Chapter 6 Runaway Bride Not Today.

Derek raised his knuckles, about to knock, when the door swung open. Flora appeared with a piece of bread clamped between her teeth, a rectangular box tucked under one arm, and a carton of milk in the other hand, clearly rushing somewhere.

Spotting Derek, she frowned immediately, silently thankful she'd persuaded Asher to rest earlier. If he ran into Derek again, it would just be more trouble. Explaining things after the mall incident and soothing Asher had already taken her a whole day.

"What are you doing here?" Flora nudged the door shut with her foot, her hands full.

"Aren't you going to ask how I found your address?" Derek followed her down the stairs. Flora moved quickly, practically flying over the steps.

Flora gave a cool laugh. "For rich guys like you, isn't digging up dirt on someone as easy as flipping your hand?"

"You talk like you're broke. What-someone with the last name Selena doesn't have enough to eat?" Derek scoffed, but the second he caught that flash of pure murder in Flora's eyes, he shut his mouth.

He knew where she lived. He knew who she was. Flora wasn't surprised by that-but hearing him say "Selena" out loud hit her like nails on a chalkboard.

"Next time you decide to investigate," Flora snapped, "do a thorough job instead of half-assing it. That damn family did let me starve." She finished the last bite of bread just as they reached the ground floor. She narrowed her eyes at the tall shadow tailing her, her voice rising. "What the hell do you want? We're square. I thought I made that clear?"

"I came to find my fiancée," Derek replied matter-of-factly.

Flora didn't care. She was hurrying to get to school and submit her contest entry; she didn't have time to argue with Derek. "Then please go find her and stop following me."

"But you are my fiancée, my dear Miss Selena," Derek's lips curled into a smirk. "Who else would I be looking for?"

Flora stopped short. She turned, stared hard at Derek for several seconds, then laughed. "Ah, so you're the rumoured useless young master of the Arnold family?"

Despite the blatant mockery, Derek's expression remained completely unfazed.

"Trying to catch a ride? It's not easy to get one this time of day." Derek had been watching her since she stepped out the door, and he could easily tell she was in a hurry.

Flora wasn't the type to play coy or beat around the bush. She got straight to the point. "Do you have a car?"

"You didn't think I jogged here, did you?" Derek gestured to the black sports car parked imposingly by the roadside. "Get in. I'll give you a ride."

Flora strode towards the car, casually opened the door, and slid in. Then she hurried to the person still dawdling behind her. "Hurry up, will you? Don't tell me you're too old to walk properly."

Derek was generally nonchalant; very few things had ever genuinely angered him. But he had to recite a calming mantra whenever he was around Flora, afraid he'd lose his temper and throttle her.

"Where are you going?" Derek asked.

"Number One Art School." Flora disliked the car's air conditioning; she preferred the natural breeze. "Roll down the window. I want to smoke."

Derek raised an eyebrow but pressed the button to lower the window anyway.

Flora leaned slightly out, holding a cigarette between two fingers, and casually lit it.

Derek watched the way she smoked-smooth and practised; Derek knew she'd been smoking for a while. He asked curiously, "How long have you been smoking? Kids shouldn't smoke so much, you know. It's bad for you."

"Old man, are you trying to be my father? One Otis is enough to give me the creeps; I don't need another one," Flora asked flippantly. She didn't bother looking at Derek's darkening expression. Spotting the school looming ahead, she stubbed out her cigarette and said, "Park over there."

The car stopped. Flora slung her bag over her shoulder. "Thanks, old man. I'll treat you to a meal next time I get the chance."

With that, she darted out of the car and ran into the school.

She emerged more than half an hour later, but Derek hadn't left. From a distance, she saw his striking car, as arrogant and wild as its owner. He was leaning against it, smoking. Occasionally, a few schoolgirls couldn't resist sneaking pictures with their phones.

Flora smirked. Proof that fine feathers make fine birds-or, in this case, good looks make the man. If these girls knew the honest Derek, they'd probably run screaming for miles.

Flora had intended to take a different path, but Derek's eyes were sharper than a hawk's; he spotted her instantly.

Seeing she had no intention of approaching him, he didn't hesitate to say, "Lady Selena, you weren't planning on skipping out on that meal you owe me, were you? A beauty shouldn't break her promises!"

Flora muttered a few choice words about Derek's ancestry. Under the curious gazes of the surrounding students, she couldn't pretend she didn't know him.

"Have you no shame? Did you block a girl's way just for a meal? Aren't you afraid people will think you're a creep?"

"If it were some other proper young lady, perhaps I'd feel awkward. But with you, that doesn't apply." Derek smirked. "If I hadn't called out, you probably would have found a hole to crawl into and disappear."

Flora glared at him, then said, "But I'm full already. I don't want to eat."

"Are you misunderstanding something?" Derek feigned surprise. "The concept of treating someone means inviting the other party to eat. I am the other party here. I haven't eaten, and I'm starving. Naturally, you have to treat me."

Flora arched a brow. She couldn't argue with that.

"What do you want to eat?"

"You invited me, remember? I'm not gonna be the fussy one here." Derek propped his chin on his hand, looking smug.

"Alright, let's go then." The corners of Flora's lips curved up, and a shiver ran down Derek's spine for some reason.