Chapter 42

The next morning, Elena was awakened by the soft patter of rain.

Still half-asleep, she opened her eyes, sat up, and pulled back the curtains.

Beyond the floor-to-ceiling windows, the sky was dark and overcast. Heavy gray clouds hung low overhead, while a fine autumn rain fell silently onto the lake, sending tiny ripples across the surface.

The tall trees throughout the estate were drenched in rain, their leaves washed clean and gleaming beneath the gloomy sky.

Elena leaned against the headboard and checked the weather forecast on her phone.

The rain wasn't going to stop anytime soon.

Looks like her morning workout would have to move indoors.

Elena actually enjoyed exercising outdoors, surrounded by nature. It could be inconvenient at school, but here, she had plenty of space and privacy.

Too bad the weather wasn't cooperating today.

She washed up first, then opened her closet.

To her surprise, even more clothes had been added. There were now all kinds of athletic wear and dance practice outfits alongside her regular clothes.

Elena changed into something comfortable for working out, tied her hair into a high ponytail, and stepped into the hallway.

She ran into the butler.

“Is there a larger, more open room somewhere?” she asked a little awkwardly. “I'd like to work out, but some of the movements require more space. I'm worried I might knock something over in my bedroom…”

The butler immediately understood and smiled.

“Of course, Miss Hayes. Please, follow me.”

They crossed the main hallway on the first floor and passed through a discreet hidden door before descending a wide spiral staircase.

Soft motion-activated lights embedded along the walls illuminated one section after another as they walked down.

The air carried a fresh scent of rain and greenery.

“This is the estate's basement level,” the butler explained as they descended. “The Chairman occasionally comes down here to work out when he's staying at home.”

When they reached the bottom of the spiral staircase, a heavy glass door automatically slid open.

Beyond it was an enormous space.

At a glance, it looked to be at least three or four hundred square meters.

The floor was covered in dark-gray professional gym flooring, so smooth and spotless that it almost looked like polished stone.

To the left was a large strength-training area. From Smith machines and cable crossover stations to dumbbell racks and weight plates, from rowing machines to climbing machines, every piece of equipment was top-of-the-line and polished to a shine.

The cardio area occupied the right side. Treadmills, ellipticals, air bikes, and other machines all faced the same direction.

That side opened onto a massive floor-to-ceiling glass wall.

Beyond it was an elegant sunken courtyard.

Unlike the lake and gardens above, this space was enclosed by four high walls, creating a completely private world cut off from the rest of the estate.

The ground was covered with dark volcanic stone slabs. In the center was a minimalist rectangular reflecting pool, with several bright green lily pads floating on its surface.

At the far end stood a rough natural stone wall, rainwater slowly trickling down its uneven surface to form a natural curtain of water.

Several neatly trimmed black pines and a few maple trees surrounded the courtyard, their branches swaying gently in the autumn rain.

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The entire space was restrained and austere, yet possessed a quiet, powerful beauty.

Elena pulled her gaze away and walked toward an open area inside the gym.

Several minimalist industrial-style pendant lights hung high overhead, casting soft, even light across the room.

The space was open, bright, and quiet.

There was a boxing ring in one section, with a large open floor beside it and an entire wall covered in mirrors.

It was practically a private dance studio.

“This place…”

Elena turned toward the butler, hesitating.

“Can I work out here? Isn't this Mr. Sterling's private gym?”

“You don't need to worry about that,” the butler said kindly. “The Chairman gave instructions a long time ago that Miss Hayes may use any of the facilities inside or outside the estate whenever she wishes.”

He paused.

“This area has its own fresh-air ventilation system and temperature-controlled air conditioning, so you can adjust the temperature however you like. If you'd like to use the sound system, the panel on the wall connects to Bluetooth. And if you need anything at all, just press the call button.”

“…Okay. Thank you.”

Elena gave him a bright smile.

The butler bowed slightly and left.

Within moments, she was alone in the enormous underground gym.

