"Are you now telling me that I've gone insane and speaking nonsense?" Daya retorted sarcastically as she got infuriated by the fact that the manageress dared to challenge her words. "I'm sorry again, miss Daya. That wasn't exactly what I meant to say but I was only trying to.....""Please, spare us the useless chattering and just do exactly as she tell you. These two lowlife are nothing but trouble and their presence in this restaurant is making us feel uncomfortable so just kick them out right this instant. " Lisa intervened into the conversation, cutting off the words the manageress was about to say. Even though her family was not as rich as the Gale family, Lisa was also from a wealthy family that upholds a high status in the restaurant as well."Lisa is right. It's either they are thrown out of this restaurant or we take our leave and never patronize your restaurant any longer, same goes for my family too. We'll also spread words to the rest of our friends to never step inside t
Since the whole meeting was about to end before the manageress left the room, Mr. Smith and the businessmen came to a conclusion on the matter. Mr. Smith was escorting the clients out of the restaurant while using the opportunity to show the clients around the restaurant and the VIP section area.Whilst he giving a quick tour to the clients, his attention was drawn to a certain private room with the door opened, when he lingered closer to the room with the guest behind him, he saw that the manageress was present in the room along with some other ladies, then he recalled that the manageress had excused herself earlier from the meeting to handle some matter, he wondered if this was the matter she was implying to when she left the meeting room.It was at that moment, Mr. Smith caught sight of both Eva and Lucien in the room which even made him intrigued to know what was happening since he couldn't just ignore them when they seemed to be in a bit of a troublesome situation. As a result,
"You've done a good job but your efforts are still lacking a bit. I want you to upgrade their level as a VVIP and they will be treated as such every time you come to this restaurant." Mr. Smith instructed in a commanding tone."I understand you, Sir." The manageress responded sharply even though she was surprised by the chairman's declaration, she wouldn't dare question him, not at this moment when he was still offended with her.“There was one more task you needed to do for me." Mr. Smith' informed the manageress while looking at Daya, Lisa and Shelly in a disregardful manner. "Tell me if I'm wrong but earlier, I think I overheard these three women demanding that you throw out both Eva and Lucien out of this restaurant because their presence was causing an inconvenience to them, am I right?""Yes, you are correct, Sir." The manageress replied instantly."Meanwhile, you were also about to carry out that order but stopped after I intervened." The old man remarked again with a questio
Eva chuckled lightly as she found the old man's response to be through. Her grandmother would certainly react in the manner he had described. In spite of that she was still greatly concerned about the fact that this issue could cause a big loss to Mr. Smith's restaurant and she desperately wanted to avoid that."Grandpa, I won't deny the credibility of your word and we weren't kicked out of the restaurant because you prevented that from happening. There are still tons of restaurants we could go to even if we were kicked out of this place so it's nothing serious." Eva muttered playfully."Yes, I managed to stop this dimwit from kicking you out but the mere fact that ordered you to do so in the first place was outrageous. I'm not saying this only because it's you but they need to understand that all customers should be respected regardless of appearance and status." Mr. Smith pointed at the manageress as he retorted back at Eva. “Besides, you have done a big favor for me and this resta
Despite the fact that they were a little bit confused, no one dared to utter a word about. Mr. Smith is one of the big shots in Miami and he is not a person to be trifled with in society, even if the business clients that came to his restaurant were also popular, they couldn't dare go against him because it was their utmost gratitude to be given a chance to do business with him.“You gentlemen can't leave just like that, allow my manageress to escort you out of the restaurant.” Mr. Smith stopped the gentlemen who were to leave before he turned to the manageress. “I need you to escort these esteemed guests and see them out of the restaurant.” He instructed.“Yes sir,” The manageress bowed as she glanced at the gentlemen. “Please, follow me.” She said while gesturing the gentlemen out of the room.“Grandpa, we will be taking our leave now.” Eva announced to Mr. Smith.“Since you guys have brought a car, let me escort you guys to your car instead. That way we can catch up a little bit.”
