Verena blinked in discomfort and quickly turned her gaze away.

In her opinion, Asher was a born flirt. She found him impossible to deal with.

After the bandage was secured, the car pulled back onto the road.

"Going into downtown for something?" Asher asked as he drove.

"Yeah."

"What for?"

"Apartment hunting."

A brief look of surprise crossed Asher's face. "So you're planning to stay in Peace County long-term?"

"You could say that." Verena's answer was deliberately vague.

She was short on money and her health wasn't exactly in great shape. Returning to her hometown for the time being had been her only realistic option.

When spring came, she planned to find a job in downtown, save some money, and then decide what to do next.

The conversation went on for a few more minutes, and then they continued in silence.

Feeling drained, Verena leaned back and closed her eyes.

By the time she woke up, they had already arrived. A black jacket was draped over her shoulders.

For someone so stingy, Asher was surprisingly considerate.

The driver's seat was empty. Looking through the windshield, she spotted Asher standing outside while talking on the phone.

His tall frame stood straight and relaxed. The black sweater he wore outlined his muscular frame, giving him an indescribable, rugged charm.

As if sensing her gaze, he suddenly turned around. Their eyes met.

The coldness in his eyes instantly melted, replaced by a teasing, mischievous smirk.

He lifted an eyebrow and silently mouthed, "You okay?"

Even through the glass, Verena understood him.

She pushed open the door, stepped out, and handed him back his jacket. "Thank you."

"Between friends..." Asher casually draped the jacket over his arm, stressing his words. "There's no need to be so polite."

Verena rubbed her temples and changed the subject. "How long was I asleep?"

The medication she had been taking lately made her unusually drowsy.

"A little over forty minutes."

"I owe you for today." She paused as something occurred to her. "Oh, right. Should I pay part of the gas money? I don't want you making this trip for nothing."

"I'm never after money. I want… your friendship." He took a step closer and bent slightly so their eyes were on the same level. The familiar roguish smile returned. "And I don't mind losing a little now and then. Sometimes the return is worth it."

At such close range, Verena could feel the force of his presence. There was something dangerously captivating about his gaze.

She had to admit that he was incredibly smooth.

In fact, she was convinced nobody could have this smooth flirting skill without plenty of experience with women.

Verena shot him a cold smirk, turned on her heel, and walked away to hunt for an apartment.

She spent the entire morning viewing properties. Not one of them worked. Every apartment was far beyond what she could afford.

The rental market in downtown was much more expensive than she had expected. Most landlords demanded several months of rent upfront, along with a security deposit. The total cost was staggering.

At the moment, she was surviving entirely on her credit card.

All she wanted was a cheap place with monthly payments. Unfortunately, the real estate agent told her that wasn't realistic. Even the smallest apartments were outside her budget.

By afternoon, Verena was ready to give up and return home. Then her phone rang. It was the agent.

According to him, a fully furnished one-bedroom apartment near Century Square had suddenly become available. The owner was leaving town the next day for an extended trip and wanted to rent it out immediately. Not only was the rent surprisingly low, but the owner had also agreed to monthly payments.

It was exactly within Verena's budget. It felt like a miracle.

Afraid someone else would snatch it before her, she rushed over and immediately signed the lease.

After settling everything in the apartment, her phone rang once again. This time, the call came from a translation company. They wanted to arrange an interview.

Verena had only uploaded her resume to a job website the night before. She hadn't expected a response so quickly. Even more surprising, the interview location was only a short distance from Century Square.

The interview itself went far better than she had imagined. The owner of the translation company was a friendly local woman with curly hair and bright red lipstick. She carried herself with the confidence and charm of a mature professional while remaining warm and approachable.

As soon as she learned that Verena had graduated from Zepvine University and had previously worked for a major translation company, she made her decision. Verena was hired on the spot. The owner even told her she could start work immediately after the holiday season.

The only drawback was the salary. Compared to what she had earned in Zepvine, the pay here was less than half.

After the interview, she was about to take the elevator down to the ground floor. The moment the doors opened, an excited voice called out from behind her. "Verena!"

She turned instinctively. "Liam?"

