After Elliana left, Mikayla's life returned to its previous dull and monotonous routine.
After working hard for five days, she finally got to recharge over the weekend. Mikayla spent her time playing games in the study.
As the sun slowly set, signaling dinner time, Mikayla stretched, her stomach growling with hunger, reluctantly pulling herself away from the game world.
The dining table was already set with several dishes, prepared by Mrs. Garcia, who had left after cooking. Mikayla served the dishes and sat down. Eating alone for a while, she felt something was missing. She had grown used to dining with Cayden, sharing occasional conversations.
Mikayla glanced at the clock. It was already 6:40, ten minutes past their usual dinner time. Had he forgotten about dinner?
She hesitated for a moment, then got up and walked towards the bedroom. The door was half-closed. She knocked lightly, but there was no response. She tiptoed inside; the room was dim, and Cayden was sound asleep.
He had been swamped with projects lately, working even on weekends. It seemed he had finally dozed off during his rare free time.
Mikayla's brow furrowed slightly, thinking about how she had started to care for this relentless capitalist. She walked to the window and pulled back the curtain halfway, letting the setting sun cast a gentle glow across the room.
Cayden's eyes remained closed, his breathing steady. He hadn't been disturbed by her actions.
"Cayden, Cayden," Mikayla put her hands on her hips and called out from the bedside.
He opened his sleepy eyes, staring at her as if surprised to find her there.
"Dinner's ready. The food's getting cold."
He sat up halfway and mumbled an acknowledgment, his voice still tinged with drowsiness.
Mikayla noticed his tousled hair sticking up like cat ears. She suppressed a smile and quickly left the room.
That night, Mikayla returned to her study to play horror games with Linda.
"Where's the ghost? I haven't seen any ghosts!" Linda's voice echoed through the headset.
"Stop shouting. I can't hear the ghost's footsteps," Mikayla maneuvered her character through a sinister mansion, her fingers deftly navigating the keyboard.
A chilling wind and the sound of rain filled her ears, making her feel as though she were inside the game. An eerie noise came from the left, and she cautiously approached.
"I see the ghost! It's on your side!"
"Where?" Mikayla focused intently. As she pushed open a door, a ghostly woman with hollow eyes and blood dripping from her eyes and mouth lunged at her. At the same moment, Mikayla felt someone tap her shoulder repeatedly.
"Ahhhhh!"
Mikayla jumped nearly a foot off her chair, yanking off her headset to see Cayden standing behind her, looking puzzled.
Irritated at being interrupted, Mikayla glared at him, her face flushed, like an angry kitten.
Cayden raised an eyebrow and spoke first, "I knocked three times, but you didn't hear."
Mikayla's anger subsided slightly. "What do you want?"
"I'm going on a business trip to Y City tomorrow."
She pointed to herself, "Do you want me to go with you?"
"No, Zion will go with me. You stay home, eat well, let Mrs. Garcia know what you want to eat, and don't stay up too late. I'll have the driver take you to work."
"Oh... how long will you be gone?" Mikayla asked awkwardly.
Cayden's eyes softened, and he patted her head, "Half a month. It's quite a while."
He glanced at the GAME OVER screen on her computer and teased, "If you're so scared, don't play horror games. You might have nightmares."
Thinking about it made Mikayla angry. She had almost caught the ghost, but Cayden had scared her. She frowned and complained, "I was so close to winning, and it's all your fault! I'm not afraid of ghosts!"
He chuckled, "Alright, my fault."
After Cayden left, Mikayla put her headset back on and started another game, only to hear Linda's teasing, "Oh, did your husband come to check on you?"
"Check on what? Stop talking nonsense."
"Wasn't it you who told me you wanted to divorce him and become a rich single lady? I waited for you, but it seems you can't be relied on."
"Do you still want to get a divorce?" Linda asked.
Mikayla's hand on the mouse paused. She stared at the screen for a few seconds before giving a vague answer, "We'll see."