Dan who was driving glanced at both siblings through the rear view mirror and his lips stretched into a smile. He had missed seeing them bickering with each other like this because he was already used to it whenever Eva came to pick Lucien up from school like she had done today. However, he had been a little bit concerned about Lucien lately who always had a gloomy expression on his face for the past few months that Eva hadn't come to pick him up and he knew it was due to the fact that he couldn't reach Eva after her wedding day. But seeing the way Lucien had a small smile on his face he felt relieved, he also had a daughter around the same age as Lucien and he could guess that the cause of Lucien's gloomy attitude was because he missed Eva but due to Lucien's personality he wouldn't admit it.“I have made up my mind.” Eva muttered as she raised her head up still clinging onto Lucien's arm. “Dan, take us home.” Eva declared.“Are you sure about your decision?” Lucien suddenly asked w
A couple of minutes later after Lucien left the room, there was another knock on the door and on the command to enter the room from Eva. The door opened and a maid entered the room with a tray of food in her hands.“G-good evening, Young miss. Here is your dinner, Ma.” The maid greeted nervously while stuttering.Eva eyed the maid for a few seconds wondering why she was nervous for no reason, but then she recalled that she has never once been nice to the maids to working in the mansion so it the reason why the maid was shaking in fear.“Put it over there and leave.” Eva said as she pointed to the table in the room.“Y-yes ma'am.” The maid quickly placed the tray of food where Eva had pointed to and scurried out of the room immediately.“Tsk……annoying.” Eva muttered after the door was closed by the maids. She stood up and walked towards the tray of food to eat. However, just as Eva took a couple of spoons into her mouth she heard Matthew's loud voice coming from downstairs.“What an u
The next morning, after Eva took her bath and changed into one of her dresses she had in the wardrobe in her room. Eva was hesitant to sit down at the breakfast table , but she had no choice because she was hungry. Reluctantly, Eva went downstairs to the dining table.She paused in her pace when she sighted her father who had a scowl on his face, beside him was Laura who had her lips curled up into a crafty smile.“You're here already, sis? Come, I've saved you a seat near your favorite food.” Lucien gently patted the seat next to him.“She should be sitting by my side.” Laura spatted only to be ignored by Eva who took her seat beside Lucien. With the terrible tense atmosphere at the dining table, Eva was sure that she would be having indigestion.“Here, your favorite.” Lucien calmly said, while placing a poached egg on Eva's plate while passing her a small grin.“This is also your favorite.” Eva chuckled at his gesture. “As the older sister, I should be letting you take it instead. B
She paused, her mind flashing back to the countless fights, the shattered dishes, the cold silences that followed her every rebellion. "But I didn’t let their expectations control me. I chose my path, even when it meant walking away from them entirely." Eva let out a sigh, her gaze still focused outside the window. " I really loved it when I refused them, even though it would earn me being slapped senselessly. I always find pleasure somehow and I took pride in becoming the perfect, graceful black sheep of that damned family.” Belle hung on every word, her eyes wide with admiration and curiosity."But," She continued. “I only did it when I was a grown adult, legal enough to make my own choices. My plan wasn't perfect nor did it work in pleasing my family, but then again, why should I continue to please them when they were never family to me in the first place?" Eva gently moved her gaze back to Belle, leaning forward, "However, as someone who has gone through all that, you should k
"So, Belle," Eva began, pulling a chair close to the bed and sitting down. "Why don’t you tell me a little about yourself? What brought you here to this hospital room?" Her eyes scanned the room, taking in the overflowing flowers and gifts surrounding the small child."I caught a fever a few days ago," Belle replied glumly, her voice quiet. Though it was just a fever, she’d been stuck in this hospital for a week. She felt fine now, but her parents insisted she remain."I'm all better now. Nothing hurts anymore. I just want to go home, but they won’t let me." Belle’s lips turned down in a bitter frown as she recalled how her parents refused her calls and ignored her requests to leave. Deep down, she knew they preferred her absence."Why not?" Eva asked softly, though she already sensed the answer."Because they hate me."Eva’s heart clenched at the words, so full of pain and resignation. She studied the young girl, who stared back with guarded eyes that looked far older than her years.
Once the door shut, the girl turned her head slightly. "You can come out now."Eva pushed the gifts aside and slid out from under the bed. She straightened up, her gaze meeting the child’s lifeless, cold eyes. They lacked the innocent sparkle of youth."Why were those men chasing you? Who are you?" the girl asked, studying Eva intently. Despite her disheveled hair and rumpled gown, there was no mistaking the elegant air that surrounded her.Eva smiled faintly, deciding to test the girl’s intuition when she noticed how she was studying her. ‘Let’s see if you're smart. "Who do you think I am?"The child’s eyes narrowed. "You’re not a simple patient.""Oh? What makes you say that?""This is the VVIP floor, accessible only with a private keycard. Your gown is made of high-quality cotton, reserved for VVIP patients.""Well, I could’ve stolen the keycard and clothes," Eva countered.The girl’s gaze didn’t waver. "Despite your messy appearance, you carry yourself with grace. Your posture, ev