Elena listened to the faint sound of rain falling into the shallow pool outside the glass wall.

She spent ten minutes warming up, stretching her legs, and loosening her joints.

Once she was finished, she stood in the middle of the open floor and hesitated.

Well, no one was around.

She walked over to the control panel, turned on the Bluetooth connection, and searched for the gym's sound system on her phone.

After scrolling through her playlist, she chose an instrumental track.

The moment the music began, the entire gym filled with the ethereal, distant sound of strings.

The melody unfolded slowly, like a glacier gradually melting beneath the sun, or a giant bird spreading its wings beneath an endless sky.

The higher harmonics of the strings seemed to hover overhead, while the low notes of the piano resonated beneath them. Together, they created a vast, rich soundscape that felt almost sacred.

Elena closed her eyes.

She let the music flow through several measures first, allowing the melody to seep into her body like water.

Then she raised her hand.

Her fingertips trembled softly, like petals stirred by the wind.

The movement spread from her fingertips to her wrist, from her wrist to her forearm, then from her forearm to her shoulder—

like a silent wave traveling slowly through her body.

Her spine began to move.

Each vertebra seemed to awaken beneath the music, unfolding one after another.

She arched her upper body backward, her long ponytail sweeping across her back and revealing the graceful curve of her waist.

Then her center of gravity lowered as one leg slowly lifted, tracing an elegant arc through the air.

It was an improvised, completely free expression of movement.

Sometimes her movements were incredibly slow, as though she were floating underwater, every muscle working against some invisible resistance.

Then, without warning, she would explode into motion—

a sharp toss of her head, a powerful turn, followed by a leap into a full split in midair.

Outside, rainwater continued to stream down the stone wall.

Droplets rolled one by one from the lily pads and fell into the pool.

Inside was her dance.

Outside was the dance of the rain.

On opposite sides of the enormous glass wall, the two seemed to answer each other in a strange, silent harmony.

Elena became completely absorbed.

She forgot where she was.

She forgot whose house this was.

She even forgot about the kiss from the night before that had sent her heart pounding.

The strings gradually layered over one another as the music reached its climax, like countless beams of light breaking simultaneously through the clouds.

Elena's movements rose with it.

She completed three consecutive turns, her ponytail sweeping through the air in a graceful arc.

Then, at the exact moment the final note fell silent, her entire body came to a sudden stop.

One arm stretched toward the ceiling, her fingertips trembling slightly.

Her other hand rested against her chest.

A thin sheen of sweat covered her forehead, and a few loose strands of hair clung to her flushed cheeks.

The sound system automatically moved on to the next track.

A bright, lively piano introduction filled the room, like the first ray of sunlight breaking through the clouds after a storm.

At the same time, the heavy glass door to the underground gym slid silently open.

“…”

Richard had actually gotten up earlier than this.

But he'd had an urgent matter to deal with, and one thing had led to another until more than half an hour had passed.

By the time he finally made his way to the gym, he was still wearing his earbuds, listening to Jonathan Reed give him an update on the negotiations.

Jonathan had just finished his final sentence when Richard reached the doorway.

And that's when he saw her.

Richard's footsteps stopped.

For a moment, every other sound seemed to fade into meaningless background noise.

At the far end of the gym, a slender figure was dancing to the music.

Her black camisole clung closely to her lithe, flexible body, revealing her smooth shoulders and the lean line of her waist.

She was like a flame that had suddenly been set alight.

Or like a single raindrop falling into a lake.

Free.

Fluid.

Belonging to no one.

Richard stood motionless on the other side of the glass door.

“…Chairman?”

Jonathan's voice came through his earbuds, carrying a hint of confusion.

Richard didn't respond immediately.

Outside the glass wall, the autumn rain fell silently.

Inside, the piano melody flowed through the room, bright and warm.

And between the two, the girl danced like a flower that had no idea she was being watched—

throwing herself completely into the music, blooming without restraint.

Richard simply remained at the doorway, his eyes fixed on the figure spinning and leaping through the music.