Cindy ran up, out of breath. Seeing the man inside the elevator, she hesitated. "Coming in?" Zephyr finally asked after she stood there too long. Cindy had initially thought of an excuse not to enter, but then reconsidered. What is there to hide? She'd been rejected by this man. So what? Look at Darcy, who got cheated on after seven years. She walked away cleanly and turned the page without looking back. What am I being so weird about? With that thought, the heavy weight in her chest lightened considerably. Right. From now on, this man is just a colleague! "Any plans for the Christmas break?" Zephyr asked, looking at her, his tone casual, as if chatting with a coworker. Cindy inwardly scoffed at herself. What was I so nervous about? He really does just see me as a colleague. Wake up! She quickly adjusted her attitude and smiled politely, "Not really." The elevator reached B1. The doors opened. Cindy stepped out. Her high heels clicked sharply on the concrete floor of the parking garage. Her eyes scanned the area several times. Where is my car? She couldn't find it. Oh no, where did I park it this morning? Don't tell me I left it on B2. Annoyed, she lightly smacked her own forehead. These past few days, with Zephyr showing up, her memory was all messed up. This man must be bad luck! Unbeknownst to her, Zephyr had followed. Seeing her hit her own head, he couldn't help a slight upward curve of his lips. He pointed with a long finger to a spot at a 45-degree angle. "Your car is over there." Cindy smiled awkwardly, "Thanks." Inside, she was cursing him. Mind your own business! She pressed her key fob. Sure enough, there was a beep from that direction. As she pulled her car door open, she saw Zephyr getting into a Mercedes parked right next to hers. No wonder he knew where my car was. Zephyr's car pulled into the driveway of the Knight Villa. The housekeeper saw him and immediately went inside. "Mrs. Knight, Mr. Zephyr Knight is back." Doris Knight, Zephyr's mother, quickly instructed the kitchen. "Hurry, serve dinner." By then, Zephyr had reached the entryway, changing his shoes. "Mom, I'm back." "Oh, what's this?" Doris took the bag he was carrying and frowned. "It's my laptop. I plan to work a few days over the holiday." Doris' temple throbbed. "You silly boy. You could have been a manager at the family company. Instead, you went to work as an architect under the Blackwoods. And now you have to work through the holiday? No, I'm going to talk to Jethro. Tell him to give you less work." Zephyr unbuttoned his shirt collar with a soft laugh. "Mom, I'm choosing to work. My boss isn't forcing me. Besides, Jethro isn't my direct supervisor. Don't bother him." He glanced into the living room. "Where are my dad and brother?" Doris sighed, "Working overtime. Not coming home for dinner. Tomorrow is Christmas Eve. I don't know if they'll be back. If they don't..." Will they go to that woman's place? She didn't finish the sentence, but Zephyr understood her worry. Doris was his father's second wife. Zephyr was the second son. His older brother was from his father's first marriage. Over the years, Zephyr and his brother had maintained a cool, distant relationship. Zephyr wanted to get closer, but his brother remained aloof. To make his mother's life in the Knight family easier and to ease his brother's guardedness, Zephyr hadn't followed his mother's wishes to join the family business. Instead, he pursued his interest in computer science and worked in Valeridge. He had planned to settle there, but last year, his mother's health started to decline. She often mentioned missing him on the phone, so he decided to return. Coincidentally, Stratagem Tech was hiring an architect. When Jethro invited him, he accepted without much hesitation. Zephyr looked at his mother. "Are we spending Christmas Eve alone this year, or with the Blackwoods?" His mother's eyes lit up. "Right! I'll ask. It would be best if both families celebrate together. That way, even if your father and brother don't come, it won't be too lonely for us." "Mm," Zephyr agreed with a slight smile. Doris was efficient. She immediately called the Blackwoods. After about five minutes, she came back smiling, patting her son's shoulder. "Done. Both families tomorrow night." Zephyr smiled, took a sip of water from a glass on the table, and asked, "Is everyone from the Blackwood family coming?" "Not Cindy. Her mother said she's going traveling. She leaves tonight." Zephyr lowered his head, shaking it slightly in resignation. That girl must still resent me for rejecting her back then. The next day was Christmas Eve. After a long, restful sleep, Darcy woke up and found it was still before 8 a.m. She decided to go for a run downstairs. She'd been so busy with work, neglecting exercise. Her body was protesting.