Eva jumped in alarm, spinning around to find a young girl sitting on a hospital bed. The room was filled with vases of flowers, their cloying fragrance filling the air. The child, no older than fourteen or fifteen years old, looked at her with wide, innocent eyes, her long hair framing her delicate face.Eva blinked in surprise, her anger momentarily forgotten as she stared at the young child. Somehow she felt something about this girl resembling a boy she used to know. “Hello.”“What's your name, child?" She asked, just as the footsteps outside became louder.The girl smiled faintly. “You’re running from people.” she said nugging at the door.Eva's brows furrowed. “Yes, I am.”. “Quick! Look for her before Boss gets upstairs!”The sound of the bodyguards’ voices rang in the hallway, getting closer. Panic flooded Eva's chest. She scanned the room frantically, looking for a way out, but the space was small, and the windows were sealed shut.She turned back to the girl, her pulse racing
Eva who was moments away from hitting him with the IV pole again when his pitiful plea caught her attention. “You can tell your boss to rot in hell—” she started, but the man cut her off.“Please, Lady Boss!” he cried, desperation in his voice. “I have a wife, kids, and a family to feed—”Eva's brow twitched at his words. Of course, he definitely wouldn't be a monk like his boss, however, she had a feeling he was saying this to make her feel guilty. “And you have a dog too, I bet?” she quipped sarcastically.His eyes widened in shock. “Y-yes! Exactly! His name is Chase!”She grit her teeth in annoyance, snatching the phone from his shaking hands. “What do you want?” she demanded, her patience wearing thin. She could guess that he was trying to stall time until he got here but she wasn't planning to let him meet her here.The bodyguards flinched in fear. They truly applauded her for her boldness, but they also feared for the poor woman's head! It would really fly if she continued talk
Turning back to the bodyguards, she picked up the IV pole and tested its weight in her hands. It was lighter than she expected, perfect for swift strikes. She had a lot of experience fighting with wooden sticks in her days in the military.Her gaze landed back to the men, a dark scowl on her face.“I’m sure everyone of you all heard the conversation,” she said coolly, her voice steady. “If you value your limbs, step aside.”The men stood their ground, but the unease in their expressions was clear.When reinforcements arrived to block the entrance entirely, Eva's lips curled into a dark smile. They’ve made a mistake.Gripping the pole tightly, her eyes blazing with determination as she scanned the men creating a barrier at the entrance.“Fine, you've all made your choices. Let's see who’s leaving with bruises.”Eva's grip on the metal IV pole tightened as she positioned herself to strike. Her eyes locked on the bodyguards standing in her way, each one ready to brace for her next move
She sighed heavily, pinching the bridge of her nose in exasperation. If they were working for Damien, they wouldn’t stand insults against him. She smirked, deciding to bait them.“Fine. Is it your unbelievably stubborn, hideously jealous, and completely insufferable boss, Damien Cross?”One of the guards instinctively stiffened, muttering, “Our boss is not—” and immediately cut himself off, his face paling. He can't believe he just fell for that trick.“Aha!” Eva said triumphantly. “We have our catch. So it is Damien.”Smirking, she stalked back to her bed, grabbing her phone. She dialed Damien’s number, and unsurprisingly, he answered on the first ring.“Evs, you should be resting—”“Young man, tell your men to step aside,” she interrupted, her tone sharp.Damien frowned when he heard her. Asking him to order his men to step aside meant that she had gotten out of bed!His voice hardened. “What are you doing out of bed? Get back to bed right-”“You’re not the Boss of me. I’m not goi
**********The soft rustle of fabric accompanied the nurse as she finished adjusting Eva's bandages. Moments later, a team of doctors shuffled into the room, meticulously checking her vitals and updating her chart. Their scrutiny felt endless, but Eva's irritation wasn’t aimed at them—it was at the glaring absence of Gabriel.Upon inquiring, she discovered he’d been reassigned and replaced with another doctor, a woman.Her lips twisted in a knowing smile. Damien. Of course, it was him.She sighed at the thought. Gabriel was probably one the best doctors in his department at Solace Hospital. Replacing him with someone else, especially out of jealousy, was as unnecessary as it was predictable. Damien's overprotectiveness knew no bounds, even though her blind date with Gabriel had been a complete dead end.‘Typical overbearing Damien Cross.’After the doctors left, Eva found herself sinking into boredom. The day dragged on, and as the sun set, casting long shadows across the pristine roo
“Who is the person? Is it someone I know?" “No, you don't." Oliver's eyes narrowed. “You said the person is important? Like… a woman?”Damien was surprised by Oliver's question as he turned to look at the boy. She? It suddenly hit Damien at the moment that he probably still had some of Eva's floral feminine scent on him and Oliver's dog nose already smelled it.“It is a woman, right? Why is she at the hospital?” Oliver continues to question.Damien sighed. “Yes.”“Why was she hurt?” “Because she’s clumsy,” Damien replied, his patience wearing thin.Oliver's questions continued unabated until Damien zhot him a sharp glare. “Enough, Oliver. Go back inside. I have work and can't answer all your questions.”“But-" Oliver was about to protest but he couldn't anymore when Damien shot him another glare.“Alright, Big Boss...I'll stop asking questions…" There was no other expression on Oliver's face than the expression that made him look like a neglected child yearning for his mother's lov