Lexi tossed restlessly in bed, pulling the sheets over her head to shield her eyes from the stubborn ray of sunlight piercing through a small crack in the curtains. No matter how she turned or adjusted, the persistent glow of the sun seemed determined to chase her. With an irritated sigh, she finally kicked off the sheets, surrendering to the fact that her morning had officially begun.

It's going to be one of those days now, isn't it?

As she pondered what she should do with her free day, Matteo stepped in. He was dressed in casual clothes. 

“Matteo, what is this? You look– Normal?” Lexi teased.

He gave her a small smile but remained serious. His tone didn’t give away the stress of the piling evidence from the night before. 

“I think you need a little break, Miss Astor. A few days away from the tabloids, the nonsense, everything. How does that sound?”

She eyed him suspiciously, “Who is she? Have you met a girl and now you need to get rid of me?”

Matteo chuckled.

A laugh?! Something is definitely wrong!

His expression remained gentle, “No, Miss Astor, no one could ever replace you. You deserve a break. You need not worry because I've taken care of everything.”

She sighed, “You’re acting strange and being oddly cryptic. Just tell–”

Matteo’s phone chimed, interrupting their conversation. He didn’t seem to be smiling anymore, “It seems your ride is downstairs.”

“My ride? Great, aren’t you coming with me?”

Matteo hesitated, choosing his next words carefully. “I’ll meet you later. I have something to take care of first.”

He could tell she didn’t like this one bit. She hated not knowing what was going on. 

She studied him, trying to see if she could get a read on him. After a few seconds she decided it was best to just trust him. He’d never do anything to hurt her.

“Alright Matteo, I’ll head down stairs.”

Normally she would have grabbed her bag but Matteo beat her to it. The silence in the elevator was suffocating. They continued out the building to find a vehicle waiting for them. As she approached it, the driver’s window rolled down, revealing a familiar face. Seo's unmistakably handsome face to be exact.

Her mouth dropped as she backed away from the car. “MATTEO, what is he doing here,” she questioned. 

“Stop asking questions and get in the vehicle Alexandra,” the unexpected driver piped in. He only called her Alexandra when it was serious. 

“But–” she started, surprise still in her voice. 

“You trust me right,” Matteo asked. 

“Yes.”

“Then get in the vehicle and I will see you tonight, tomorrow morning at the latest.”

She did as she was told, trying to not be freaked out by the fact that Matteo AND Seo had been working together. She didn’t know if she should be impressed or frightened. She lowered the window, still confused. 

“Alright, Mr. Seo Jung-jin, make sure you take care of her.” 

“Always,” Seo said before driving off. 

“What is going on here?”

“I’m helping out as you can see,” Seo said with a casual shrug, smirking slightly. 

“You? Helping?” She has a million questions. “And since when did you and Matteo become friends?”

“Just go with it Lexi,” he rolled his eyes. "And put on your seatbelt, please."

She struggled briefly tugging away at the seatbelt but it wouldn’t budge. As they approached a red light Seo leaned over and fastened the seatbelt himself.  His face suddenly mere inches from hers. She had the chance to see him up close. Lexi’s cheeks flushed a deep red, the warmth spreading quickly as their eyes briefly locked.  

“Safety first,” Seo whispered softly before retreating back into his seat, his cologne lingering around her.

Lexi turned towards the window to hide the blush creeping across her face. “Just drive,” she said firmly, ignoring whatever just happened.

She tried to ignore him but the longer he drove the more curious she became. “Seo… um can you tell me exactly where we are going?”

“Don't worry about it,” Seo said, flashing one of those charming smiles that makes any girl weak in the knees.

“This is unfair,” she said, almost throwing a tantrum. 

As they drove further from the city, Lexi stole occasional glances at Seo. For once he seemed at peace. His relaxing nature allowed her to see a genuine side she hadn’t before. Even though it was rare, it was nice to be out of the spotlight. Hidden away from the pressures and expectations of the world. It had a way of making people open up and for conversations to flow more naturally.

“Does it ever feel too much?” she suddenly asked, breaking the silence.

Seo raised an eyebrow but kept his eyes fixed on the road ahead. “What exactly?”

“Being the son and heir to a billion dollar company? Everyone wants something from you because you're rich and for your looks,” she asked further.

His silence lingered for a moment. He contemplated the life he’d lived and the expectations of his mother and father. His thoughts ran from the various events, the private tutors, and being constantly in the public eye. 

Finally, he said, “It's honestly very exhausting. I never know who is actually on my side or if they pretend to care about me because of the money or the power my family holds.”

She smiled softly, understanding him more than anyone. After her mother’s death, her father’s expectations only grew. He invested all his time and energy into her. Not to say he wasn’t a good father, but sometimes the expectations of perfection were a lot to handle and she only ever wanted to make him happy. 

“I suppose you’re right, but you can’t exactly ignore that you’re above average in the looks department, you know. Being that handsome should definitely factor in a bit,” she joked, trying to lighten the mood.

Seo’s lips turned into a wide grin, eyes twinkling like a kid in a candy shop. “Oh! So you admit you find me handsome?”

Betrayed by her own words she averted her gaze. “I said no such thing,” she said, covering her now pink cheeks.

“Then why are you blushing?”

She turned up the music to ignore what he might say next. 

As retaliation Seo rolled the windows all the way down. The air filled her curls, slinging them in every direction. He looked over at her to see her hair in a mess. For the first time ever, Seo laughed uncontrollably. His laughter roared over the music as he maintained one hand on the steering wheel and the other pressed on his stomach. 

Her glare softened. Stunned, she didn’t know how to respond. Lexi marveled at how handsome he was. Badump. 

She didn’t understand what was happening but she quickly tried to distract herself with the beautiful scenery.