Chapter 313: Chapter 313

Simon Rhodes raised an eyebrow and said in a questioning tone, "Hmm?"

Skylar Vance pointed across the street to a bank and said, "I want to exchange some Euros, but I don’t speak French, so..."

Simon chuckled, put the umbrella into the car, locked the door, and walked towards the other side of the street, "Let’s go."

Skylar smiled and quickly jogged to follow him across the road.

At the bank, he communicated smoothly with the staff. Skylar held her documents in her hand and followed him, but she couldn’t understand a word of what he was saying to the staff. Midway, he simply asked her to enter her PIN on the machine.

Without hesitation, he handed her a card and said, "Just swipe this to buy things, don’t carry too much cash."

Skylar stared blankly at the bank card in his hand and asked in confusion, "This is your card, right? I brought my own card; I just wanted you to help me exchange some money, not use yours."

Simon replied, "Your card can’t be used here."

"Why would I lie to you? Just use it for now, everything’s recorded, you can pay me back when you get back home."

Skylar didn’t quite understand these things, but he seemed to make sense, so she reached out and accepted the card, "Then... thank you."

Simon led her out of the bank and said, "You don’t speak French, so shopping might be inconvenient. I’ll go with you; I have nothing to do anyway."

Having someone who speaks French as a translator was indeed convenient, but Skylar was too embarrassed to agree directly. It felt like owing him another favor, so she turned and walked on, saying, "As you like."

Simon chuckled and stepped along with her pace, "What do you want to buy?"

"Shopping for others?"

"Sort of, helping friends buy things."

Simon really seemed like a tour guide, knowing even about women’s shopping needs. Skylar just sent him pictures of the items, and he could take her straight to the right counters to buy them.

Once they got to the store, Skylar discovered that most places had staff specifically serving Chinese customers, and not knowing French didn’t seem to hinder shopping and spending.

But not every store had that; with Simon there, Skylar worried less, especially with someone to help carry the heavy things.

By the time they walked out of the mall, it was already dark. To thank Simon, Skylar treated him to dinner. After sending her back to the hotel, he said, "If you’re comfortable with it, I can help you take these things back. I have staff on my side; it’s easier with more people. You might struggle alone."

Skylar thought his offer was very considerate, but she was a bit embarrassed to trouble him.

Hesitant, he added, "If you’re not comfortable, you can keep the valuable stuff yourself. The boxes of food are large; you can leave those with me."

Watching him sort out the small bags of jewelry, Skylar waved her hand and said, "No, it’s not that I don’t trust you, just leave them with you, then... sorry for the trouble."

Simon smiled and asked, "How much longer will you stay here?"

Skylar shook her head, "I can’t decide that."

Simon nodded understandingly, "Alright, I’m not busy either. If you want to explore farther, you can call me to accompany you."

Skylar looked at him, neither agreeing nor refusing. She just felt a bit guilty because such a nice man was interested in her.

Because she really had nothing to repay him with. Official source is novelꞁire.net

That evening, just back at the hotel, Shawn Rhodes texted her. Seeing his name made Skylar feel a bit guilty.

She wondered if he had seen her shopping with Simon during the day?

Opening the message, she saw he was merely asking if she had enough money.

After a brief chat with Shawn, he just inquired about her recent days, seeming to care for her.

But with Shawn, Skylar couldn’t open her heart, as she clearly knew his attitude towards her entirely depended on his mood.

When in a good mood, he could be considerate, making her feel as if their relationship had improved; but in a bad mood, especially with anything involving Rowan Alder, he lost rationality and the ability to think, disregarding the truth of matters.

That night, Skylar searched for travel guides on her phone, thinking that since she had come all this way, it would be dull to just linger around the hotel.

Having picked a place, she hesitated whether to ask Simon to join. Having him around gave her a sense of security, but knowing he liked her, yet being unable to reciprocate while still asking for his help felt inappropriate.

Even more inconvenient, her period started the next morning, cancelling her travel plans and resolving her internal dilemma completely.

Racked by menstrual cramps, she tossed and turned in bed all morning, unable to sleep but with no mind to do anything else. She didn’t have any painkillers or even a cup of hot water.

She endured it, lying in bed until after three in the afternoon, woken up by the ring of the phone.

Glancing at the caller ID, it was an unfamiliar number, so she sleepily answered, "Hello..."

Hearing the drowsy voice on the phone, Simon asked, "Still asleep?"

Skylar blinked, suddenly sitting up on the bed, "...Is it you?"

"Yeah, I’m downstairs at your hotel. Want to have dinner together later?"

Having skipped both breakfast and lunch, Skylar’s stomach growled at the mention of food. But after a thought, she declined, "No, I’m not feeling well today; I’ll eat at the hotel."

"What would you like to eat?"

Skylar was taken aback, and he asked again, "How was the food at that restaurant last time?"

"Alright, then take care."

Looking at her phone, Skylar frowned in confusion, rubbed her stomach, and lay back on the bed.

She struggled to get up for food but felt too weak and unwilling to move while lying down.

Just lying on the bed, she slowly closed her eyes again, drifting into a sleepy haze, when a knock suddenly sounded on the door.

Hearing a man and woman conversing in a language she didn’t understand, followed by two more knocks on the door.

Skylar’s mind suddenly recalled past news about women traveling alone and encountering kidnapping or worse. Cautiously, she got up from bed, peering through the peephole, and saw who was outside just as she heard Simon’s voice, "Skylar? It’s me."