But now, the entire house was flooded. How was she supposed to sleep tonight?
Not long after, Livinus arrived. At the top of the stairs, he saw Sophia with her pants rolled up, her hair tied into a ponytail, wearing nothing but a black fitted knit sweater as she scooped water from the floor.
“It’s this bad?”
His tall figure stood at the staircase, followed by Felix , who had tagged along to help.
“Yes,” Sophia said, clearly frustrated. The summer was over, yet there was still so much rain—it was abnormal.
“Well, it seems I’ll have to take you in for the night,” Livinus said.
Felix shivered internally. “Seriously, Livinus? Could you be any more obvious? Acting like it’s some reluctant gesture when you’re probably thrilled on the inside.”
“Exactly! The rain is too heavy, Dr. Smith. You should stay at Scott’s place tonight. Tomorrow, we can arrange for repairs, and you can return once everything’s fixed,” Felix chimed in, trying to be persuasive.
Livinus gave Felix a faint glance, silently acknowledging his excellent teamwork.
Felix grinned. A raise seemed almost guaranteed now.
Sophia sighed. This wasn’t her first time staying at Livinus’s place. “I suppose that’s the only option.”
—
Later that evening, soaked to the bone, Sophia arrived at Livinus’s residence.
Handing her a bath towel, he said, “The towel is new. There’s a complete set of bath products in the bathroom. The bathtub is brand new, never used. You can take a nice soak.”
Sophia nodded and headed to the bathroom, feeling somewhat uneasy.
Inside, she found an array of feminine products—from skincare to bath essentials—all luxurious brands. Even as a woman, Sophia hadn’t used such a complete collection of high-end products.
She noticed neatly folded towels and an impeccably clean bathtub, devoid of even a single strand of hair. As Livinus had said, everything was pristine and unused.
She examined the skincare products; they were all unopened.
These items weren’t here during her last visit. It was obvious that Livinus had stocked up after she stayed over previously.
Her lips curled slightly.
After filling the tub, Sophia decided to indulge in a bath. On the edge of the bathtub, she noticed a collection of bath bombs from various brands. She picked up one labeled “Lush”. Initially, she considered using a simple white coconut milk bomb to create a frothy bath, but a blue one nearby caught her eye. On a whim, she tossed it in.
She watched as the water turned a deep, vivid blue.
It looked… exactly like a bathtub filled with toilet cleaner.
The scene was surreal, and Sophia couldn’t help but laugh at the absurdity. “A luxurious bath that ends up looking like this?”
Even if it looked like toilet cleaner, she decided to soak in it anyway. As she was filling the tub, a knock came at the door.
Opening it, she found Livinus standing there, holding a glass of red wine.
“Have a glass while you soak,” he said, extending it to her.
“Thank you,” Sophia replied softly, taking the glass.
She closed the door and settled into the bath, sipping the wine amidst the gentle mist rising from the warm water.
As she relaxed, a thought crept into her mind: “Did Livinus offer me this wine with ulterior motives?”
She glanced at the wine and then at the door, shaking her head slightly with a wry smile. “This man is always so composed, but who knows what’s really going on in that mind of his?”
Still, the combination of the soothing bath and the wine was undeniably comforting. For now, she decided not to overthink it.
