The first night in the isolated Gothic castle passed in a spine-chilling silence.
Even though the large bed covered in smooth cream silk sheets was softer and more comfortable than any sleeping place Maya had ever laid her back on in her life, she still could not catch a wink of sleep. The sound of the storm wind from the vast pine forest howling outside the large glass window frame, blending with the crackling sound of pine logs burning halfway in the marble fireplace, kept swirling deep into her eardrums.
Maya lay tossing and turning, the sky-high ceiling with ancient carved chandeliers blurred in the darkness. Suddenly, amidst the dazed flicker of exhaustion, her mind was pulled backward to far-off, faded memories of her childhood.
That was a torrential rainy afternoon in a grey slum in the suburban city — where she had lived thin, underfed orphan years. In that vague dream, there appeared the shadow of a young boy. That boy was a few years older than her, his body frail, his ash-grey eyes cold yet overflowing with ultimate loneliness. That night, amidst the ice-cold trashy lodging neighborhood, that boy had quietly broken in half the only dry crust of bread in his hand, reaching one half toward the little girl shivering from hunger.
And on that boy's neck... glinted a silver necklace bearing an oddly shaped mother-of-pearl puzzle piece pendant.
Click.
Maya was startled awake. Her forehead beaded with a thin layer of sweat. She unconsciously raised her trembling hand to her neck, her fingers lightly rubbing against the old silver necklace pendant that she had always worn around her neck since she was a child in the orphanage — the necklace bearing a pendant shaped like half a mother-of-pearl puzzle piece, the sole keepsake she retained from her past.
Maya sat up on the bed, her heart pounding rapidly in her chest. She asked herself with immense bewilderment: Why did she dream this dream? This was the first time Maya dreamt of her past, fear surging in her mind when the face of the boy in the past overlapped onto little Mark's face. She shook her head hard and laughed at herself for being overly frightened to the point of mixing dream and reality together.
The next morning, honey-like autumn sunlight dispelled the dense fog covering the castle.
Contrasting with the gloomy, heavy appearance of the stormy night, the atmosphere at the vast grass yard behind the castle was overflowing with life. The lush green lawn stretching straight to the edge of the pine forest was brightly illuminated.
"Ms. Maya! Hurry up, teacher, kick the ball over this way!"
Mark's clear cheering echoed across the yard. The five-year-old child wearing a gray tracksuit was excitedly running and jumping around the round ball. For a very long time, ever since living under the strict training of the family, had Mark finally had a morning to play freely like a normal child.
Maya put on a thin cream woolen sweater along with simple jeans, running cheerfully after the ball. She used her toes to lightly flick the ball toward the boy: "Receive the ball, Mark!"
Mark let out a cheer, swinging his foot to kick the ball soaring into the air. The ball flew diagonally to the right corner, rushing straight toward a tall silhouette standing leaning his back against an ancient tree trunk nearby.
Thud.
A large, sturdy hand easily caught the ball midway.
Travis was not wearing expensive black suits or neatly pressed leather gloves like on normal days. He merely wore a simple gray t-shirt with rolled-up sleeves, revealing a sturdy chest frame and two firm arms with clearly bulged veins. His black hair fell slightly over his high forehead, making the cold tycoon normally look youthful, charming, and heavily carrying the liberal, free style of an American man.
"Good kick, Mark," Travis spun the ball on his finger, his lip corner slightly curling up in an extremely small yet fully indulgent margin. "However, foot power is still a bit weak. Come here, dad will teach you."
Mark ran over, raising his brightly glowing eyes to look at his dad. Travis stooped down, meticulously pointing out to his son how to set his pivot foot and generate force from his hips. Maya stood beside them, a gentle smile resting on her lips while watching the father and son. The coldness and high-above nature of the tycoon chairman seemed to have completely vanished beneath the autumn sun.
Unexpectedly, Travis stood bolt upright. He leisurely dribbled the ball walking toward Maya, his ash-grey eyes flashing an arrogantly playful spark.
"What's wrong, teacher? Want to try competing for the ball with me?"
