"Of all people..." she spoke in distaste. "What are you doing right here in our yard?" She looked at the man in front of her without hiding her displeasure for delaying her to leave.
The man stared back at her for a long time before his lips moved.
"You still haven't changed with that bloody impudence you always wear, Angel…." He said coldly. Don't tell me you don't have an idea why I am here in your yard?" He asked, his eyes challenging her.
"Well... "She licked her parched lips. Groped for the right words to say." It's been a long time since the last time I saw you with my sister. Aside from sitting next to you on the plane last week..."
"Not that long..."
"Why are you here?" She asked casually in a friendly tone. "This is not the right time to hang around with Alissa."
A faint laugh escaped the man's mouth. It stunned her for a moment as she looked at his white and even teeth. The man in front of her is undeniably beautiful and handsome with his slightly wavy black thick hair like his eyebrows. She avoided his eyes, wandering to his lips. His magnetic charms still affected her eyesight, a man of absolute and perfect beauty like Adonis.
"W-what did you say?" She hated that flaming face as she tried to look unaffected by his charms.
"I said, the last time you saw me before last week was when I brought you home from the beach... and that was more or less two years ago…."
"Can we cut the tidbits and tell me exactly why you are here instead of chasing your apple?" She distantly asked him while inclining her head. She knew what he was talking about, and she was not ready to go in that part of her past images with him.
"Apple?" He confusedly asked.
"The woman of your dreams, Attorney Medici…." She answered sarcastically.
"There's many in the queue, so I don't know which one you're referring to…."
She smirked," to be exact, the woman who dumped you in favor of your romantic best friend."
"You seemed to be well-informed," he said with an arched eyebrow. "Let's not talk about me, if you don't mind. Where are you going and in that order?" The critic's eyes were back again.
"Oh...just unwind for a bit while my granny's busy entertaining her guests..."
"In the tone of your speech, it seems like you're avoiding the guests..."
Angeline shrugged. Eyes went to the key of her motorcycle she was holding.
"I don't think I'm particularly needed inside. Anyway, you didn't answer me," Angeline said drastically. She did not want to discuss what was going on in the house. "Why are you here? Are you visiting Alissa?"
"Maybe..." he said in a relaxed tone. He stepped closer to Angeline. "Shall we go inside?"
"Oh, no… I don't want to." She refused and stepped back. "Go ahead. I need to go," she immediately exclaimed as she raised her eyes to him.
His eyebrow arched slightly, "can you tell me why you seem to avoid facing your guests?"
Angeline took a deep breath. Her eyes traveled to the man's face Adonis shape. Before glancing straight to his eyes.
"No, I'm not avoiding the guest... But you see, it's not just guests what my granny are expecting tonight, " she began telling him—avoiding his watchful eyes. It seemed like glued on her face. " This is the moment that I avoided the most, meeting the man who will choose from the three of us to be his bride..."
"Hmm... and is it right that you plan to run away from this gathering with that kind of outfit?"
She couldn't help but warm her cheeks under his steady gaze.
"Not really. I like this casual get-up..." a smile played on Angeline's lips. "I'm more comfortable in this arrangement, especially when I intend to ride my bike."
"Since when?"
"What kind of question is that?"
"Honest to the point."
"Jacob..." she uttered.
"Since your ex-boyfriend married my sister Stephanie, who was your best friend, you've changed your dress style."
"That's not true-"
"Are you saying that Alissa lied to my face?"
Her mouth opened and closed slightly at the last word he said. For a moment, she met the man's gaze.
"She just mentioned it once in a conversation we had before..."
"Really!"
"Yep. Really..." The way he smiled was annoying. It's taunting her. He walked, getting closer to her.
Angeline was even shocked by Jacob's unexpected move by snatching the key from her hand.
"What? That's mine," she retorted, feeling annoyed by his behavior.
"Later," he said casually and pocketed the key. "Shall we go inside and join the party?"
"I said no. And I don't think it's appropriate for you to be there. My grandmother's guests are essential. Why don't you join me instead?
"Nice try, Angeline..." he said smiling.
"May I have my key, please. Besides, I don't think the man will choose..."
"And how can you be sure?"
"For one thing, I don't like to join in the party," she said frankly. "So, it's either Alissa or Ashley. Besides, I'm the youngest, so I don't think I'm the right candidate to be chained."
He gazed at her so coldly. "You think that marriage is a cage?
"Not at all. But I could say yes if you're getting into an arranged marriage. Besides, I don't deserve that man inside..."
"Why did you say that?"
"Because...There's someone I Love ..." she replied. Feeling awkward in the way he looked at her. His blank stare was probing—unsettling her nerves.
"Aside from Tristan?".
The bosom of Angeline rose to the sound of that name. "Must you remind me?" she said with loathing.
"Why not? Don't tell me you're still hurting.
"No, no. I can vouch for that. It is completely out of my life as soon as I discovered it," she said vehemently. "I have long forgotten him." I was misled by what he did."
"Great. Leave Tristan in peace," he said without smiling.
"Are you threatening me?" she said, raising her eyebrows.