"Sorry about her," Michael said, his face showing no emotion but his voice sounded genuine.
Xin couldn't help but think that Michael was incredibly charismatic.
"Its fine, Mr. Fey. It's already a miracle that Lady Seraphina joined us for lunch today," Evelyn replied.
"You're right. She often doesn't want to have lunch with me." Michael leaned over, resting his chin on his intertwined fingers, his gaze fixed on Xin. "I wonder what made her change her mind."
Both Evelyn and Xin resumed eating, their expression clueless.
"I'm sorry, I have to take this call." Michael reached for his phone when it rang and excused himself from the room.
When Michael was gone, Xin leaned towards his mother and whispered, "Does she . . . does she know me?"
"You mean Lady Seraphina?"
Xin nodded, curious to know if Lady Seraphina knew him.
Evelyn smiled knowingly, understanding Xin's curiosity. She had been equally baffled by the lady's sudden smile, as she had never seen her smile before.
"Well, Lady Seraphina may come across as cold and distant, but she's actually a nice girl," Evelyn assured Xin.
Xin couldn't help but make a side comment, "Well, she's rich. She has nothing to stress about.
"Not all rich people are snobs, you know," Evelyn responded, slightly exasperated. "You'd be surprised to find that many of them are genuinely kind-hearted."
"They can afford to be kind because they're rich," Xin retorted.
"Can you please stop being so negative?" Evelyn sighed. "In fact, Lady Seraphina visited you once."
Xin paused, surprised by this revelation. "She did?"
"Yes, she did. And she was the one who approved my loan from the company," Evelyn explained.
"I see . . . She probably visited to confirm my condition and to make sure you weren't lying," Xin dismissed, shifting his attention to his food.
In his mind, Seraphina was way out of his league, so he didn't give much thought about her strange actions anymore.
Evelyn didn't respond, her thoughts consumed by the question of why Lady Seraphina personally went to the hospital to check on Xin. They have a lot of departments and people for those kinds of jobs.
The mystery continued to baffle her even to this day.
Their conversation came to a pause as Michael returned to the room and addressed Evelyn, "Are you going to work this afternoon?" he inquired.
Evelyn responded promptly, "Yes."
"Good. We have a meeting with Mr. Ronaldez at two. You can ride with me back to the office," Michael informed her.
Evelyn hesitated, glancing at Xin.
Sensing her concern, Michael quickly added, "We can drop off your son."
"Don't worry about me," Xin interjected. "I want to explore the area and get familiar with my new surroundings."
"Are you sure?" Evelyn asked, her worry evident.
Xin nodded in affirmation.
"Then please excuse me. I'll just get ready," Evelyn said, grabbing her purse before she headed to the restroom, leaving Xin and Michael alone.
Xin finished his dessert, aware of Michael's observant gaze. However, he lacked the emotions necessary to feel intimidated. Instead, he felt the need to take the initiative.
"You . . . ," Xin began, locking eyes with Michael, "you have feelings for my mother."
Michael's stoic expression cracked a little.
Xin had hit the mark.
"Why did you say that?" Michael questioned, his tone guarded.
"There's no use hiding it." Xin took a deep breath, cut the cake into bite-sized pieces, and brought it into his mouth
"Lending her money without interest. Taking her to lunch in an expensive restaurant."
"Those are just normal things to do if you're a boss."
"Is stealing glances at her normal too?"
". . ."
Xin finished his dessert and faced Michael. The latter's face was stone hard, but he revealed a small smile.
"You're very perceptive."
"Its very obvious."
"Only your mother doesn't seem to notice."
"My mother is rather ignorant to this kind of things." Xin knew because even at her age, his mother still received glances from men, and she either did not notice it or pretended not to notice them.
"There's no way she would think that someone like you would like her. Not in a million years. And love isn't her priority right now. It would take a direct approach if you wanted her to notice your advances," Xin advised.
Michael stifled a laugh. "I take it that you aren't against me?"
Xin paused, unsure of what to think.
"My mother has always prioritized us above everything else. Ever since our father left when we were young, she hasn't been with anyone," Xin explained. "If we were still children, it might be different, but now that we're adults . . . We can take care of ourselves, and it's time for her to think about herself."
Xin spoke earnestly. He couldn't bear to see his mother continue sacrificing her happiness for their sake.
His gaze locked with Michael's, conveying the gravity of his words. "I would like it if my mother is happy . . . If you can make her happy . . . then I'm not against it," Xin declared firmly.
His eyes then narrowed with a hint of warning. "But if you hurt her . . . you will regret it."
Xin knew he lacked the power and status to match Michael, making his words audacious.
However, this was a promise, and he always honored his promises, no matter what the cost.
Xin had a gut feeling that it wouldn't be simple to win over his mother's heart, even for someone like Michael Fey.
Xin could sense that Michael understood this as well, which is why he was being careful and taking things slowly.
Michael straightened on his seat, his face serious. He was about to open his mouth when Evelyn barged inside.
Evelyn paused, sensing the tense atmosphere in the room, and asked in ignorant, "Did something happen?"
"None." Both the boys said at the same time.
Evelyn wasn't convinced, but then she shrugged it off and walked to Xin. "Here, in case if you want to buy something. Don't go home late, okay?"
Xin accepted the money while Michael told him, "You can order more on the menu if you like. Don't worry; everything you'll order is already paid."
And with that, the two left.
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A/N
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