Chapter 3

A similar voice contacted her ears.

"Jade Shaw Halston!" The voice said.

"Father!" She moved her hand to look at him.

He stood beside the open door of the car.

"Get in the car!" He commanded, to which she quietly walked towards the car and slipped in the back seat. Her father did the same and sat beside her.

After an eerie silence of 1 to 2 minutes, her father looked at her from head to toe. Her ripped shorts, baggy t shirt, denim jacket and sweaty face.

"Where have you been?" His father asked with a disgusted face.

"I was with my friends." Jade said.

"Look at you." He gave a long glare from top to bottom. "I can't even imagine what people will say after looking at you like this."

"Oh you still care for the reputation." She snapped.

"You are my daughter, Shawn Halston's daughter, all dirty and sweaty." He stressed his words.

"Wow! You remembered you have a daughter." She said sarcastically.

"What were you doing, playing in the dungeons?" He said, completely ignoring her sarcasm.

"You could have asked whether I'm fine or not? But no. Reputation, cleanliness. Blah blah blah...." She babbled, using her hands to talk as well.

"Why would something happen to you?" His father said nonchalantly. "But if you roam like this a lot of things will happen to my reputation and links." He pointed his finger. 

"Tch!" She scoffed in disdain. "That is it. This is how you are." She said.

"I see how you ran today. Thankfully, the party is postponed until tomorrow afternoon." He said. "And I am taking you!" He added each word like a command.

Folding her hands over her chest, she averted her face towards the window. There was no point in arguing with him. She doesn't even want to talk to him anymore.

'As if I will come with you.' She thought, looking out of the window.

None of them spoke during the rest of the way and they soon reached home. The moment their car halted, she flew open the door and swiftly walked out of the car. She doesn't want to spend one more minute with her father. The watchman opened the big door of their huge house. Stomping her feet, she walked in and went upstairs to her room. 

Closing the door behind her, she tossed the jacket on the study table and jumped on the bed. Taking a deep breath, she turned around to face the ceiling. She glared at the fan which was off above her. Stretching her hand, she took the remote of AC from the side table and turned it on. 

"Damn. That heat was too much." She murmured.

Thinking of what happened in the lane, she was trying to contemplate the possible cause of the heat. Closing her eyes, she recalled all the things she saw in the lane. There was no fire lit anywhere around. Opening her eyes, she stood in a sitting position and folded her legs in cross.

"What else could cause heat apart from fire?" She thought for a moment. Throwing her hands in the air, she got up from the bed.

"This is frustrating. Not knowing an answer to a question." She mumbled whilst heading to the bathroom for a hot shower.

Getting in, she slipped out of her clothes and tossed them in the basket. Turning on the tap, she stood under the shower. Closing her eyes, she raised her head up, letting the water wash her face. Hot water made the bathroom steamy and warm. She swiftly opened her eyes and looked around.

'Hot water.' She thought. 'The answer to the question.'

Wandering her eyes around, she realizes how warm and steamy the bathroom has become. Moving aside from the water, she turned the tap to make the water further hot. The hotter the water becomes, the temperature of the bathroom increases.

"If there was no, fire. It is possible there could be hot water somewhere near." She said to herself looking at the foggy mirror.

Wiping the mist off the mirror with her palm, she looked at her bare reflection in it. 

"The question still remains." She spoke to her reflection. "How could there be such a huge amount of hot water to make the whole lane hot?" 

Putting on her bathrobe, she came out of the bathroom. Walking to and fro in the room, she was thinking about the incident. Her mind couldn't let go of what happened.

The sudden click sound gained her attention and then the door of her room opens up. She looked back through her shoulder and saw a young man on the other side of the door,  holding the doorknob.

"Umm..." He didn't know what to say after seeing at her like that.

"Out. Now!" She commanded in a vexed tone. 

"I am sorry." He said and swiftly shut the door.

Putting on a sweatshirt and loose pants, she dried her hair with a towel. Putting the towel around her neck, she opened the door. He was facing the other side when she opened the door.

"What?" She said to turn him around.

"Oh well...." He turned and then paused, looking at her aspect. Wet messy hair, no makeup on, sweatshirt and loose pants. He was thinking; 'do girls dress this plain too?'

"Well what?" She snapped her fingers in front of him.

"I mean your dad sent me....." Before he could continue. She stopped him.

"Stop." She displayed her hand to him.

He abruptly stopped and knitted his brows at her.

"I am not a girlfriend material nor a wife. And I have no interest in my father's money." Jade said calmly.

"Ookay." He replied, not knowing what to say. 

A minute and 2 passed when none of them spoke. Then Jade opened her mouth.

"Ok then, goodnight." She said and closed the door in his face.