Felicia had no time to respond before the sound of a key turning in the door lock echoed through the room. Panic surged through her. She couldn't let them know Stephan was there. In a moment of desperation, she shoved him into the closet, then quickly jumped onto her bed and grabbed a book from the nightstand.

Inside the closet, Stephan was bewildered. The cramped space was filled with Felicia's lingering scent—a light, delicate, almost floral fragrance. His jaw tightened, his lips pressing together. At that moment, Myra and the others burst into the room.

Felicia frowned, sitting on the bed. "What's going on? It's late," she asked.

Seeing Felicia safe, Myra sighed with relief. "Licia, are you reading? Did you close the window? No one came in during the commotion, right?"

"No one," Felicia replied calmly, maintaining her composure. She put down her book. "What was all that noise? Did someone break in?"

"Yes, but don't worry. The guards are handling it. The house is secure."

"That's good. I need to sleep now."

"Goodnight, Licia," Myra said before leaving with the others.

Felicia threw back her covers and got out of bed. She carefully locked the door before gently opening the closet. Stephan's tall figure was awkwardly bent among a collection of hanging clothes. His expression was one of disdain, clearly exasperated. He was surrounded by a jumble of frilly, colorful dresses, creating a comical, oddly amusing scene.

However, Felicia's amusement quickly faded. Stephan stepped out of the cramped space, astonishingly not holding her previous actions against her.

"Alright, let's go," he said.

Felicia froze, her expression stiffening. "Mr. Russell, let's be reasonable. I did that to protect you; there was no other intention."

His lips curled into a sardonic smile. His tone, as always, was cold and domineering. "I don't play by the rules."

There would be no reasoning with him. Felicia gritted her teeth. No wonder the rumors labeled Stephan a "living nightmare." This man could turn hostile in an instant.

"Where are you taking me?" she asked.

Stephan glanced at her and replied leisurely, "Don't you know medicine? Come with me to save someone. The payment is one million dollars."

"One million dollars!" Felicia's eyes widened with excitement. Forget the nightmare rumors. This was her sugar daddy. "Why didn't you say so sooner?" She quickly tucked away her silver needles and looked up, her smile genuine. "Shall we leave now?"

Her eyes sparkled. Her makeup-free face appeared flawless and captivating.

Stephan averted his gaze, tilting his chin, signaling Felicia to open the window.

Felicia was taken aback. "You want to leave from there?" She remembered how Stephan had entered through the window, but she lacked the acrobatic skills to jump down. As she hesitated, Stephan moved with swift grace, landing safely on the ground below. The guards had already searched the area, so they were safe for now. As for the surveillance footage, Stephan was confident he could wipe it clean.

Standing on the windowsill, Felicia took a deep breath and began to inch her way down. Though her movements were slow, she felt safe.

Stephan glanced at the time, growing impatient. "Jump. I'll catch you."

Felicia was unconcerned. She remembered the last lesson all too well. There was no way she would risk contact with him again. She didn't want to be accused of throwing herself at him.

Seeing Felicia's slow progress, Stephan's expression darkened. He had little patience left. With a single leap, he grabbed her waist, effortlessly lifting her to the ground. After a dizzying moment, Felicia found herself standing firmly on the ground. Behind her, Stephan released his grip, his expression calm. "Keep up."