Bang!
The elevator came to an abrupt halt again, and the violent jolt caused Sophia to stagger, almost losing her balance.
The arm around her waist tightened instinctively.
Suddenly, the lights in the elevator flickered once before going out completely. The elevator plunged into darkness.
Sophia closed her eyes briefly. She prided herself on being good at many things, but she did have a problem—paranoia.
She was afraid of being followed and framed when she went out, feared elevator malfunctions when she took the lift, worried about fires when living in a high-rise, and dreaded plane crashes when flying.
Now, not only had the elevator malfunctioned, but the lights had gone out, too. The space was pitch-black, so dark she couldn’t even see her hand in front of her face. Her fear was magnified in this claustrophobic environment.
In the enclosed space, Sophia could hear Scott Livinus’s steady heartbeat. For some reason, the rhythmic sound brought her a slight, inexplicable sense of calm.
She chuckled softly, “Clearly, Scott, your company’s management has some issues.”
“Oh?” His upward tone indicated he wasn’t angry.
“Spending so much on elevator maintenance every year, yet it still malfunctions—this probability is almost unmatched.”
Sophia was clearly disgruntled about the situation.
She pulled out her phone and turned on the flashlight. The faint beam of light allowed her to barely make out Scott Livinus’s face.
His hand was still resting on her waist, refusing to move.
“Let go,” she said, raising an eyebrow.
Scott Livinus didn’t respond. The corners of his lips curved slightly as his deep eyes locked on her. His expression was calm, almost leisurely, and he made no effort to withdraw his hand.
His demeanor was so composed and open that it made Sophia feel as if she was overreacting.
“Don’t move! The elevator’s malfunctioned!”
No kidding! Everyone could see that the elevator was broken. She also knew it was out of order, but the question was—why was Scott Livinus holding her?
“And so?” she asked.
“So, stay obediently in my arms and don’t move.”
“…”
Scott Livinus took out his phone and made a call.
Sophia guessed they had fallen to either basement level one or two because she could occasionally hear the sound of car engines outside. However, none of the buttons in the elevator were functional, and no matter how much they pressed, the doors wouldn’t open.
“What now?” Sophia frowned slightly.
Her irritation grew as Scott Livinus’s phone repeatedly failed to connect, and her fear of the elevator situation began to sprout in her mind.
Though she maintained a calm exterior internally, she had already considered every possible outcome.
“Wait for rescue,” he said calmly.
“No way! It’s after work hours now, and the call isn’t going through. What if no one notices us until tomorrow?”
“Impossible. Today, many employees are working overtime at Scott Corporation. If anyone notices the elevator malfunctioning, they’ll report it.”
“If I discovered a broken elevator, I’d just avoid it and take another one.”
“…”
Sophia thought for a moment before looking up at the elevator ceiling. “From what I’ve seen in movies, in situations like this, people open the panel at the top of the elevator. That’s supposed to be an escape route.”
Scott Livinus gave her a glance, his expression a mixture of amusement and complexity.
“What’s with that look? Am I wrong?”
The corner of his lips quirked slightly in a “what do you think?” expression, making Sophia feel as though her intelligence had been subtly insulted.
After waiting for more than half an hour, there was still no sign of help.
“If we keep waiting, my phone’s battery will run out. No, I’m going to see if the top panel can be opened.”
Scott Livinus sighed. He knew full well it wouldn’t work, but he couldn’t refuse her request.
He turned on his phone’s flashlight and placed it on the ground to illuminate the ceiling of the elevator. Then he said to Sophia, “I’ll lift you up.”
Sophia froze. With no other option, she had to accept his proposal.
Scott Livinus’s eyes carried an imperceptible smile. He was used to controlling his life, to the point where surprises were rare. But ever since meeting her, unexpected situations seemed to occur more often. Despite the misfortune of their current predicament, having her as company made the time seem less unbearable.
He crouched down and picked her up, letting her sit on his arm like a child so she could reach higher.
It was Sophia’s first time being held by a man, especially in such a position. For some reason, it felt a bit awkward.
To make matters worse, she was wearing a skirt today.
The skirt was a little short, making it prone to revealing too much.
Sensing her discomfort, Scott Livinus thoughtfully adjusted her skirt.
“…”
He would’ve been better off not doing anything.
What a pointless gesture.
Sophia reached up and pushed at the panel above. Fortunately, the elevator wasn’t very tall, so she could touch it. However, the panel was tightly secured and wouldn’t budge, unlike in the movies, where it easily popped open.
“How’s it going?” he asked.
“No good! It won’t open at all!”
Scott Livinus’s lips curled into a knowing smirk as if he’d anticipated this. “Try again.”
Sophia gave it another shot, but it was futile. “Forget it. Put me down.”
As Scott Livinus released her, Sophia slid downwards. He lost his footing slightly, causing her to fall directly onto him.
Her chin collided with his, and both of them winced in pain.
Once the pain subsided, Sophia realized how close they were. Scott Livinus’s eyebrows and nose were magnified right before her eyes.
