Conquering Ladies With My 10x Rebate System
Chapter 72: Sharing a room.

Chapter 72: Sharing a room.

St. George City. Heinbourgh Street 122.

Caleb eased the car to a stop in front of the house.

The white-bricked mansion radiated quiet luxury, standing head and shoulders above every other building on the street. The freshly trimmed lawn, the pristine windows, and the soft glow of garden lights—it was the kind of house that made everything around it look ordinary by comparison.

As soon as the car stopped, Naya and Helene stirred awake, both sitting up groggily but alert. Without wasting time, they all stepped out together.

Sophia led the way, her heels clicking softly as she crossed the flawless stone pathway through the neatly manicured yard. Caleb and Naya followed, walking in silence behind the two sisters.

When they reached the front door, it clicked open automatically at Sophia’s approach. She gave it a gentle nudge and pushed it inward.

"Well, what can I say... welcome to our little home," Sophia said with a bright, charming smile as she stepped aside for them to enter.

Caleb narrowed his eyes slightly, his expression unreadable.

’She’s good at this...’ he thought, watching her carefully. ’She can switch faces like flipping a switch... like we didn’t just have that whole argument minutes ago.’

Still, he didn’t comment. He followed her in without a word.

The door clicked shut softly behind them as Sophia closed it.

The interior of the house was just as polished as the outside. It wasn’t enormous, but it wasn’t cramped either—tastefully decorated, cozy yet elegant, with soft lighting and clean lines.

Caleb scanned the space briefly before Sophia suddenly gasped, her eyes widening in realization.

"Shit!" she muttered under her breath.

Caleb tensed immediately. "What is it?" he asked cautiously, his senses on edge.

Sophia turned to him, lips twitching into a sheepish smile. "I almost forgot... Since it’s always just me and my sister living here, we never really planned for guests. There’s only one extra room available."

The implication sank in immediately.

A short silence followed.

Caleb let out a quiet sigh and gave her a wry smile, while Naya’s cheeks flushed a faint pink as her eyes darted away.

Sophia, of course, just grinned wider, clearly enjoying the awkward tension.

The moment Sophia’s words hung in the air, an awkward silence descended.

Naya shifted uncomfortably, her eyes flickering between Caleb and Sophia as a blush deepened on her cheeks. Caleb scratched the back of his head, offering an awkward half-smile as he tried to think of something to say.

Helene, still slightly drowsy from the ride, blinked a few times before her eyes widened in realization.

"Oh—oh!" she gasped softly, her own face tinting pink. "Wait, so... only one extra room?"

Sophia grinned, clearly enjoying herself. "Exactly. One. So unless you guys feel like cuddling on the couch—" she teased, raising a playful brow.

"Cut it out," Naya mumbled, crossing her arms, her voice half embarrassed, half irritated. "We’ll figure something out."

Caleb let out a small breath, shooting Sophia a sideways glance. "You’re doing this on purpose."

"Me?" Sophia feigned innocence, placing a hand dramatically on her chest. "I’m just stating facts."

Naya gave her a narrow-eyed glare, then glanced at Caleb briefly. Their eyes met for a moment too long before they both awkwardly looked away in perfect sync.

Helene, watching the awkward back-and-forth, suddenly raised her hand as though she were in a classroom. "Um... I have an idea," she offered timidly, drawing all eyes to her.

She fidgeted with her fingers before continuing. "My room is actually... kind of big. Bigger than the guest room. So... if you don’t mind waiting for me to move a few things out, Caleb and Naya could, um... stay there."

The moment she said it, she immediately looked down, her cheeks turning redder by the second.

"Are you sure about that?" Caleb asked, surprised by the offer.

Helene gave a small nod. "Y-Yeah. It makes more sense than squeezing two people into the tiny guest room... Besides," she added softly, "I think you two should stick close. Just in case."

Sophia raised her brows in amusement but didn’t say anything. Naya blinked in shock at Helene’s suggestion, her face still burning, but she didn’t reject the idea either.

"Right," Sophia said, clapping her hands together with an exaggerated brightness. "Settled then! Helene will move her things, and Caleb and Naya get the big room. Makes perfect sense."

Naya shot her a look. "You’re enjoying this way too much."

Sophia smirked. "Of course I am. It’s not every day I get front-row seats to a developing romance."

Caleb groaned under his breath, his face caught somewhere between amusement and exasperation. "I came here to plan a war, not a soap opera."

"Why not both?" Sophia teased, winking.

Naya’s arms tightened over her chest, but there was a tiny upward curve at the corner of her lips. "Whatever. Let’s just get this over with."

Helene, cheeks still pink, quickly excused herself to clear out her room, practically scurrying away.