Maya was stunned, then hurriedly waved her hand laughing: "I... how could I win against you, Mr. Travis!"
"Haven't tried, how do you know?" Travis lowered his center of gravity, his long, skillful legs weaving the ball back and forth between his feet in an extremely fluent manner. "If you manage to steal the ball, I will grant you a wish."
The challenge subtly rich in liberal American style and incredibly smooth in his voice caused Maya to involuntarily flare up with childish competitiveness. She bit her lip, taking a step forward rushing in close, putting her foot out intending to flick the ball.
However, Travis was too fast. He merely rotated his body gently, his coat hem brushing past her body. His body was right up against hers, his broad, firm shoulders casually bumping lightly into Maya's shoulder.
A gentle yet powerful bump. The masculine sandalwood scent combined with the warm sun smell from Travis's body rushed straight into Maya's nostrils. The force of friction made her entire body sway, losing balance and leaning backward.
"Careful!"
A low voice sounded right in her ear. Travis's powerful arm extended out extremely fast, wrapping neatly around Maya's slender waist, pulling her back up.
Maya's entire body was pasted tightly against the sturdy, scorching chest frame of the man. The distance between the two narrowed down to the point where Maya could feel every rapid heartbeat behind his t-shirt layer. Travis's chiseled face was right beside her earlobe, his breath lightly passing over her smooth neck skin, making Maya's whole body freeze, her heart dancing wildly out of rhythm.
Travis lowered his head looking down at the girl lying neatly inside his embrace. His eyes darkened, gliding over her round, bewildered eyes and resting for a very long time on her thin, slightly open lips.
"See that? You are too clumsy," Travis lowered his voice, his tone whispering deep like a sweet teasing remark, yet the arm tightened around her waist did not relax in the slightest.
Maya flushed bright red, hastily standing straight up, stepping back a step in confusion: "I... I told you I wouldn't play against you..."
Travis burst out laughing — a deep, warm, broad laughter rarely echoing across the lawn. He released the ball, letting Mark rush in to tackle it amidst cheers. That entire morning, Travis's accidental touches and half-real, half-joking teasing remarks planted nameless subtle undercurrents into Maya's heart.
That night, an unexpected shower poured down onto the pine forest. The hazy moonlight was obscured by dark clouds, leaving only the sound of rain tapping rhythmically on the stone roof of the castle.
Maya could not sleep. She put on a thin cream cardigan, stepping out to the vast balcony of the guest room. The night wind brought a skin-slicing cold along with damp water vapor blowing into her face, but it helped her head become less stifled.
Click.
A crisp lighter spark sounded from the dark corner of the balcony.
Maya was startled, turning over. In the darkness, a red-pink ember flashed and flickered out, leaving a delicate wisp of cigarette smoke lingering in the air.
Travis was standing leaning against the stone railing. He wore a black shirt with the top two buttons unbuttoned, revealing a muscular chest frame. His black hair was slightly messy from the night wind. Amidst the hazy rain fog, that man looked lonely and dangerously enchanting.
"Why are you not asleep this late?" Travis did not turn his head back, his deep voice ringing out amidst the sound of rain.
"I... I have a bit of insomnia," Maya stepped close gently, standing at a safe distance from him. "Are you not asleep either, Mr. Travis?"
Travis pinched the cigarette between two long fingers, turning around to look at her. His ash-grey eyes were deep like a bottomless lake under the rainy night. He quietly admired the young girl — with soft black hair cascading over her shoulders, pure white skin beneath the balcony light, and clear eyes always overflowing with sincerity.
"I am accustomed to not sleeping," Travis spoke in a flat tone, putting out the cigarette in the ceramic dish beside him.
He took a step forward toward Maya.
The man's footstep brought an invisible yet fierce pressure, forcing Maya to step back until her back lightly touched the icy stone railing.
Travis raised his hands. His large, warm hands braced against the stone railing on both sides of Maya's body, completely trapping the small girl inside his muscular chest frame. The atmosphere surrounding them abruptly froze. The sound of rain falling outside seemed to recede far into nothingness, leaving only the rapid breathing of two bodies drawing close.
