It was spacious and had sat vacant for days, an emptiness that felt simultaneously expansive and forlorn.

She switched on the thermostat and reclined on the sofa to recuperate.

The warmth gradually seeped into the floor, yet she still felt a chill. She reached for a blanket, cocooning herself beneath it for a brief respite.

Perhaps it was time to seek companionship.

It didn't matter if they couldn't alleviate her work burdens; at the very least, they could brew her tea and warm her bed.

Massaging her temples, Alexis contemplated whom to persuade or perhaps even coerce.

And then, the doorbell rang.

She presumed it was Calvin, the sole person who would appear at such an hour, willing to cook for her, share his youthful warmth beneath the covers, and then leave without a fuss.

Such a well-behaved, good-hearted young man.

Alexis grinned, extracting a slim cigarette and nestling it between her lips.

She lit it and trotted toward the door.

She reached the door, only to discover Leonel standing outside. Upon spotting her smoking, his countenance darkened, and he promptly relieved her of the cigarette.

“Look at you, all grown up. I recall you never had these bad habits as a child! Smoking, drinking, cavorting with younger fellows, huh? Alexis, what other revelations do you have that I'm unaware of?"

Still reeling from the effects of alcohol, Alexis reacted sluggishly.

She observed him discard the cigarette, a trace of remorse flickering within her.

Staggering backward, she collapsed onto the sofa.

"I thought you were Calvin!"

Approaching her, Leonel cast a disdainful gaze downward at her.

Alexis donned a white blouse with a tied collar paired with a dark blue knitted fishtail skirt. As she lay sprawled across the sofa, her slender legs were on full display.

Leonel seldom encountered legs as exquisite as hers.