"Haha! Louisa, do you dress up this way to seduce my brother?" Claire started to tease Louisa upon seeing the odd expression on Louisa's face. However, she missed noticing how Kevin frowned in disapproval after he heard her remarks.
"No, I don't. Stop making fun of me," said Louisa with a shy smile. She even bowed her head in an awkward attempt to evade Claire's eyes. It was pathetic since everybody in the house perfectly knew that she wore those expensive and eye-catching clothes to please Kevin.
"Don't be shy, Louisa. Just admit it. A girl will doll up for her lover. My brother isn't here anyway, so don't keep your secrets from me," said Claire as she giggled. She found it fun to tease Louisa this way and she surely had the time of her life doing it. They were still busy with their little chit-chat when a baritone voice suddenly broke through the air.
Are you looking for me?" It was Kevin and he shot Louisa with an uninterested look, then followed it with a short mocking laugh. His face expression was dark as he walked to the girls who were exchanging friendly banters. He shook his head and then glanced across the room. It was evident that the man was not in his best mood.
"Shoot! Were you planning to scare us to death! Why are you even sneaking in without making any sound? You're being rude! Do you know that?" yelled Claire, who just regained her composure after stepping back in shock. If there was something in common between Kevin and Leena, that would be the fact that both of them could be scary and annoying sometimes. Claire could just feel her life getting shorter every day because of the two.
"Why should you be scared if you have done nothing wrong?" Kevin answered back before quickly brushing past them. He didn't intend to complicate things, although he had heard their conversation. He strongly believed that the topic was taboo and shouldn't be discussed in his house. Thus, he chose to turn a deaf ear to it rather than to argue with them.
"Kevin, how long have you been standing here?" asked Claire She ran after her sibling and was curious if he had heard of their conversation or not.
"Why are you asking?" Kevin's eyebrows furrowed in dismay as he turned his head and caught sight of Leena and the dining table. There were a lot of delicious dishes set on it and the view alone stirred his emotions. There was no doubt that Leena had exhausted herself just to prepare a fancy dinner to please her sister-in-law.
I want to know. Come on. Tell me. Did you hear our conversation or not?" It was her brother's silence that made Claire nervous as she looked at him. Kevin's forced composure and fake calmness could be terrifying. She knew that her brother was feeling something deep inside him now and she couldn't stop getting scared about it.
"What do you think?" Another mocking tone came from Kevin. He walked past his sister and then went straight to Leena. He took the dish from her hands and set it on the table carefully.
"I don't know, that's why I need an answer from you." Claire sounded like a grumpy child before she took a seat at the dining table and watched her brother in sullen silence.
"Let's eat. Don't bother yourself with so many problems. Trust me, it'll do you no good." Kevin pulled out a chair for Leena and asked her to sit.
"Miss Ye, please take a seat and make yourself at home," said Leena amiably with her cheeks blushing in scarlet. Her heartbeat doubled when Kevin displayed his fondness for her despite the presence of his sister and wooer.
"Yeah! Thank you, you're so nice." On the other hand, Louisa felt frustrated with the scene. She hesitated if she should take a seat or not. Like Clare, she was afraid that Kevin had overheard their indiscreet conversation just moments ago.
"Louisa, please sit next to me." Claire put on a sulky face and was in no mood to entertain her guest anymore. It was only after Leena called Louisa that she remembered her friend and hurriedly asked her to sit.
"Alright." Louisa came to occupy the seat next to Claire. Hesitation was cruising her nerves. She was feeling both guilty and anxious, although she had already looked forward to what would happen next.
Honey, you shouldn't have tired yourself for this," said Kevin in concern. His eyes were filled with tenderness and passion as he stared at Leena. It wasn't usual for him to display his affection to his wife this way in the presence of others.
"It's my duty as a wife and the hostess of this house. I'm fine. It is you who had a long day working though, you should have a good rest and eat some nice foods." The warmth of Kevin's stare was unbearable and it made Leena look away. She discretely glanced at the two ladies sitting with them and saw the unexpected frowns and displeasure on their faces.
"Stop disgusting us. Have you realized that you two aren't alone in this room?" It was Claire who wasn't able to help herself from talking. She pursed her lips in distaste. She picked a piece of grilled pork chop and put it in her bowl. The food tasted strange but was still tolerable. She thought that Leena's cooking skills weren't as good as she thought. She probably just needed time to get accustomed to the foods Leena cooked.
"Stop it, Claire. Keep your mouth shut and eat." Kevin shot an angry glance at Claire before he curiously turned to Leena. Did she intentionally add too much vinegar into the Kung Pao Chicken? Why? Was this his wife's silent way of showing how pissed off she was with Louisa and Claire? He was torn between wanting to laugh and wanting to ask, but then chose to keep himself silent. He would not bring such a topic before the two ladies with them, as that would surely complicate things and embarrass his wife.
"Why are you staring at me?" Leena touched her face unconsciously. She was puzzled and thought that she had something smeared on her since she was cooking in the kitchen earlier.