I woke up to the sound of a phone alarm but didn’t bother to open my eyes right away. Groggily, I reached out for the bedside table, but my hand found nothing. Frowning, I reached to the other side and touched something warm and solid. My frown deepened. Where was my bedside table? And where was that annoying alarm coming from? I didn’t remember setting an alarm on my phone.
Slowly, I opened my eyes and the first thing I saw was the side profile of a sleeping man. I blinked and furrowed my brows. Who was this guy?
Carefully sitting up, I peered at his face. It was Japen. He looked so peaceful sleeping there, but that alarm was still blaring. It sounded like a bomb timer, and I couldn’t help but grimace. Enough of that racket!
Glancing down at myself, I realized I was still in my dress from yesterday. I sighed in relief. I trusted Japen not to do anything reckless.
Looking around, I spotted the noisy culprit on the couch in the corner of the room. It wasn’t my phone, so I assumed it was Japen’s.
I lazily got up and made my way over to the noisy cellphone. “Will you stop ringing already?” I muttered under my breath as I turned off Japen’s alarm.
Glancing at the phone’s clock, I saw it was only five in the morning. I rolled my eyes. Japen set an alarm for this early? He hadn’t even stirred at the sound of it; he was still peacefully asleep on my bed. Annoyed, I huffed. If he didn’t have class or something, he should’ve turned it off.
I headed to the bathroom. Since the blasted alarm woke me up, I had no intention of crawling back into bed. The sleepiness was long gone now that I had dealt with that noisy alarm.
After a quick shower, I wrapped a towel around myself and emerged from the bathroom. Japen was still sleeping soundly. I sighed again. Who knew he was such a heavy sleeper?
Crossing the room, I grabbed my bag and pulled out a different dress-a long, blue one that hugged my curves and reached mid-thigh. I liked wearing longer dresses; they made me feel modest and elegant.
I stepped back into the bathroom to change. When I came back out, Japen was still asleep. I furrowed my brows. When did he plan on waking up?
I walked over and watched him sleeping peacefully. His chest rose and fell rhythmically, so I knew he was alive and well. I sighed. Maybe he was just really exhausted.
Deciding to leave the cottage for a bit and take a walk outside, I was greeted by the fresh morning breeze. My smile widened. It had been years since I’d seen a sunrise on the beach, back when Mom was alive. Dad used to take us to resorts all the time, and we loved watching the sunrise together. But after Mom passed away, Dad stopped letting me go to the beach. Of course, I was stubborn and always pushed his limits-I didn’t like anyone controlling my life.
“Miss Azora!” someone called from behind.
I turned to see Anya walking toward me with a cheerful smile. I smiled back at her. “You woke up earlier than I expected,” I teased.
She laughed. “I woke up late yesterday, so I’m making up for it today, Miss.”
I nodded. “That’s good.”
She smiled and looked around. “They were right, Miss. Badian is beautiful.”
I hummed in agreement. We decided to head to the restaurant. Since there was only one restaurant in the resort, we had to pass by the same place where Anya and that guy had their scene yesterday. I noticed how Anya blushed when we entered. I smirked.
I was surprised to find the restaurant already open. When I asked the staff, they told me it was open 24/7. I was pleased to hear that-it meant I could get a midnight snack if I wanted. Huh, the restaurant manager really had a good idea.
We sat at the same table as yesterday and ordered our food. I was surprised at how hungry I felt when our meals arrived. Then I remembered I hadn’t eaten dinner last night. I wondered if Anya had gotten room service.
“Anya,” I called, taking a sip of mango juice.
She looked up at me. “Yes, Miss?”
“Did you have dinner last night?”
She blinked and then nodded happily. “The guy from yesterday brought food, Miss. He said he was sorry for yelling at me.”
“Huh?” I snorted and pursed my lips. “That rude guy who picked a fight with you yesterday?”
Anya’s eyes widened as she stared past me. I furrowed my brows and turned around. I saw the man from yesterday, his face flushed red with embarrassment. I heard Anya gulp nervously. “Miss, I think he heard what you said.”
I sneered. “As if I care. That guy really had no manners, shouting like that,” I remarked, taking another sip of juice.
I just wanted to tease him a bit. I wondered how far he would go to restore his damaged reputation. People from elite society really disliked being embarrassed-it not only affected their own reputation but also their family and business.
“Miss,” Anya whispered, concern evident on her face. “He already apologized yesterday. I forgave him.”
“That easy?” I snorted. “You should play hard to get. When you forgive an arrogant guy like that right away without consequences, he’ll think he can get away with anything. He needs to learn a lesson.”