This looks amazing."
Ashley looked pleased ,"Good." "You cooked all this yourself?" "Believe it or not, yes." ,,, Theo sampled the food. Then immediately looked impressed. "This is incredible."
Ashley laughed. "I'll accept that compliment." The conversation flowed naturally. Much more naturally than either expected, They discussed university life, books ,movies, travel dreams, funny childhood memories, Travel dreams and other more
Hours passed surprisingly quickly. At some point, the topic shifted. Ashley became quieter. More thoughtful.Theo noticed and asked. "What is it?" Ashley stared into her glass briefly. Then sighed. "My family.",,,Theo had always wanted to know the background of Ashley family ,, because the few thousand dollars were nothing to her,,"what's with your family."
Ashley leaned back in her chair and signed ," actually I come from wealthy family , very wealthy" Ashley continued. "My father owns multiple companies." Theo listened carefully even though he had guessed she's a rich princess .
Ashley pressed further"My family believes status is everything." A bitter smile appeared. "They evaluate people like business investments." Something painful flashed through her eyes. "The richer you are, the more valuable you become." Theo remained silent.
Ashley laughed humorlessly. "That's why I hate arrogant rich heirs." The words carried genuine frustration. "I've spent years meeting people who think money makes them superior."Theo understood More than she realized, Because recently, he had entered that world himself. A world filled with power,Influence and ego
Ashley looked at him."You know what's funny?" "What?" ,"You never act like those people." Theo smiled slightly. "Maybe because I'm not rich ."
Ashley studied him carefully, Something about his answer felt deeper than it appeared, But she didn't press further. The conversation eventually shifted again. Lighter topics replaced heavier ones,,,, Laughter returned and comfort,, For the first time in a very long time, Theo genuinely enjoyed himself.
Later that evening, Ashley stood on a chair attempting to adjust a ceiling fan. The fan made an annoying clicking sound,Theo looked up."This feels unsafe." ,Ashley glared playfully.,,"don't worry I have everything under control."
The chair immediately wobbled, Theo sighed."Clearly."Several minutes later, he was standing on the chair instead. Ashley folded her arms. "Show off." Theo ignored her. ,,After a brief inspection, he tightened several loose components,, The clicking disappeared instantly and it started rotating smoothly again.
Ashley stared."You fixed it." ,"It wasn't difficult."She looked impressed. "Can you repair everything?" Theo laughed. "No." ,,"That's disappointing." As they continued talking, neither noticed how comfortable they had become around each other.
Small moments accumulated naturally, Shared laughter, Gentle teasing, Meaningful conversations, Nothing felt forced, Nothing felt rushed, The connection developed quietly natural,,, Exactly the way genuine relationships often begin.
Eventually it grew late,, Theo prepared to leave. Ashley walked him to the door. For a brief moment, neither spoke. because The evening had ended too quickly. Ashley finally smiled. "Thanks for coming." ,,,"Thanks for inviting me". deep pause followed .
Then Ashley surprised herself. "I'm glad you're my neighbor." Theo blinked. Then smiled ,, "I'm glad too.",, For reasons neither fully understood, the simple exchange felt meaningful.
After Theo returned to his apartment, he stood near the window overlooking the city. The evening replayed in his mind. Ashley was easy to talk to and Easy to enjoy spending time with. Yet despite that... A familiar face still lingered in his heart.Naomi,, The wound wasn't gone, Not yet.
Betrayal leaves scars, And scars require time, Theo understood that. Meanwhile, inside her apartment, Ashley sat on her couch smiling faintly. Her thoughts repeatedly returned to Theo kindness, humility, sincerity,jokes, Qualities were increasingly difficult to find. Especially among wealthy men.
Ashley hugged a cushion thoughtfully. A dangerous realization was slowly forming. She genuinely liked spending time with him. Perhaps more than she should. The realization made her heart beat slightly faster. Outside, city lights sparkled against the darkness. Neither Ashley nor Theo could see the future waiting ahead.
- Writer
