The Bad Boy Next Room (Charlie and Taylor)

"You're good?" Taylor asked after Charlie finished her omelet and toast.

Now that she had filled her stomach, she yawned, unable to contain her tiredness. When Taylor saw that, he asked, "You didn't sleep well?"

"Because I was worried about you," Charlie snapped. "You kept me up again. And to think I have to study for an exam! You should have at least texted me back."

Taylor chuckled. He replied, "I'm sorry, Babe. I was really upset at home, so I didn't check my phone. Anyway, get a few hours of sleep. I'll clean up here. I'll wake you up at three, okay?"

Charlie nodded and went to her room, but before going to sleep, she wanted to confirm her suspicion. She called her father, and Adrian King answered on the

first ring.

Charlie asked, "Dad, have you met our dean?"

"Your dean?" Adrian clarified.

"Yeah, the dean of the College of Business here in Luxford Univeristy," Charlie said. "Because I have a feeling she knows you."

There was a short pause before Adrian sighed. He admitted, "Look, Sweetheart. It's not what you think, okay? Daddy wasn't spying on you."noveldrama

"An academic conference was held in Halliport last year, and I had the opportunity to be a guest speaker as a successful business major alumnus. Coincidentally, your dean, Dr. Vanessa Caldwell, approached me and mentioned that their top student in business administration was a King," Adrian shared.

"And I, your proud dad, said that you're my daughter and that you wanted to keep a low profile. She seemed to understand, and she promised not to tell anyone about your family background," Adrian added. "She also promised to look after you."

Charlie sighed in relief. So, it looked like her dad didn't know about Luke.

"Oh, I got it. Thanks, Dad," Charlie said, putting two and two together. 'No wonder the dean is always smiling at me.'

"How are you, Charlie?" Adrian asked. "Do you want to talk to your mom?"

"I'm great. Just tired. I didn't sleep well," Charlie answered.

"Oh, then get some rest first. You can talk to your mom later. By the way, are there any boys lurking around you?" Adrian asked unexpectedly, making Charlie still.

"Boys?" Her heart raced as she forced a laugh. "Daddy, there are boys in school, but I'm focused on my studies."

"That's good. That's good. I know you're a good girl, Charlie. Boys are troublesome-I mean, not all. Some mature early and can already be called men, but they're a rare breed. So remember the rule," Adrian reminded.

"Wait, wait, wait. Let's talk about this 'man' thing," Charlie said. "What are you suggesting, Dad?"

“Ah, forget about it, Sweetheart. Just go to sleep. Daddy loves you, and your mom loves you," Adrian said before ending the call.

Charlie thought about what her father said about rare breed men who mature early.

"Oh, goodness," she muttered. "Is Taylor a rare breed man who matured early?" Somehow, she secretly hoped her roommate qualified.

***

At three in the afternoon, Taylor had knocked on Charlie's room. She had bathed and was ready to study by four.

"Come on, give it to me. I'm ready to read business books," Taylor declared, stretching his arms on the sofa, waiting for Charlie.

Charlie walked into the living room, carrying her business law book. She asked, "What about you? Don't you have an exam?"

"Yeah, for Matrix Algebra, but I'm good. I don't usually need to study for math subjects. I'm so good at

me

math, even my calculator aske

for help," Taylor joked.

When Charlie laughed, he insisted, "Seriously, Babe. I'm that good at math. I find

X before it even goes missing."

"Okay, Mr. Dean's Lister, if you insist," Charlie said while sitting beside him. She handed him the book. "Start reading."

Taylor grabbed Charlie's book and

read, "The Legal Implications of Breach of Contract in Commercial Transactions. In commercial transactions, a breach of contract occurs when one party fails to fulfill its obligations as stipulated in a legally binding agreement, leading to potential legal consequences..."