Cold hands.

Author note;

Dear lovely readers.

I am deeply sorry that I constantly promise more than one chapter but always fail to fulfil my promise.

As you all know, this is a festive period so things are a bit busy here.

Also, I want to use this to appeal to you all… there's a comment icon/message icon at each chapter page.

Click on it to leave a comment.

Support me with power stones, reviews and golden tickets because they are important to me.

I spent the previous year, pleading with readers to support me with reviews and currently, I don't think I can keep doing that.

This novel is currently free so what's stopping you all for supporting a writer whose free times is being used in writing this novel?

Am I asking for much?

I need to know so that I won't expect much from you all.

For those who constantly leave reviews… I can't explain how much it means to me.

Truly, I am very grateful.

~Enjoy reading ~

In one swift, almost predatory motion, Augustine's head leaned closer towards Charles, their lips now mere millimeters apart.

Charles could feel the heat of Augustine's breath mingling with his own.

"What the hell!" Charles exclaimed, pushing Augustine with full force.

The impact of what Charles did made Augustine's eyes to become wide open as he woke up from his slumber.

A scowl formed across his face because he was a bit confused as to the reason why Charles had aggressively woke him up. "Why did you…"

Before Augustine could complete his phrase, Charles immediately chipped in. "You tried to kiss me!" Charles exclaimed as he hurried down from the bed, rushing over to the bathroom.

Slamming the door behind him, he took off his clothes and turned on the shower as the warm water cascading down his body, drenching his hair and running down his limbs.

Closing his eyes, he let the water wash over him, a sense of grim satisfaction settling over him.

After making sure that his entire body was clean and tidy, Charles grabbed a white towel from the towel rack before stepping out of the bathroom.

The absence of Augustine in the bedroom made Charles pace to quicken as he strode confidently towards the wardrobe.

Rifling through the clothes, he found a pair of white shorts—the fabric barely reaching the tops of his thighs.

Charles pulled them on, the snug fit accentuating his lean frame, before running his fingers through his damp hair, the heated water from the shower still steaming off his skin.

He also added a white long sleeve and swiftly, he wore it.

Once he was fully clothed, he made his way over to the dressing mirror.

Looking at his reflection a small, humble smile formed at the corner of his lips.

With a warm confident, he picked up his medicated glasses, the lenses glinting in the light as he placed them carefully on the bridge of his nose.

With his backpack slung casually over his shoulders, Charles took a deep breath and slid his feet into his trusty black sneakers before making his way out of the bedroom.

"Augustine!" Charles called out, intending to inform Augustine that he was heading to work, but despite the several loud calls of Charles, Augustine didn't respond.

Exhaling!

Charles exhaled loudly as he proceeded to make his way out of the mansion.

After stepping out of the mansion building, Charles at first planned on walking to his destination when his phone suddenly beeped.

Staring at the phone screen, he instantly read the text message that appeared at the front. 'I sent you a thousand dollars. Use it for your transportation and I need to talk to you when you get back from work.'

The text message was from Augustine and immediately after reading the entire message, an alert notification was suddenly heard, showing that Charles had just received one thousand dollar.

'Why is he being so caring now, after all that's happened?' Charles pondered, his gaze drifting away from his phone.

'His 'caring' nature is deeply unsettling,' he concluded, a bitter taste in his mouth. 'And is he trying to charm me? Well, it won't work!'

With a slight shake of his head, Charles pushed those troubling thoughts aside and held out his arm, signaling to a passing cab.

The vehicle slowed to a stop and Charles immediately sat down inside the car.

Soon, Charles arrived at Gyapm Corporation, and after paying the fare for the cab ride, he stepped inside the company building.

Almost all the cleaning staff were present, so Charles exchanged pleasantries with them, before proceeding to carry his cleaning equipment, heading over to CEO Augustine's office.

Opening the door of Augustine's office, Charles was welcomed with the quiet office room that was well arranged.

Promptly, he turned on his vacuum cleaner with a determined flick of the switch, and began running it along the floor, methodically working his way across the room.

Following suit, Charles began to mop the floor of the room but then the office door slowly slid open, causing Charles to turn around, glancing at the door.

"August… Freda!" Charles exclaimed, placing his mop beside the wall. "Are you done with your work for today?" He went on to question.

At first, Charles' heart skipped a beat, his mind instinctively conjuring up an image of Augustine barging in.

But as he turned to face the figure, he was surprised to see Freda, his coworker, standing there, a polite smile on her face.

"I'm all done with my work for the day," Freda said, her tone and smile both cheerful. "I came to let you know that I'm clocking out." She stood in the doorway, her posture open and friendly.

Charles sigh. "I am still yet to finish my duty," he mumbled with a grumbling tone.

Freda scoffed as she placed her hands on her lips, blowing an imaginary kiss to Charles. "If I were a betting woman, I'd say CEO Augustine won't be here today. So you have all the time in the world to clean up and enjoy your day," she said with a playful glint in her eye. "Take your time and enjoy the peace and quiet, while it lasts!" Freda added before excusing herself.

Charles rolled his eyes, reaching his hands onto his backpack where he grabbed his headphones, placing them on his ear.

He connected his headphones to his musical app, louding the volume to the max. effectively drowning out the world around him.

As the first chords of his favorite song filled his ears, he lost himself in the beat, his motions becoming fluid as he continued mopping the floor.

He didn't even notice the door opening again, the outside world fading away until it was nothing more than a distant echo.

Charles bent forward, his focus entirely on cleaning beneath the office chair when suddenly, he felt a hand—cold and clammy—slide down his back, gently lifting the edge of his shirt before diving beneath the fabric.