The cool night breeze brushed softly across the open fields just outside the city.
A blue sports car was parked at the edge of a hill.
On the roof of that car were two people: a young man and a girl, shoulders nearly touching as they looked up at the sea of stars stretched endlessly above them.
The young man was Curtis Knox.
The only child of the wealthy Knox family.
And like many other nights, he had once again slipped away from home just to be with her.
He hated the suffocating luxury and expectations.
This was the one person who made him feel normal.
Anastasia.
She wasn't special in any way—no noble blood, no fancy last name, nothing the Knox family would approve of. She was the daughter of a taxi driver and went to a public school miles away.
But that was exactly what Curtis liked about her.
No pretending. No fakeness. Just… her.
For several quiet minutes, neither of them said a word.
Just the distant buzz of crickets and the occasional sound of cars driving by.
Anastasia took a deep breath and smiled faintly.
"The stars are really pretty tonight…"
It suited her sweet and innocent face.
She turned a little to try and catch a glimpse of his face.
Curtis gave her a sideways look.
"Not as beautiful as you."
He had that charming lazy grin on his face.
"Wh—what?"
She laughed awkwardly then rolled her eyes.
"You're so bad at flirting."
"Am I?"
He turned towards her fully this time.
Their noses were touching.
"…"
"…"
It had gone quiet again.
Anastasia's lashes fluttered, and she looked like she was about to glance away—when Curtis suddenly cupped her cheek and pulled her closer.
Her eyes widened.
Then—
"Hiccup!"
"Eh?" Curtis blinked.
"Uhm… sorry—hiccup!"
Anastasia stammered as another one escaped her lips.
Her cheeks were already burning.
"I—I can't stop when I'm nervous—hiccup!"
Curtis chuckled quietly.
It was adorable.
But then, out of nowhere, he leaned in and pressed his lips softly against hers.
Anastasia froze.
Her heart pounded so hard she swore he could feel it.
And just when his hands were stretching below her waist to feel the softness of her bottom…
"EEEEeeeEee—!"
She pulled away.
Curtis instantly looked regretful.
"Y-, You didn't like that, huh? Sorry ab—"
Before he could finish, Anastasia grabbed his collar and kissed him back.
It was deep, clumsy, and hungry.
Her dainty fingers trembled against his neck, but her tender lips didn't hesitate. Curtis pulled her closer, one hand behind her head as their tongues squeezed together so hard they tasted each other's hot saliva.
Her breath hitched.
Next thing she knew, they were in the car.
The car rocked faintly as Anastasia let out squirmish moans that made passersby feel uneasy.
"CURTIS! ❤️"
Her slender hand pressed against the tinted glass.
･･･
[The Morning After]
Clothes were everywhere.
Pantyhose on the steering wheel, a bra hanging from the gear stick, Curtis's shirt crumpled on the floor.
Curtis was sound asleep in the passenger seat.
He snored softly… with Anastasia's panties resting perfectly on his face.
Anastasia slowly opened her eyes.
"Unnn…"
She rubbed her eyes gently and pulled up the overcoat on her body.
"Eh?"
She was completely naked underneath.
"Fu—!"
She quickly slapped a hand over her mouth before the cuss slipped out.
Her face turned bright red as she buried it in the seat.
"Oh my God, what did I do…"
She groaned quietly and kicked her legs like a child throwing a tantrum.
She glanced at Curtis again and sighed.
He was still asleep.
"Eish, my pan—"
She held back her words.
Seeing him drooling all over her panties made her want to kill herself.
"Ughnnn… kill me…"
She covered her face in shame.
She tried to take her panties but he almost woke up.
"Aww—don't wake up now!"
She whispered in panic and froze for a few seconds before snatching the pantyhose instead.
She scrambled to gather her clothes and dressed as fast as possible.
And just when she was about to leave… it hit her.
"The money…"
Anastasia's eyes darted to the trunk.
She rushed out, opened it, and unzipped the large leather bag Curtis had brought along.
Her heart stopped.
Stacks of hundred-dollar bills filled it to the brim.
Without thinking twice, she grabbed the bag and ran.
A morning crowd of workers were already gathering near the streets.
People stared.
"Who's that girl?"
"She's probably one of those useless girls that sleep around and run off the next day."
"Pathetic."
Anastasia didn't stop. She didn't even look back.
Her heart was beating too fast—and her tears wouldn't stop coming.
–
–
–
[Nine Years Later…]
Inside a mansion that touched the clouds, Curtis Knox now sat behind a glass desk, his face expressionless as the light from his monitors reflected off his sharp, cold eyes.
His face was expressionless as the light from his monitors reflected in his blue eyes.
"Alright…"
He was calm and commanding.
"We'll focus on CorePath's stocks. Don't bother with a partnership—it's not worth it. I'll have someone buy out sixty percent, inflate it through a third party, and resell before it crashes. Then we'll decide if a full takeover's worth it."
The board members on the screen nodded.
"Excellent idea, Mr. Knox."
"Brilliant strategy!"
Curtis gave a short nod and ended the call before anyone else could speak.
A middle-aged man was in one corner of the room.
It was his personal assistant, Gerard.
"Sir, I must say, that was a fantastic meeting! If you keep this up, your father will have no choice but to hand you the CEO position soon!"
He gave him a proud smile.
Curtis stood up and stretched his arms with a lazy yawn—
That was when Gerard saw it.
Curtis was only wearing heart-pattern boxers beneath his neatly ironed suit jacket.
Gerard froze mid-sentence.
"Sir… again?"
Curtis shrugged as he slipped into his slides.
"Relax. The camera only sees the top half."
Gerard rubbed his temples.
"But if the board ever found out you conduct billion dollar meetings dressed like—like that—!"
He sighed inwardly.
"Or your father—"
"They won't."
Curtis replied casually and headed for the door.
Gerard sighed. "You're hopeless."
Curtis smirked.
"Uh-huh… that's really rich coming from an old man who still calls me 'sir' when we both know I paid you to be my emotional support system."
"Touché."
The door slammed shut and Gerrard's smile faded.
For as long as anyone could remember, Curtis had been perfectly fine with being alone. If the world ever ended and only one person got to survive, it'd probably be him.
When he turned eighteen, he convinced his father to buy him his own mansion—somewhere he could live completely alone and without anyone bothering him.
Now at twenty-four, that mansion had everything he could ever want.
There was a giant aquarium full of rare fishes, a garage full of sports cars and luxury rides.
He even had a collection room where he displayed his action figures and rare collectibles, all perfectly arranged behind glass.
Then there was his game room, packed with everything from old-school arcade machines to the newest gaming consoles.
Considering Curtis's age and all the wealth he had access to, Gerard used to be terrified of what kind of trouble he might get into.
He had imagined endless parties, loud music, and mornings spent chasing naked girls out of the manor.
But to his surprise, none of that ever happened.
Curtis didn't throw parties.
He didn't even step outside.
In fact, ever since he moved here, he hadn't invited a single person over.
He spent his days locked away in his room while he ordered everything he needed online.
There was a full staff working in the mansion.
But not one of them had ever seen Curtis in person.
He just didn't like being around people.
The only one allowed near him was Gerard.
The man didn't know what else to say.
『Master Knox hasn't been the same since that girl left him nine years ago.』
He exhaled a long, quiet sigh.
『Quite sad… really.』