As the car drove off, Stefan watched Chadrick fume.
Stefan grinned at Chadrick, fueling his anger—he appeared like someone about to explode.
Last night, Chadrick sent Stefan a message—warning him to stay away from Jessica.
Yet here Stefan was, ignoring Chadrick's warning and hanging out with Jessica just to annoy him.
Today, he was overjoyed, feeling like he had succeeded.
Knowing Chadrick watched, Stefan leaned toward Jessica, brushing against her on purpose.
Chadrick called Jessica immediately, and Stefan guessed what he wanted.
"Oh, aren't you going to answer Chadrick's call? I bet he's thinking of all the ways he could punish you."
"Mr. Hudson, please!"
Jessica glared at him, her cheeks flushing pink in embarrassment. She opened her mouth as if to protest, but Stefan quickly interrupted her, sensing her discomfort.
"Don't get me wrong. I just heard what you did to Chadrick last night."
Jessica eyed him suspiciously, clearly not believing his excuse. Her face flushed red and green.
Her face burned with embarrassment, but she also felt herself flush with annoyance at Stefan's meddling.
Finding her cute, Stefan laughed in the backseat. The chauffeur and Gregory eyed him through the mirror.
Stefan shot them a warning glare to mind their own business. Without words, the assistant pressed the button, and the partition in the car rolled up.
Now alone with Jessica, Stefan no longer held back from teasing her.
"You know what, Jess? I am falling in love with your cuteness."
Jessica was stupefied, dropping her jaw open at his confession.
"I doubt that." She retorted with a straight face.
Stefan flashed a smile.
"I will prove it to you."
Jessica tilted her head to the side, gaping at Stefan, who smiled sheepishly.
"Is that so? Then I should fall in love with you today so that by tomorrow, you can jump onto another woman, and stop pestering me if it weren't about business," she told him without blinking.
Stefan frowned in confusion, then laughed as her words sank in. "You can fall in love with me every day."
Jessica arched an eyebrow.
Stefan extended his arm and reached for her arched brow and said, "I like it when you act cold."
"That's the point here… I am acting hard to get because I know it will bring thrills to you," She explained with a face devoid of emotion. She went on, "And then once you get what you want, your feelings disappear. So, I will fall in love with you today, so then we can separate ways tonight."
Stefan laughed heartily in the backseat once more. He thought, 'How straightforward.'
"I think you've mistaken me for believing I would set you free." He said, and his smile gradually disappeared. "Once you're mine, there's no turning back, Jess."
Jessica shrugged. Stefan, displeased by her indifference, refused to give up.
Stefan leaned in, prompting Jessica to shift toward the door, trapping herself instinctively.
"Tsk. I knew it. You won't fall for me that easily."
"Only a fool would do that," Jessica replied with an eye roll, frustration evident in her voice. She shoved Stefan away, adjusted her glasses, and announced curtly, "We're here."
As soon as the door unlocked, she raced against him to get out of the car first.
Just like that, she left him behind and entered her favorite Cafe without looking back.
Stefan shook his head.
Amused by her awkward fumbling, he remarked, 'Look at her… She looks terrified.'
Jessica nearly hit the door, blinded by messy hair, muttering as she headed straight to the cashier.
"Good morning, Jess! Should I get your usual latte?" The person at the counter greeted her with delight.
"No, wait, Jane…"
Jane, her college classmate and a co-owner of this cafe, manages it herself.
"Give me a cup of two-brewed coffee and anything sweet, please."
"Huh? Don't tell me you pulled another all-nighter?" asked Jane.
Whenever she sleeps with Chad, there are times she leaves his mansion without having breakfast despite the butler's insistence. Sometimes she accepts his hospitality, but often she just wants to flee in silence.
After pulling herself together, she'd stop at the cafe before heading to the office or home.
"But why two?" Jane asked curiously while she was tapping the computer screen in front of her.
Since Jessica didn't have close friends at the company, she was always alone when she came here. And so, Jane's presence is a heavenly blessing to her.
"One cup is for me!"
Suddenly, Stefan appeared behind Jessica, towering over her and grinning slyly.