"Hey, what are you doing in downtown?" Liam hurried over with his usual carefree grin. "You came to see Asher, didn't you?"

He truly never thought before speaking.

She rolled her eyes. "Why would I come here to see Asher?" she replied. "There's nothing going on between us."

"Sure, sure, I know." Liam nodded dramatically. "Since you're here, come have a cup of coffee!"

Only then did Verena notice what stood next door to the translation company. It was a boxing gym.

Above the entrance hung a large, eye-catching sign. Blast Boxing.

So this was Asher's gym.

The coincidence was ridiculous, she thought.

Before she could fully process it, Liam had already grabbed her arm and started dragging her inside.

The first floor was filled with children attending boxing classes. Several parents sat nearby waiting for their kids.

As Liam pulled Verena through the room, many curious eyes followed them. The looks were filled with interest, speculation, and gossip.

"Everyone is staring," Liam whispered. "Are you going to walk by yourself, or should I keep dragging you?"

Although she looked irritated, Verena eventually followed him upstairs.

After thinking it over, she decided this might actually be a good opportunity.

When she saw Asher, she intended to tell him to keep Liam under control and stop him from saying she was his girlfriend.

The adult training area was on the second floor. Verena glanced around the spacious room but found no sign of Asher.

Liam looked over and said, "Asher doesn't teach regular group classes. He only does one-on-one private coaching."

"I don't care," she said indifferently.

Liam either failed to notice or simply chose to ignore her attitude. He continued enthusiastically, "You have no idea how impressive Asher is! He's amazing at boxing and all kinds of combat sports. And before that, he served in the special forces. His skills are unbelievable. If you marry him, nobody here would ever dare pick a fight with you!"

Verena hadn't expected Asher to have a background in the special forces. Apparently, even a former soldier could be this shamelessly flirtatious.

Completely uninterested in discussing it further, she ignored Liam's comment and followed him to a room at the very end of the second-floor hallway.

Without bothering to knock, Liam grabbed the handle and pushed the door open.

"Asher! Verena came to see you!" The moment he shouted those words, he gave Verena a sudden shove into the room. Before she could react, the door slammed shut behind her.

The silence that followed was unsettling.

Verena's eyes widened as she stood rooted to the spot.

Inside the room, Asher had apparently just finished training. Heat radiated from his body as he casually wiped away sweat with a white towel.

He wore only a pair of black boxing shorts. Beads of sweat traced a path from his sharp jawline, slid past his throat and across the defined contours of his chest, then into his waistband.

The sight caught Verena completely off guard and her heart skipped a beat.

A flicker of surprise crossed Asher's face when he saw her. Then he tilted his head slightly and looked at her with amusement. "We've only been apart for a little while. You missed me already?"

Verena immediately pulled her gaze away from his chest. "Do you suffer from narcissistic personality disorder?"

"Then why are you here?" Asher raised an eyebrow.

"You can thank Liam for that."

"Oh?" Asher tossed the towel aside and took a few slow steps toward her. The look in his eyes grew deeper and mischievous. "Don't tell me you've started stalking me."

Before Verena realized it, he had closed the distance between them. Step by step, he backed her toward the door.

His clean, masculine scent surrounded her, making her suddenly aware of just how close he was. From this distance, she could clearly see every detail of his face and the unrestrained amusement dancing in his eyes.

The atmosphere seemed to become tense. Verena's breathing unconsciously became shallower. Instinctively, she lifted a hand and pressed it against his chest. "Back off."

The instant her palm made contact with his skin, she realized what she'd done. He wasn't wearing a shirt.

The warm, firm feel of his skin left her feeling awkward and embarrassed.

Asher lowered his gaze to her hand. Then he leaned in slightly closer. His expression was suggestive, but his tone was clear. "Getting a little bold, aren't you?"

Verena was convinced this man had lost his mind.

Her body stiffened. She didn't dare move. At this distance, she felt that if she lifted her head even slightly, she would bump into him. "You're sick. I'm not some kind of pervert."

The next moment, Asher wrapped his hand around hers. Before she could pull away, he pressed her palm firmly against his chest. "And if you were? Go ahead. No need to be shy."