Sophia, meanwhile, leaned casually against the doorframe, her eyes sparkling with mischief as she whispered just loud enough for Caleb to hear, "Try not to have too much fun tonight."

Caleb shot her a dry look. "You’re impossible."

"And you love it," she quipped.

He groaned again, running a hand through his hair as he followed Naya toward the hallway.

The night was far from over—and somehow, the danger of X wasn’t the only thing keeping his heart racing.

The soft click of the door closing behind them marked the beginning of what could only be described as the most awkward silence Caleb had ever experienced.

The room was spacious—Helene hadn’t been exaggerating. A queen-sized bed sat neatly in the center, fluffy white sheets tucked in perfectly, with soft blue drapes covering the wide windows. A small desk, a bookshelf, and a mirror completed the cozy interior.

And yet, despite how comfortable the room looked, the tension between Caleb and Naya was so thick it could be sliced with a blade.

Naya stood awkwardly by the door, her hands stiff at her sides. Caleb rubbed the back of his neck, his eyes flicking to the bed, then back to Naya, then to literally anything else that wasn’t her.

"Uh..." he cleared his throat, trying to break the tension. "It’s a nice room."

"Yeah," Naya mumbled, avoiding his gaze, her cheeks still slightly flushed. "Really nice..."

Another painful silence.

Neither of them moved.

Neither of them looked at each other.

Caleb exhaled sharply and gave an awkward chuckle. "So... uh... I can take the floor, you know. Just because we’re stuck in the same room doesn’t mean—"

"No," Naya interrupted quickly, then immediately looked mortified that she’d spoken so fast. "I mean—" she waved her hands in the air, flustered, "that’s dumb. There’s no need for that."

Caleb raised a brow, amused despite himself. "No need, huh?"

Naya gave him a glare, but her flushed cheeks betrayed her attempt at looking fierce. "Look, we’re both adults. It’s just sleeping. I don’t bite."

Caleb tilted his head. "You sure? Because I think you actually threatened to cut off my—"

"Don’t finish that sentence," Naya cut in, covering her face with both hands.

Caleb laughed, the sound light and genuine. The tension loosened just slightly.

"Relax, I’m kidding," he said, walking over to place his jacket on the desk chair. "Besides, you already kissed me in front of an audience. At this point, sharing a bed’s the least of our problems."

Naya groaned behind her hands. "Why do you have to remind me of that?! It was heat of the moment, okay?"

Caleb shot her a playful smirk. "Didn’t seem like you regretted it at the time."

That earned him a sharp slap on the arm as Naya’s embarrassment shifted into playful irritation. "You’re seriously asking for it."

He laughed again, rubbing the spot where she hit him. "Alright, alright. Truce."

Naya rolled her eyes but couldn’t hide the slight smile tugging at the corner of her lips. "Fine. Truce."

She finally moved deeper into the room, sitting down on the edge of the bed and letting out a long breath. Caleb could see how tired she really was beneath her usual sharp attitude—the exhaustion in her eyes, the slump in her shoulders.

"Today’s been... a lot," she murmured softly.

Caleb’s smile faded slightly, replaced by a more gentle expression. "Yeah," he agreed, sitting down beside her but leaving enough space between them to be respectful. "It really has."

For a moment, the air between them shifted—quieter, softer. The weight of everything they’d been through sat heavy on their shoulders, but somehow sitting here together made it bearable.

Without thinking too much, Caleb reached over, brushing a stray lock of hair from Naya’s face. His fingers barely grazed her skin, but she tensed slightly, her eyes widening before lowering in surprise.

"Sorry," he said quietly. "You just looked... tired."

Naya didn’t pull away though. Instead, she let out a soft sigh, her expression softening. "Thanks."

They sat like that for a heartbeat longer before Naya cleared her throat, breaking the moment. She flopped backward onto the bed dramatically, arms stretched out.

"Ugh... I don’t care anymore. I’m too tired to be awkward. If you’re going to be weird, do it quietly," she grumbled.

Caleb chuckled softly, shaking his head as he lay back beside her, making sure to keep a polite distance between them.

"Goodnight, Caleb," Naya murmured, her voice heavy with exhaustion.

"Goodnight, Naya," he replied quietly.

She closed her eyes, her body finally starting to relax.

But just as sleep began to pull her under, an unwelcome image flashed through her mind—the memory of the elevator scene... and more specifically, the unmistakable redness on Helene’s face.

Her eyes snapped open, her expression darkening.

"Caleb," she called, her voice suddenly sharper.

"Yeah?" he answered, blinking up at the ceiling.

"Now that we’re alone," she said, turning her head slightly toward him, her tone dangerously calm, "tell me exactly what happened in that elevator."

Caleb froze.

’Ah... crap.’