Jane's jaw dropped, and her eyes twinkled with joy upon seeing a handsome Adonis enter her cafe.
Jessica snapped out of her annoyance just long enough to gently lift Jane's jaw. With mock sternness, she said, "Wake up, girl, don't waste your precious time gawking at your customer."
"Hey, I am worth gawking at!" Stefan pointed out.
Jessica glared at him, then ignored him throughout the ordering process. "It's on him, so ask him for the payment."
After saying that, she spun her heels, leaving Stefan with Jane. She thought, 'Stefan invited me so that I would put the tab on him.'
"Yup, she's right! It's on me, so let me add a few more orders… Mmm, can you get me a complete set of breakfast? I'm famished. I will let you choose for me."
Jessica was heading upstairs when she heard Stefan placing more breakfast orders. She paused and glanced back. He scanned the menu board, pointing out her favorite sandwiches.
'He even knew that?'
Just then, she noticed that his suit was the same suit he had worn last night. He is wearing sunglasses, so she cannot make out the dark circles around his eyes.
Yet, despite his rumpled suit from last night, he seemed surprisingly refreshed, his scent pleasant and his demeanor calm, hinting at confidence even if he might be exhausted.
If he hasn't gone home and had a shower yet, then the reason he left last night must be crucial.
'Where does he go after our dinner meeting?'
This thought suddenly took Jessica aback.
Even though she has nothing to do with him, she doesn't understand why she is curious. She even turned him down several times.
'It wasn't my business what he did in his private life,' she mumbled in her head.
'Yeah, why would I think of feeling entitled after he offers himself to be my lover? I must be crazy assuming things I hate about.'
Standing firm in her decision, she remains resolute.
She would never be Stefan's plaything even if she and Chad stopped sharing a bed in secret.
Putting aside all things she should not worry about, she resumed walking, headed upstairs, and sat in her favorite spot in the left corner.
It was still early morning, but the shops were already bustling with customers: some dropping by to order TO GO, others were a group of students having breakfast with their laptops, discussing their performance tasks.
She and Jane were once like them. It is one thing that she came up with the idea of opening a cafe. However, she cannot manage it herself, so she contacted Jane to see if she is interested in starting a business venture.
"Nice spot."
Not long after, Stefan followed her upstairs and placed a tray with two steaming cups of black coffee on the table. She could see that Jane stuffs everything she likes into her coffee.
There are jugs of sugar, creamer, and caramelized condensed milk.
Despite having many bodyguards, she didn't expect Stefan to carry the tray himself.
'Where are they, by the way?'
Looking downstairs, she found them at different tables while Gregory talked to Jane. Thus, she assumed he was ordering coffee for everyone.
Seeing this, Jessica's brow lifted upward when she noticed Stefan's assistant flirting with her friend.
Jessica whipped her head toward Stefan's direction, inquiring, "Is your assistant not married yet? How about a girlfriend?"
Stefan was about to sip his coffee when she blurted out this question. His mug paused in midair. He glanced at Jane and Gregory. His assistant was taking too long to order.
"Nah. He never dated his whole life."
Jessica did not buy that. "How did you know?"
Stefan shrugged a shoulder. "We grew up together. So I know Gregory is single."
Jessica looked like she didn't believe him, and so he obliged himself to explain.
"Gregory told me that your friend is his junior. My assistant majored in Management, and then your friend, who attended the same college, took the same courses. You took a different course but the same field, right?"
It still surprised her, which she shouldn't have, since she assumed Stefan had run a background check on her.
Now she understands why Gregory looks familiar.
He actually attended the same college in the neighboring city, several miles from here. However, she takes two courses at the same time, and so, she has no time to socialize.
All she did was burn her eyebrows from studying nonstop. She did not pay attention to her surroundings or the other students at college; she bumped into them in the hallways.
"I never knew that…" she muttered.
Stefan clicked his tongue.
"Tsk. All you did was lower your head to your computer, and so you missed seeing my handsome face sitting across from you in the library."
Jessica was shocked. Is Stefan attending Marina College as well?