Chapter 36 Finally Shook Off After Six Years
"Are you finally snapped out of it?" Simon shot up from the couch. "Done playing the innocent card?"
Leopold didn't even flinch at Simon's teasing. "Just a game, nothing special."
Simon clapped, relieved Leopold was back to his old self. "Cool, I'll set it up for you. No fuss, no mess, promise."
After hanging up, Simon sent an address in under five minutes: [Velvet Moon Hotel, Room 1080]
[Been eyeing this chick for a while. She's a virgin, consider it a gift.]
Leopold smirked, grabbed his coat, and headed out.
The night was deep, and the fun was quick.
Next morning, Simon rolled out of the next room in a bathrobe. He'd had a bit too much to drink and woke up to find it was already noon.
The Velvet Moon Hotel was owned by the Miller family, and Simon had a luxury suite just for Leopold.
Yawning, Simon messed up his hair, feeling parched. He poured some red wine and strolled into the living room.
As he stepped out, he saw a woman's sexy back, her shoulders dotted with suggestive red marks.
She looked at Leopold with a mix of resentment and pity, but Leopold was stone-cold, handing her cash and sending her off.
Leopold looked up, meeting Simon's amused gaze. He casually lit a cigarette.
"That sad look almost got me, and you didn't even blink. Do you even know how to appreciate beauty?"
Leopold smirked. "Just business, nothing to pity."
"True that." Simon raised his glass. "Drink?"
"No."
Only Simon, the boozehound, would drink this early.
The flame flickered as he took a drag and slowly blew out a smoke ring. In the hazy mist, Leopold's face stayed indifferent.
Despite a night of fun, he didn't look too thrilled.
Simon glanced over, half-leaning towards him. "Aren't you worried Camilla will flip if she finds out you hooked up with another chick?"
Leopold frowned. "Flip? She's just an ex. Does she even have the right?"
Simon thought, 'Guess they haven't patched things up yet!'
"Shouldn't you have Amara around? Why'd you have me find a girl instead of just being with Amara?"
Amara had a decent body and looks. Not as stunning as Camilla, but her youthful vibe was pretty tempting.
Leopold had such a beauty right there, but he completely ignored her.
Leopold slowly blew out another smoke ring. "Too much hassle."
Simon laughed. "Then why weren't you scared of Camilla being a hassle before? She always seemed like the serious type."
Leopold paused. "Yeah, that's why it took six years to shake her off."
Simon laughed heartily.
"That's so you."
In mid-October, Camilla finally got an email from SCI, saying her paper passed the initial review.
Juniper was floored. "Oh my God! Camilla, you're a genius! That's SCI! Oh my gosh!"
Camilla said, "Chill, it's just the first review. Not a done deal yet."
"The next two rounds of review? Piece of cake for you. Don't sweat it."
"To celebrate, how about I treat you to a big meal?"
Camilla chuckled. "Shouldn't I be the one treating you?"
Juniper raised an eyebrow. "You're my bestie. It's settled. Get ready, I'll come pick you up now."
Putting down her phone, Camilla headed to her room, opened her wardrobe, and picked out a V-neck floral dress.
Two months had passed, and her hair had grown to her collarbone. With the weather being so hot, she opted for a headband matching her dress to tie it up.
Half an hour later, Juniper texted that she was downstairs.
Changing her shoes, Camilla grabbed her bag and headed down.
Juniper's car was parked at the alley entrance. While waiting, she took out her phone to play with it. Glancing up, she saw Sebastian walking over.
Beside him was a student, carrying a backpack, with a buzz cut, looking sunny and handsome.
They were chatting, with Sebastian's expression calm, occasionally nodding. When their conversation ended, the boy turned and left.
Seeing this, Juniper quickly waved at Sebastian. "Sebastian!"
Sebastian looked up, his eyes behind the glasses calm. "What brings you here?"
"I'm here to take Camilla out for a meal. Was that your student just now?"
The boy wasn't the most conventionally handsome, but he had a clean, gentle face, especially when he smiled, revealing two dimples—exactly Juniper's type!
Sebastian wasn't a fool; he could see her interest. "He's a grad student from another school. He just came to ask me a question."
She wanted to ask more, but at that moment, footsteps sounded from the stairwell—Camilla had arrived.
Sebastian adjusted his glasses. "Aren't you going out? I'll be on my way."
Juniper stopped him. "No, join us for a meal!"
"No, I need to get back to the lab."
He had come back to retrieve something.
Camilla heard Sebastian's voice before reaching the first floor.
Since their last meeting, Sebastian had been in the lab, and it had been over a month since they last saw each other.
In the hallway, Sebastian stood on the third step. Sunlight filtered through the diamond-shaped patterns on the wall, casting dappled light on his face and body, making his usually cool eyes seem a bit warmer.
Their eyes met, and Camilla spoke first. "I haven't had a chance to return your coat from last time."
She had washed it long ago but hadn't had the chance to return it.
Camilla's voice was soft, wearing a floral dress that revealed her straight legs, with nude high-heeled sandals, looking clean and fresh.
It took Sebastian a while to remember what she was referring to, his voice slightly hoarse. "I've been busy lately, staying in the lab. I came back today to get something."
Camilla could see his fatigue and nodded. "Alright, take care."
"Okay."
As they brushed past each other, Camilla, not used to wearing heels, twisted her ankle and stumbled forward.
Sebastian reacted quickly, using his body to steady her and placing a hand on her waist, preventing her from falling.
She patted her chest in relief, belatedly noticing the scent of pine.
It was Sebastian's unique scent.
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