BAM!The two was startled at the sudden sound and appearance of palms against the counter that Eric immediately retracted his hand on Satele"s head while the latter slightly jumped away from the former.
"Well, you two sure are close. I wonder if the manager of this store know that his employees are slacking and making out with each other instead of working."
Said a haughty voice that was slightly trembling with unconcealed rage.
Satele raised her head and was surprised to see Evangeline Heart in the flesh standing in front of her. Her beautiful face was cold as ever while she flashed her famous fake smile.
The truth was, Satele had already seen Evangeline since morning going to and fro in front of the store, but since she was too busy with the customers she didn"t spare a second about it. And as the day progress, she gradually forgot about the woman.
Her shock expression gradually turned calm even though she could practically felt that thick animosity directed at her coming from the woman.
She opened her mouth and was about to defend herself when Eric"s smooth and somewhat detached voice vibrated.
"Do you need something?"
Satele was stunned yet again from Eric"s icy tone that she couldn"t help but glanced up at the man beside her. He had his usual calm and stoic face, yet his eyes were dull and a little… scary.
Stale slightly opened her mouth but gradually closed it, smacking her lips tight. She could feel that the atmosphere wasn"t right. She could almost touch that palpable tension between the two.
Best not stick my nose in it.
Though she was very curious to know what exactly the relationship between the two. And who was Asher to Evangeline Heart? She was not ignorant to the rumors circulating that Asher Cole and Evangeline Heart had something going on.
Her brows slightly twitched while her lips pursed when that man appeared in her mind once more. Who cares about that man!
While on the side, Evangeline"s eyes that were cold and unperturbed gradually turned somewhat moist while her face turned softer and sad, but then it was gone as it came and she was back to her haughty, arrogant self.
"You and I need to talk, Eric." She said, looking at the man with a chilling smile on her face, completely ignoring the woman beside him.
While Eric remained neutral as he answered in a monotonous tone.
"I"m still at work."
Evangeline mockingly sneered, crossing her hands and tilting her body to the side. "Work? All I see is that you"re flirting with your fellow nerd here."
Satele"s eyebrows instantly furrowed, and she glared at the woman, not one bit scared nor intimidated by her.
While Evangeline didn"t place Satele in her eyes as she continued looking at Eric.
While Eric"s face didn"t waver one bit. However, his tone gradually turned colder and colder.
"Evangeline, if you have nothing to buy, I suggest that you leave."
"….."
"….."
It was not only Evangeline who was startled, Satele was also stunned from the way Eric was conversing at the girl that she couldn"t help but sympathize with the woman when she saw that Evangeline"s calm and haughty facade was gradually crumbling while her lilac eyes started to blur with tears and her face blossomed in red.
Satele didn"t know if it was because Evangeline was angry or embarra.s.sed. But one thing that she knew, that was not something to say to a woman.
She glanced at Eric and was about to say her piece, but then her mouth smacked closed in soundless confusion when she saw that Eric"s hands behind the counter, away from Evangeline"s eyes, were white from being clenched into fists. She could even see the veins bulging from his hand.
What"s going on? She could perceive that the two like each other. It was undeniable from the way Evangeline looked at Eric even though the woman masked it with indifference. And from the way that Eric was acting, forcing himself to be mean to her to the point that his hands were trembling.
Satele was baffled by this.
This question consumed her mind until disrupted by loud tick-tacking of heels, and before she could react, Evangeline was already gone, stomping her heels along the way.
"….."
"….."
Satele"s head was shifting frantically between the door to where Evangeline had left and at the man beside her as she spoke. "Aren"t you going to chase after her?"
Eric didn"t answer while he stared forward at no particular spot. The moment that Evangeline was gone, his eyes that were emotionless were starting to waver while his tightened fists didn"t loosen one bit, afraid that his self-control would break and he would forget everything and go after her.
Eventually, he began to pretend to arrange some papers before handing it towards the woman beside him. "Our shifts had ended. You can go home now." He said with no fluctuation in his voice while his face was the epitome of nonchalance like what happened earlier seemed to be a hallucination.
This caused Satele to be even more worried. She didn"t know why she was concerned, but she felt that Eric was doing something he would regret.
"Are you alright with this?"
Eric didn"t answer and ignored the woman, placing the papers on the table before turning around. But before he could take another step, Satele"s voice stopped him.
"She"s going to abandon you, you know."
Eric"s calm facade finally began to show a crack while Satele held a complicated look on her face, clenching her arm as if she remembered something painful.
"Keep pushing her away like that, and she will really walk away from you. I know I don"t have any right to b.u.t.t my nose into your business since I don"t know your situation nor hers, and I"m not exactly close to her. But judging from her personality, Evangeline Heart is arrogant and prideful. It"s only a matter of time before she reached her bottom line and once she does…" She stopped, then she looked at the back of the man who was still immovable.
"….."
"….."
Eric"s eyelids dropped, wryly smiling at himself. "It"s fine. As long as she continues to act like that, it still means that she cares."
Satele furrowed her brows. "And what if she stops?"
Eric turned around, his face severe and a little helpless.
"Then… that"s when I"ll start to worry."
----
Heaven"s Tower
In a study, Alvaro was reading the papers in his hand while his lips quirked in a strange smile. The more he read the bundle of doc.u.ments, the more he couldn"t stop himself from smiling. Yet his smile was a little sinister and calculating while his ashen blue eyes constricted, afraid to miss even a single word on those papers while his other hand played with his cup full of coffee emitting a unique aroma not found in any coffees.
