Chapter 444
Upon hearing the distinctive tone of his customized notification chime, James swiftly fished his phone from his pocket. A brief look of surprise flitted across his face as he read the text from girl next door.
The words from this morning?
His piercing eyes squinted slightly as his fingertips paused on the screen. After a long moment, a faint smile crossed his chiseled features, and he replied, [Of course, my word is my bond.]
Mirabella was referring to his earlier offer, “You can come over to my place sometime. It’s peaceful. I’ll add your fingerprint to the front gate.”
Mirabella pursed her lips as she read the response and typed back, [Are you home right now?]
James replied, [Yes, just come over.]
With that, Mirabella pocketed her phone and made her way next door, decisively choosing the handsome neighbor over the insufferable Donald.
As Mirabella approached the villa next door, James stepped out to greet her, dressed in light casual wear, his handsome face exuding an air of serene elegance. He reached out to open the gate, eyeing Mirabella with an inquisitive intensity. “So, did Zach’s blind date wrap up?”
“Yeah,” she nodded, stepping inside.
James closed the door behind them without a second thought.
“How’d it go? Anyone catch your eye?” he asked in a low voice, walking beside her.
Mirabella hesitated briefly before admitting, “Nope.” Finding a match for the infamous playboy was a lost cause.
They had just reached the entrance hall when James suddenly took hold of Mirabella’s arm. The warmth of his hand seeped through her clothes, causing her to look up in confusion.
James quickly released her, a gentleman once more, and pointed to the small, computerized security system on the wall. “For the fingerprint.”
Catching on, Mirabella moved closer to the embedded touchscreen with a look of mild surprise that faded as she remembered the tech–savvy Curtis.
James had already pulled up the fingerprint entry settings. “Let me show you how,” he said, stepping aside to give her space.
But Mirabella was already ahead of him, deftly navigating the screen and completing the
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process in under ten seconds, signaled by the system’s confirmation of a successful entry.
James‘ hand awkwardly lingered in the air. He glanced at the screen, impressed by her proficiency. “Seems like you’re quite familiar with security systems,” he remarked.
Mirabella curled her fingers slightly, her long, curled lashes casting a shadow over her eyes. “We installed one at my place recently. I picked up a few things from the installer,” she explained, then sidestepped toward the nearby shoe cabinet.
James didn’t dwell on it, pulling out a pair of new, fluffy pink slippers and placing them before her. “Brand new.”
Mirabella eyed the pastel slippers with a touch of resignation and slipped them on. Pink, everywhere she went.
With her footwear changed, she followed James into the living room, which was conspicuously empty, save for the two of them.
“Are your guys… I mean, Wyatt and Curtis not around today?” Mirabella tactfully swallowed the words ‘your two muscle–bound bodyguards.‘
