Upon reflection, Erick realized he hadn’t seen Elin in several days, likely due to his recent preupations.


    Of course, being preupied was no excuse for avoiding someone.


    Partly, this avoidance derived from the fact that since theirst encounter, Erick frequently dreamt of his intimate moments with Elin.


    Her soft whimpering, reminiscent of a distressed kitten, had provoked an unwanted response from him in those dreams.


    Previously, Erick had never seen himself as someone driven by desire.


    He suspected it was his youthful impulses that had made him Lose control.


    However, when the women at the bar approached him, he felt nothing but disgust.


    Simply being near them was awful, let alone the thought of intimacy.


    His mind was in chaos.


    On one side, he felt monstrous, as Elin had just be an adult, and yet he


    repeatedly dreamt of sleeping with her.


    On the other side, he struggled to grasp his own feelings and thoughts.


    Why did these feelings ur only for Elin, even though he had viewed her as a sisterly figure? It filled him with guilt.


    Erick set his ss aside and pulled out a four-leaf clover ne from his pocket.


    A childhood friend had suggested it, mentioning that girls appreciated gifts like earrings and nes.N?vel/Dr(a)ma.Org - Content owner.


    Erick had instantly been drawn to this red four-leaf clover ne, a symbol of happiness.


    He had carried it around for a few days, always meaning to give it to Elin but never finding the perfect moment .


    With determination, Erick finished his ss of ice lemonade, deciding to present it to Elin the following day.


    The next day, after sorting out business matters, Erick tried to call Elin.


    However, the opposite side’s tone sounded disconnected, making him furrow his brows.


    Unwilling to ept it, he redialed, but the number was still disconnected.


    Erick paused for a moment and then sent a questioning mark to Elin.


    Immediately, a bright red exmation mark popped up.


    Erick had never imagined that Elin would block him.


    He reflected on the past days, convinced he had done nothing wrong.


    His avoidance was merely to prevent any awkwardness.


    Why… He couldn’t make sense of it.


    The red four-leaf clover ney inside a lovely gift box on the table.


    Erick nced at it and firmly closed the box, tossing it into the trash bin.


    He didn’t have time to dwell on the thoughts of a young woman.


    If that was how it was, then so be it.


    Erick got up, ready to attend a meeting, but before he left, he looked at the gift box in the trash bin and impulsively reached down to pick it up.


    The trash bin in the administrative office was empty, having just been reced.


    After all, it was the first ne Erick had ever purchased, and it didn’t seem right to simply discard it in the trash.


    He ced it in a secluded corner of a drawer and put it out of his mind.


    Shortly afterward, a significant project demanded his attention for nearly three weeks, keeping him away from home.


    When the project was finally finished, thepany celebrated with arge banquet, where Erick drank quite a bit.


    Once he got into the car, he feltpletely worn out.


    The driver asked, “Sir, shall we head to the apartment, or…”


    Erick massaged his temples, feeling a slight pain in his throat and a craving for the soothing taste of iced lemonade.


    He responded, “Let’s go home.


    ”


    The car soon arrived at the Foster family estate.


    Erick entered and found the living room unchanged.


    He discarded his suit and copsed onto the sofa in exhaustion.