"Daisy Esteban?" he asks curiously, with anticipation thick in his tone; I'm sure he was desperate for my arrival.

"Daisy Esteban..." I repeat, nervously confirming his assumption.

His lips pull into a relieved smile before he begins. "I'm Hopper. Welcome to San Francisco. Miss Hunter believes you will enjoy my ride to your location."

Not knowing what to say for being unexpectedly welcomed at the airport by some stranger who knows my name doesn't happen regularly, I mutter, "Mmm, I'm sorry for keeping you."

"Not at all." He smiles and begins transferring my stuff to the truck. "I heard you came from Asia. You must have had the longest day up there." His two fingers point to the sky, and I nod to the accuracy of his statement.

"It was."

"Great." He politely smiles when everything is in place. He swings open the door to the backseat, urging me to get in. "Let's drive you home so you can rest."

I return a smile and nod in agreement before sliding into the cozy comfort of the luxurious car.

When I got admitted to Stanford University, it came with different packages. Not only did I get to pay only ten percent of my tuition fees after my first year, but Riley also suggested I stay with her. She insisted we have all the experience together; I can't say no to that. She's the only one I have left in America apart from my imprisoned father.

Riley's boyfriend KC, whom she has been with for over three years, agreed to let me stay in his small house that she moved into less than a month ago for her college life. Although I wanted to pay rent, Riley would always refuse anytime I brought up the conversation.

She would constantly gush over KC in the letters she sent back then. I might never have seen them together, but I was sure they were deeply in love and gradually growing together. I can't say I didn't envy them; no one wouldn't, especially when you've never had someone love you in that way.

Back when I was ten, I usually believed Kaiser and I would be just like my parents someday, but it all ended when we left that afternoon, and the boy next door vanished from my life.

"Where are we?" I ask Hopper when the car pulls up by the facade of a luxurious glassy building with at least twenty floors.

He looks through the rearview mirror as he responds. "Center Yorker, Miss Esteban."

"Pardon? Why?" I ask, confounded.

He only smiles and climbs out of the driver's side, refusing to answer my question.

It's a small house, Riley had said.
But this isn't a small house; hell, this isn't a house at all. This is some highly refined building of penthouses. Where am I then?

Okay, this man must be mistaking me for someone else.

With an agape mouth and wrinkled forehead, I scramble out of the car and exhale a nervous laugh. "Hopper, I think there has been some misunderstanding. This is not where I should be."

His forehead forms some creases. "Aren't you Miss Hunter's guest?" He pauses from unloading my heavy items of luggage.

"I am." I nod. Only nothing makes sense about my surroundings.

"She's staying on the highest floor. Come, I will lead the way." He assures, grabbing all my belongings as he makes his way into the standard lobby to the elevator corridor.

Baffled, I can only follow, watching the busy entrance hall and the woman behind the reception desk.

"This elevator only leads to the twenty-seventh floor, where you'll be staying." He points out when we step into the supposed personal elevator.

What the hell?

I don't nod or show any sign of understanding because I don't understand a single thing. By the time the elevator chimes open, I am entirely clueless.

No hall or anteroom greets us. We stand in one of the most elegant penthouses I have only seen in catalogs.

Telling me the twenty-seventh floor only has one house, and that house is where I will be staying.

"Hopper, I assure you this is absolutely a mistake." I panic and turn to face the man who looks completely at peace with everything.

"Oh my goodness... Daisy Esteban!"

I hear a fruity voice mumble, and I tilt forward where I find a slender girl of somewhat my size, although an inch taller, in pink bow tie button high waist beach shorts and a white one-sleeve crop top, watching me with wide eyes and a dropped jaw.

"Riley Hunter?" I exhale a surprised smile and blink rapidly, trying to control the burn behind my eyes.

Yes, I easily get emotional.

"Damn girl... give me a hug." She runs over to me, her slim body swallowing mine, and I inhale the smell of honey and carrot from her golden blonde hair.

"You..."

"You didn't tell me you're so pretty." She cuts me off.

"You didn't tell me the same." I retort in her ear while she giggles.

We pull back and laugh at ourselves.

"I can't believe we're in the same room." She shakes her head.

"You look like a model, some Hollywood TV star," I tell her.

Riley Hunter is very different from how I pictured her mentally. I knew she must be beautiful... I believe every girl is beautiful. But I didn't expect to see someone with slim tanned skin, silky hair, and deep ocean blue piercing eyes. She's just gorgeous.

"Really? I thought I looked like some athlete."

"Just the runway style," I smirk.

"Well, for your information, I'm jealous of you. How can a person have such healthy long hair?" Her fingers twirl the edges of my light caramel brown hair that rests around my waist. "Your eyes are big, just like the Kardashians." She pulls me into another long hug. "And you smell like... I can't quite find the right word for it."

I quickly wiggle out from her hold and slowly sniff my arms. "Do I smell?"

She bursts into laughter and shakes her head. "I mean, you smell very good."

"Oh." I have an embarrassed sigh.

"Come, I will show you around the house. KC won't be home until eight; we have the time to ourselves." She informs me.