Chapter 4: Oddity

"Are you calling me a freak?" Noelle posted, clearly irritated.

"Nah, I'm just giving you a compliment," Nicolas said lazily, flashing a smirk as he rested a hand on her tiny waist and gently shifted her off his lap.

But as soon as there was a little space between them, Noelle slid right back in, wrapping her pale arms around his neck. Her eyes gleamed as she asked, "So, have you rested up? When do we get started?"

Nicolas was caught off guard. Why the hell is she so obsessed with this? he thought to himself.

"You really wanna sleep with me?" he asked, lifting her chin with a teasing grin, looking down at her with a raised eyebrow.

"Of course," Noelle replied, unfazed. Her eyes turned into thin slits, and she gave him a sly, seductive smile.

Nicolas couldn't believe it; she was so innocent, yet so forward. It was like she hadn't heard of social norms at all. What kind of childhood did she have? he wondered, a little confused.

"Do you act like this with every guy?" he asked, still trying to figure her out.

"What do you mean?" Noelle leaned in even closer, her body pressing against his.

"You know, like, when you meet a guy and you're just all in, ready to hook up?" Nicolas asked, feeling a little awkward.

"No!" Noelle shook her head without hesitation. "You're the first guy who's ever made me feel like this!"

"Me? The first?" Nicolas chuckled. He'd heard that line before, but her bluntness threw him off. "Why me?"

"Because you're seriously hot. I'm into you!" Noelle said, her confidence shining through.

Nicolas was left a little speechless. So she's one of those who's just all about looks, huh? he thought.

After Nicolas repeatedly insisted that he couldn't sleep with her, Noelle finally gave up on the idea of a romantic date with him. As they walked out of the room hand in hand, Noelle still clung to his hand like she was afraid to let go.

Bryan witnessed this from downstairs and was completely caught off guard. Nicolas looked frustrated and helpless, while Noelle had a look of pure bliss on her face.

Bryan quickly approached and asked, "Mr. Sawyer, what is going on!"

Nicolas shot Noelle a helpless glance, her hand still locked onto his arm, and let out a sigh, a small smile tugging at his lips. "Looks like I've got this little troublemaker stuck to me now."

"What?" Bryan said, his jaw almost hitting the floor.

To be clear, Nicolas had called in Miriam for this little performance, hoping to scare the Anderson family's young lady off. But she had not been frightened away; she was practically glued to him.

But now, Nicolas glanced at his watch and then turned to Noelle with a soft, almost teasing tone. "It's getting late, how about we grab a bite to eat?"

"Sounds good!" Noelle said, her voice bright and excited. "What do you feel like eating?"

"Anything with meat," she replied instantly, showing no shame about her preferences.

"Bryan, take us to my…" Nicolas then turned to Bryan and gave a casual command.

"Got it," Bryan answered, ever the professional.

Once in the car, Noelle pressed her face against the window, eagerly watching the passing scenery, her energy and optimism practically radiating off her. Nicolas, meanwhile, rested his chin in his hand, quietly observing the girl beside him.

After learning about Noelle's background, he'd already had his men look into her. She had shown up at an orphanage when she was ten, apparently with no memory of her past. After staying there for three years, she vanished without a trace. The orphanage director suspected she ran off with a man, and since then, she'd disappeared completely. His men couldn't find a single lead.

Noelle was a total mystery.

For some reason, Nicolas found himself asking, "So, what did you do after you left the orphanage?"

"Hm?" Noelle turned and pointed at herself, a little confused. "Nick, you talking to me?"

He pushed that aside and nodded. "Yeah, I'm asking you."

He expected her to dodge the question, but instead, she answered matter-of-factly, "I've been working."

"Working?" He raised an eyebrow, caught off guard. "What kind of work?" Noelle dropped out of school when she was about 13, and honestly, he couldn't help but wonder, what kind of legit company would've even hired her back then?

As soon as the topic came up, Noelle's eyes lit up, and she bounced over to Nicolas, her voice full of excitement as she started listing off her impressive resume. "When I was a kid," she began, "no real company would hire me, so I worked as a bodyguard for people. Later, I did some hitman work, worked as a mercenary, drove cars… hell, I even did some art for people. Oh, and a few years ago, there was this huge song called 'The Shadows'—that was me! Sold it for a pretty good price too—4.5 thousand bucks!"

Nicolas just stood there, blinking in disbelief.

"What?" Bryan Kingston, sitting in the driver's seat, was equally floored.

Seriously? They didn't buy it, thinking Noelle's imagination was on another level.

"Huh? Nick, you good? Why are you so quiet?" After a long pause, Noelle noticed something was off and waved her hand in front of his face, trying to snap him out of it.

After what felt like an eternity, Nicolas finally grabbed her hand, took a deep breath, and then asked, his tone suddenly much more serious, "I need you to be honest with me."

"Of course!" Noelle nodded, suddenly looking serious herself.

Nicolas hesitated for a moment, then asked, "When did you start having… these symptoms? How long has this been going on!"