"Maya..." Travis called her name. His voice dropped low, suppressing a surging wave of emotion.
Maya raised her eyes to look at him, her thin lips trembling lightly. She wanted to step back, but behind her was the void of the rainy night, while before her eyes was the man emanating an irresistible magnetism.
Travis lowered his head down.
His perfect face approached close bit by bit, inch by inch. Maya closed her eyes tightly, her heart pounding violently as if wanting to jump out of her chest. She could feel his hot breath carrying a light bitter taste of tobacco and sandalwood touching the edge of her lips. His lips were less than a centimeter away from her lips...
One second.
Two seconds.
However, that kiss that seemed as though it would be sweet and soaking wet did not land at all.
Travis paused halfway. He looked at Maya's trembling eyelashes, looking at her naivety and bewilderment. A complex ray of light flashed at the bottom of his ash-grey eyes. Controlling himself, he slowly retreated.
The oppressive space abruptly expanded out.
When Maya opened her eyes, Travis was standing straight up again. His lip corner curled up in a faint smile full of self-derision. He raised his hand gently tucking a strand of hair behind her ear, his thumb lightly brushing over the hot cheek of the young teacher.
"Be good. The night is cold, go inside to sleep," Travis let out a faint chuckle, his deep voice wishing a succinct sentence: "Good night, Maya."
Having said that, the man turned his back and walked away, leaving Maya standing rooted to the spot in the middle of the rainy night balcony, her whole body trembling from the chaotic wave of emotions that had just passed.
Two days after that, the relationship between the two fell into a hazy, lingering state full of fascination.
Travis remained a cold, decisive family chairman when handling confidential work in the office. But whenever appearing before Maya, that severity was torn away by subtle actions of care and intentionally physical touches.
That afternoon, Maya was sitting on the sofa in the reading room teaching a lesson to Mark. The boy had slumped his head on the table falling asleep from tiredness.
Maya gently draped a thin blanket over the boy, then stood up stretching her arms. Unexpectedly, the reading room door opened, Travis walking in holding a steaming cup of herbal tea in his hand.
"Is he asleep?" Travis lowered his voice, stepping close to the sofa.
"Yes, Mark is very good; as soon as he finished his lesson he drifted off," Maya smiled gently, speaking softly.
Travis set the tea cup down on the table, then unexpectedly stepped right beside Maya. Before she could react, the man had raised his hand. His warm hand touched her cheek, his thumb gently wiping away a crayon mark casually stuck on her smooth skin.
A touch gentle to the point of heart-aching. Maya stood stunned, her eyes glued tightly to his face close within inches. Travis's hand did not leave immediately; he used the back of his hand to lightly stroke along her jawline, his ash-grey eyes becoming dark and overflowing with unhidden romantic affection.
That subtle passion caused Maya's chest to heave. She felt his warmth enveloping her; once again, his lips slowly lowered, aiming toward her lips...
Click!
"Ms. Maya! I finished drawing the picture..."
Mark's sleepy call abruptly sounded from the sofa as the boy turned over waking up.
The romantic pulse was instantly torn apart.
Travis paused, quickly withdrawing his hand into his pants pocket, turning around to look at his son with a completely composed face as if nothing had ever happened: "Mark, are you awake, son?"
Maya was startled, stepping back two steps, her face bright red like silk, her heart beating wildly in her chest. She hurriedly ran over to Mark to cover up her own extreme embarrassment.
That night, Maya lay on the large bed, both hands tightly clutching her heaving chest.
The sturdy protection of this castle, those slightly flirtatious teasing remarks, those casual shoulder bumps, and two hazy "missed kisses"... All of it was like a sweet yet snare-filled layer of fog enveloping her.
Maya raised her hand to touch her lips, her heart overflowing with extreme bewilderment and panic. She did not know what she was in the eyes of that powerful man. A lucky intern teacher pitied? A strange toy amidst a family war? Or... did he truly have a deep emotion reserved for her?
That obscurity stretched until another terrifying secret inside the castle began to reveal itself.
