Soon, they stopped in front of a high double wooden and corten metal driveway gate with stone wall columns. The moment Laurice recognized the gate, she sheepisly turned to Sid and said, "Well, i ... better open the gate." The woman alighted from her own car carrying her bag and went straight to an adjacent small wooden gate entryway.

The man inside the car was left dumbfounded.

He was obviously expecting for someone to open the gate for them atleast since the woman was living in an exclusive village after all with an apparently enormous property.

Sid furrowed his brows.

He suddenly jerk his hand on the steering wheel.

He knew the woman had just recently arrived from abroad but considering that she was actually living at Woodville Homes despite it being highly secured and fully-inaccessible to non-residents if they were not personal guests of the owners, she still should not have taken her own security for granted.

She could have at most hired her own people to guard her own property.

Sid mentally noted to personally help her regarding the matter.

Soon, the gate was opened.

It was still a few meters away from the house so Sid urge her to come back inside the car and let him drive.

Sid did not question her yet and waited until they've finally reached the front porch.

He alighted from the car and stood there motionless while his eyes roamed around the seemingly modern contemporary and rustic house in front of him.

It was an elevated two-storey building with a balcony.

There was a small patio in the front lawn near the entrance where stood two stone pillars. The landscaping was simple from outside, green gra.s.s, ferns, shrubs and some trees surround the area.

From the steel-framed gla.s.s and double-paneled windows inset into concrete brick and stone walls, wood and steel finis.h.i.+ngs it can be implied that the house itself is that of a cla.s.sic and modern architecture with rustic style.

'So this was her style. It wasn't really feminine at all. But nonetheless raw, fresh, chic and charming.' He could not decided whether he was referring to the house or the owner herself.

He took his time looking at the property and suddenly his face twitched ever so slightly which Laurice seemed to notice.

Laurice: "Ahm, i initially wanted a bungalow you know. It was my architect that came up with the design and structure of the house. He said he needed to utilize more s.p.a.ce to accommodate my demands and conditions with regards to the over-all function of the house. I really did not want anything looking grand but when i saw the design, i just let him take care of the rest." Her face softened with her last statement.

Laurice: "Oh! Some of the materials used especially with the interiors are actually recycled materials like reclaimed woods that were salvaged. But I really didn't have that much furnitures anyway so the rest for used as decor." She chuckled.

Laurice really likes her new house. It was all that she could ask for a home. It was open, cozy, comfortable, clean, fresh and inviting.

Sid found out that everything she said was true, when they entered the house he saw the wood works inside and was truly impressed. The furnis.h.i.+ngs were simple, organic yet functional, she really did not have much stuffs around. The inside color scheme scream neutral and earthy with green accents, wooden floors, panelled white and tan walls, high wooden beamed ceilings, a mixture of rustic and modern furnitures and fixtures with modern appliances, and the rest of the house has that natural element to it. Basically the overall design scheme mimic nature. It was pleasant to the eye.

It was beautiful and it suits her personality. Sid thought that Laurice has a beautiful home but he was somehow bothered by it since the property is obviously, huge!

He did not even see the rooms yet but he could tell with so much s.p.a.ce that the whole place is huge for a single person to live with all by herself.

'Does the woman plan to live here on her own? How will she even manage to maintain the property? Why weren't there any helpers at her house at all? Not even a single breathing person.' Somehow he was relieved that there seemed to be no pets around or he will be in shock from extreme worry.

Sid turned to her with a blank expression and verbalized his thoughts, "Do you plan to live here by yourself?"

Laurice: " ... yes."

Laurice felt that Sid was looking at her with an expression that seems to tell her that she is out of her mind.

"When did you move in?" Sid asked in a low, deep voice. Eyes fixed on her.

Laurice wanted to lie at the moment. The man was somehow getting strange by the minute. He seems to be contemplating on a lot of things but he was focused on her so she must have something to do with his sudden change of temperament.

"Tuesday evening." She said. Her voice was low.

That was the night before yesterday. The night before they met at the mall.

Sid furrowed his brows and asked, "Do you live somewhere else?"

Sid did not want to expose himself that he knew everything about her coming back recently and he has definitely no intentions of revealing the fact that he had her background checked. He wanted to hear everything personally from her. He will take his time to get to know the woman better.

Laurice was feeling rather odd and anxious for some reason. The way this man was talking to her was like a husband who was interrogating his wife's activities and whereabouts. But she did not dare show any defiance and definitely could not lie even if he's a total stranger. 'Didn't she decide on getting to know this man himself back at the villa?' She thought it was alright to open up and tell him about her circ.u.mstances and answer truthfully as long as he would not ask anything too personal.

Laurice: "Actually, i have recently just arrived in the country and i have been staying in a hotel for three days. It was only yesterday that i ... ahm ... you know. That's why i wanted to tell you that i did not have anything to feed you. I'm sorry. You must be getting really hungry. Do you wanna go out instead and eat first?"

Sid did not say anything and just pulled his phone out and made some calls. Laurice did not understand anything from their conversation and left him to fetch him a gla.s.s of water. Well atleast she had distilled drinking water available in her kitchen or else she really has nothing to offer to her guest.

Sid have already ended the call when she came back with a gla.s.s of water in her hands and handed it over to him saying, "For you, it's filtered alkaline not tap water." She said that as if trying to a.s.sure him that it was indeed safe for consumption.

Sid was surprised with the gesture and gladly took the water from her and emptied the gla.s.s. Something warmed his heart with her thoughtfulness. He washed the gla.s.s himself in the kitchen sink to her horror. Laurice was shocked.

Laurice: "Sid, just leave it. I'll take care of it. It's only a gla.s.s."

How can she let the guest do the ch.o.r.e himself in her own home!

Sid: "You're right. It's just a gla.s.s. So don't sweat it Laurice."

Laurice was dumbstruck.

The man on the other hand thought for a second that the two of them together in the house by themselves isn't too bad after all and decided he might as well enjoy it.

They took a seat on the living room and Sid started discussing with her matters regarding the security and maintenance of her property. He made a few reasonable suggestions and even presented himself to personally handle the hiring of her own manpower that he insisted as necessary to keep her company and most importantly to keep her safe. The man even suggested on installing security devices like hidden cameras all around her house. The man seemed knowedgeable about it and looks genuinely concern about her safety that she could not refute any of his words, even the proposition of him inspecting the entire house personally sounded reasonable enough which she then permitted.

It was too late when Laurice realized that he meant to inspect today! Like right now. The man wanted to inspect her house right that instant which is according to him will help hasten his plans.

Laurice: " ... "

But she does not have the heart to turn him down so she could only led him to tour the house.

...

Little did she know that the man has other motives behind this sudden little tour.