The valet took the keys to park the car. Ondine followed Seth like a silent shadow. As they entered the grand lobby, doormen on either side bowed. "Good morning, Mr. Thorne."It was nearly six a.m. It was an odd time to be checking into a hotel, but the staff were discreet, keeping their eyes lowered. The receptionist greeted him warmly, but Seth bypassed the front desk and headed straight for the elevators.Ondine followed, wondering why he didn't need to check in, but she didn't dare ask. Follow current novᴇls on ⓝovelFind.netInside the elevator, Seth pressed the button for the top floor.Ondine watched the red numbers climb, her heart starting to beat faster. This was the first time she had ever been to a hotel with a man. She trusted that Seth was a gentleman and had no ill intentions, but she couldn't help feeling nervous. It was also the first time she had been this close to him, alone. The small space felt like it was closing in, and she found it hard to breathe.Finally, the elevator chimed and the doors slid open. Ondine took a deep breath of fresh air and followed Seth out. The entire floor consisted of a single suite.noveldramaSeth swiped a key card and the door opened. "This is my suite," he said. "There are three bedrooms. Besides my master bedroom, you can choose either of the other two."Ondine was still trying to process everything. She was actually in a hotel with Seth. It felt completely unreal."Oh... okay," she stammered.Inside, Seth placed a new pair of slippers on the floor for her."Thank you," she said, bending down to change her shoes.Although they had known each other for over five years, the number of conversations they'd had could be counted on one hand, let alone time spent alone together Seth and Zaria were half-siblings, sharing the same father. "My brother is cold to everyone," Zaria had once told her. "Sometimes he won't even give my dad the time of day.""You have no idea how many girls at his school have a crush on him. His friends say he gets love letters literally every single day.""When I was in middle school, he was already a legend in the high school next door. I can't even count how many girls came looking for me, asking me to pass him gifts and letters.""Ondine, what do you think of my brother? Isn't he even more handsome than a comic book hero?" Zaria had asked this while Ondine was trying to solve a math problem. She had always been smart, a top student who never ranked below third in her year. The math problem was simple; she'd had the solution in her head after a quick glance. But as soon as Zaria mentioned Seth, her concentration shattered. The image of him emerging from the pool flashed in her mind his perfect face, his defined abs. It was the first time Ondine had ever felt such a potent, visceral attraction."Yeah, he's good-looking," she'd said, trying to sound casual."Right?" Zaria had said, munching on chips. "Looking at his perfect face every day has totally raised my standards. No normal guy can even catch my eye anymore.""Mmm," Ondine had hummed, hereyes still on the math problem, but the solution had completelyvanished from her mind. After a netmoment, she heard herself ask her voice fergning indifference many girls after him, is he dating anyone?"