Frost and Fire

"I thought I recognized you. Welcome to Ellumiére!" Crystal greeted her with a warm, almost too friendly smile.

Stella blinked. So this was the same Crystal that Eya had mentioned? The one rumored to be close to Mathews?

She forced a polite smile. "Yes, that's me. And you are…?"

"Oh, I'm Crystal! I've been with Ellumiére for a while now" she said, flipping her hair casually. "I was actually surprised when I heard about you joining. It's always nice when fresh faces get a chance in the industry"

There it was, a perfectly placed backhanded compliment.

Stella's smile didn't waver. "Yeah, I guess it's exciting. Everyone starts somewhere, right?"

Crystal let out a soft laugh, as if amused by her response. "Oh, absolutely. But it can be overwhelming, especially if you're new to this world. The pressure, the expectations… it's not for everyone"

Before Stella could respond, Crystal tilted her head slightly, studying her with a knowing look.

"You know, I think it's so cute how you and Mathews are living under the same roof now. Must be interesting, having him around all the time"

Stella stiffened for a split second, but quickly masked her reaction. Was Crystal trying to get a rise out of her?

Crystal's words hung in the air, her smile never faltering.

Stella met her gaze evenly, refusing to let anything slip. "It is interesting" she replied smoothly. "But you know Mathews, he keeps to himself"

Crystal's smile twitched slightly. "Oh, I do know him," she said, her tone light but laced with something more. "He's not always so distant, though. He can be… quite intense when he wants to be"

Stella raised an eyebrow. "Really? Guess I haven't seen that side of him yet"

Crystal hummed thoughtfully, then took a step closer. "Well, maybe you will. Or maybe you won't." She shrugged, as if it didn't matter. "Anyway, I hope you enjoy your time here. Modeling can be tough, but I'm sure you'll do… decent"

There it was again, that word. Decent.

Stella's fingers curled slightly, but she refused to take the bait. Instead, she gave a sweet smile. "Thanks, Crystal. I appreciate the advice. And don't worry, I learn fast."

Crystal studied her for a second longer before letting out a soft chuckle. "We'll see" Then, with one last flip of her hair, she turned and walked away.

As soon as she was out of sight, Stella exhaled, her shoulders relaxing.

What was that? What kind of game was she trying to play?

Stella glanced back at Crystal, who was now chatting with the other models. For a brief moment, Crystal met her gaze and smiled slightly.

Fake.

She stepped out of the building and looked around for the car that had been parked earlier but it was gone. Where was their driver?

She pulled out her phone, about to call him, when it suddenly started ringing.

"Hello, Mr. Bert, where are you?" Maybe he just went to buy something.

"Ah, Ms. Stella, I'm sorry. I just had to pick up Sir from the office, but I'll be there soon" the driver explained.

Sir? Did he mean her step-grandfather?

"Alright, drive safe" Stella said before ending the call. She sighed and waited for the car to arrive.

And now, with nothing else to do while waiting, Stella found herself thinking about Crystal's words again.

Talking about how overwhelming this industry was and how it wasn't for everyone? That was just another way of saying, Let's see how long you last.

And how did she even know that Mathews and she were living under the same roof? Did Mathews tell her? She wouldn't have heard it from anyone else. Only Eya and that man knew about it.

And another thing, intense? What did she mean by that? Was she implying that Mathews was intense… in bed?

Stella let out a small laugh at her own thoughts, completely unaware that the car had already pulled up in front of her.

"What's so amusing?"

She snapped at her thoughts and turned, only to see Marcus in the backseat, watching her with a raised eyebrow.

Stella blinked, quickly masking her surprise. "Nothing. Just something ridiculous"

Marcus hummed in response, clearly unconvinced. "Get in"

Stella had planned to sit in the front, but before she could move, the driver stepped out and opened the backseat door for her. Left with no choice, she slid into the seat beside Mathews. Well, not exactly beside—there was still a good amount of space between them.

So that's what the driver meant by Sir, he was referring to Mathews, not his grandfather.

"Where's your driver?" Stella asked, wondering why he was riding with her instead.

Mathews didn't answer. He simply stared out the window, making it clear he had no intention of responding.

Fine. If he wanted to be like that, then so be it.

But seriously, what was up with him? After everything—first on the balcony when he tucked her hair behind her ear, then when he pulled her close, making them momentarily pressed against each other. Not to mention the blatant lie about being called for dinner. And let's not forget the way he had stared at her before casually saying she looked decent and now, just like that, he was back to his usual cold and distant self?

What was his deal?

He had always been cold and distant ever since she confessed to him during their first year of college. But before that, he wasn't this cold to her.

She could even say they were friends, not particularly close, but at least on friendly terms. Whenever they ran into each other in the hallway or at the cafeteria, she would greet him, and Mathews would simply nod in return.

But after her confession, the distance between them grew even more. He became colder, to the point where he barely acknowledged her presence.

That was when she realized, confessing to him had been a mistake.

But she still greeted him whenever they crossed paths, still sent him letters in secret every Valentine's Day or even when there was no occasion at all.

Because she knew. She was fully aware that she liked Mathews. Back then, her heart was too innocent to realize it was a mistake, even when he ignored her completely.