Then he held his face and leaned back on the leather chair while he roared in laughter.
"So that"s it… that"s it… I didn"t expect that I will find this secret…ah…."
His droopy eyes were lazily peeking from the gaps of his fingers appearing ominous while his shoulders still bubbled from the excitement and joy for cracking a mystery.
"Eric Phelps…. heh…." He sneered while he restrained himself from bursting to laughter once more.
However, his happiness was short lived when his phone rang with Maxine as the caller.
His sharp eyes and sinister air immediately vanished while he brushed his hand through his hair before arranging himself on his chair. He cleared his throat before he picked up his phone and answered.
Maxine"s sweet voice radiated in the four corners of the room. Her voice instantly lightened the dark, oppressive atmosphere as if the rays of the sun had illuminated the dim quite room that only the gothic lamp served as light.
"Alvaro, I"m not disturbing you, am I?"
Yes, you are. "No. what"s up?" Alvaro smiled that didn"t reach his eyes.
"Uhmm…. I"ll be arriving at Burberry tomorrow."
He ma.s.saged his forehead as he knew where the conversation was going. "Mm… I"ll come and pick you up. Just tell me the time of your arrival."
He inwardly sighed when he heard Maxine"s controlled giggles on the other side of the phone.
"It"s at nine in the morning… Uhmm... if it"s not a bother, may you also accompany me tomorrow to buy a dress for Angel Lin"s debut?"
"Of course." It"s a bother. He dropped his eyes and gently ma.s.saged the s.p.a.ce between his brows. "No problem. If that is all, I"ll hang up."
"Oh…" Maxine was a little disappointed, yet she still gently answered. "Alright, good night."
Tut
Alvaro flung his phone on the table while the chair sc.r.a.ped the carpet when he got up.
Now that his mind was relaxing, his stomach was now grumbling in hunger for food. It was a bad habit of his to immerse himself with work and in something that he was interested in doing, so much so, that he forgot the time.
He grabbed his coat and car keys and walked out from his unit towards the elevator. He was about to press the ground b.u.t.ton when something flashed in his mind. And instead of the ground, he pressed for the floor below his.
When the elevator dinged, he walked towards the only unit on that floor which Evangeline occupied.
He and Asher bought a unit in this condo where Evangeline resides. Though it was not easy since there was already an owner of the floor he was currently residing, but to him… nothing is impossible.
His legs stopped just in front of Evangeline"s door. He scooped out the card key from his pocket that Evangeline gave him, yet he didn"t move to open the door. Instead, he was slightly… hesitant.
Contemplating whether to open or not.
These past few days that he was here in Burberry, he was occupied with matters regarding Eric Phelps that the matter of his Aunt Emerald was pushed back from his mind.
Until he had managed to uncover Eric Phelps"s secret that is, his mind was once again, wanted to unravel how his Aunt Emerald had died as he couldn"t believe that she died with multiple organ failures.
They had investigated high and low, from north to south to east to west, to every suspect possible, but none could link to the death of Emerald Cole. They didn"t have any clue nor evidence to link it to the suspects they already have in their hands.
Actually, he — they didn"t care who the suspect was, as long as that person was related to his Aunt Emerald"s death, be it directly or indirectly, evidence or not, they would kill them without mercy.
But… this situation was a bit tricky…
Besides that, they had to take in Evangeline"s feelings. They also wanted to know how Emerald Cole had died and why.
Only, they were missing something, something that they couldn"t find no matter how much they searched. They had searched nonstop for years, every nook and cranny, every spot and spec…
Except for one…
Álvaro"s hand gradually reached for Evangeline"s door while his face couldn"t be discerned beneath the glaring light of the lobby"s chandeliers.
"What are you doing?"
Álvaro"s hand had stopped midway while his cold, and piercing eyes instantly turned much softer and gentler as he faced the woman who was now standing just meters away from him.
He must be so consumed with his thoughts that he didn"t notice her arrival.
"I was going to check up on you and ask you out to have dinner with me." Alvaro smiled, yet his smile froze when he noticed that Evangeline"s eyes were a bit puffy and red.
He reached out his hand and was about to touch her face when the woman shifted her head away from his reach.
"I"m not hungry," Evangeline respond simply and walked towards her door, opened it and got inside without waiting for Álvaro.
While Álvaro followed Evangeline inside and grabbed her wrist.
"Who did this to you?" Álvaro"s eyes narrowed while his calm, gentle face turned serious and grim.
He could tell that Evangeline had been crying. Son of a b.i.t.c.h!
Evangeline didn"t react. She pulled her wrist from her cousin"s grasp while her face, from start to finish, remained emotionless like the world no longer interest her.
Not even the appearance of her pets that came rushing in to greet her could alleviate her depressed mood.
"I"m fine." Then she carried Spring and Summer in her arms while Fall and Winter followed her towards her room.
Before she closed the door, however, she looked at Alvaro with dead eyes.
"Sorry, I"m a little tired. Do make yourself comfortable." Then she shut her door tight.
Alvaro blinked, standing there for a while before he stretched his coat. His actions were sleek and elegant, yet a dangerous, chilling air was leaking out from him.
Eric Phelps.