Chapter 221

After lunch, I had to head out for an errand. I told the driver to wait for me. Normally, I would take the subway or a bus. But after receiving that strange bouquet this morning, and after Emily’s suspenseful reasoning, I felt uneasy. Better to be safe than sorry. This time, I was delivering a contract to the headquarters of Starlight Holdings for Secretary Harper. When the car pulled up outside the Starlight building, I told the driver I’d be back down in ten minutes, tops. It was a precaution. If I didn’t come down, he would come looking for me. That way, I’d know something was wrong in time. I thought I was pretty clever for thinking of that. I grabbed the contract and stepped out of the car, heading into the Starlight building. As I stood in front of the elevator, waiting, a clear voice rang out with a teasing tone. “Well, well, liar. You’re here again.” I froze for a moment, then turned my head. A man stood beside me, wearing a white shirt and charcoal trousers. He looked familiar, but I couldn’t place where I’d seen him before. I glanced around. There was no one else here but the two of us. “Excuse me, sir. Are you talking to me?” I asked. “Is there a third person here?” Caleb Hayes replied. “Ha. Maybe there is, but I can’t see them,” I answered with a dry laugh. Caleb looked at me, amused. I lowered my head, avoiding his gaze. There was something strange about this guy. I couldn’t help but take a step to the side, putting some distance between us. When the elevator arrived, Caleb stepped inside. I didn’t move. He held the door and looked at me. “Aren’t you coming in?” “No, thanks. I’ll skip the elevator.” “All the other elevators are under maintenance. This is the only one running. Are you sure you want to climb twenty-seven floors?” he asked, raising an eyebrow. “How do you know I’m going to the twenty-seventh floor?” I stared at him, suspicious. “It’s written on your file bag. Mr. Sterling of Starlight Holdings,” he said. I pressed the document bag against my chest, shielding it from his view. I glared at him, my face full of caution. “Then you’d better take the stairs,” Caleb shrugged, releasing the door with a smirk. The elevator doors slid shut. I watched the numbers climb until it stopped at the twenty-seventh floor. It didn’t come back down. I waited a little longer. Still nothing. I had no choice but to take the stairs. As I climbed, I couldn’t help cursing that weirdo I’d just met. If it weren’t for him, I wouldn’t be climbing all these stairs. Halfway up, my mind started wandering. I thought of all those horror stories that happen on staircases. Suddenly, goosebumps covered my arms. I pulled out my phone and called Charlie. Charlie was asleep and woke up to the ringing. “Hello?” “Charlie, what are you doing?” I asked, my voice a little too high. “I’m sleeping,” she grumbled, yanking at her hair. The irritation was clear in the force of her pull. She almost tore a strand out. “Oh. I’m delivering a contract. I’m climbing the stairs in the Starlight building,” I reported. “Are you sick? Why are you reporting to me?” “I’m bored,” I said, panting. “Are you sure you’re climbing the stairs, and not doing something else?” she asked suspiciously. “Yes. What else would I be doing?” I replied, confused. “Something in bed with your husband,” she said. “...” My face turned bright red. “What?!” “Otherwise, why are you panting like that?” “Didn’t I just tell you? I’m climbing the stairs. I’m on the seventeenth floor now!” “You’re crazy. Why are you climbing stairs? Trying to lose weight?” “No. I told you. I’m delivering a contract to Starlight Holdings.” “...” “You couldn’t take the elevator?” “The elevators are under maintenance.” “Not all of them.” “There’s another one, but it’s stuck upstairs. So I have to take the stairs.” “Oh. I thought you wanted to share some bedroom secrets with me.” I was speechless. “Charlie, what’s going on in that head of yours?” “Right now, I just want to sleep.” “Then go back to sleep.” “Wait. Are you really just climbing the stairs? Nothing special?” she asked again. “No. I’m really just climbing the stairs. I’m on the twenty-fifth floor now. Two more to go. You go back to sleep. I hope you have sweet dreams.” “Dream of your head. Ah, may you run into a pervert on the stairs. I hope you get your period every day, and your husband can’t get it up every day!” she roared on the other end. “That’s cruel,” I said. “Seems like it. Forget it. I take it back. I wish you good luck,” she said with a laugh. “...” I hung up on her. After the call, I finally reached the twenty-seventh floor. I was exhausted. I couldn’t help cursing that guy again. If it weren’t for him, I wouldn’t have had to climb all these stairs. I pushed open the fire door and stepped into the twenty-seventh floor. I was at the headquarters of Starlight Holdings. I planned to hand the documents to Mr. Sterling’s secretary and then head back. But his secretary was on the phone. She asked me to deliver the documents directly to Mr. Sterling’s office. I figured I might as well see it through. I was already here anyway. So I let the secretary sign for it, and then I took it to the general manager’s office. I knocked on the door. A voice said, “Come in.” I pushed the door open and stepped inside. “Mr. Sterling, I’m here to deliver the documents.” Before I could finish, I saw the man sitting at his desk. My eyes widened. Two words slipped out of my mouth. “Pervert—” The next second, I quickly covered my mouth. Caleb Hayes looked at my stunned expression with amusement, as if he had been waiting for this moment. “Mr. Sterling. Secretary Wang was on the phone and asked me to bring these in,” I said, taking a deep breath and regaining my composure. This weirdo was actually the general manager of Starlight Holdings! Was Starlight Holdings going to go out of business? “Changed careers?” Caleb teased me on purpose. “Huh?” I looked at him, confused. “Last time we met, didn’t you say you were a courier?” I froze for a moment. Then I remembered that embarrassing incident from last week when I came to Starlight. I stared at him in shock. The more I looked, the more he looked like that same man. I was mortified. I was a little blind, but not this blind. “Mr. Sterling, I’m sorry. You must have mistaken me for someone else,” I said, my head held stiff.