A Date

When Amelia was out of the sight, Evelyn fixated her gaze on the older man. Her eyes narrowed. She let go of her cutleries, folding her hands over her chest in an attempt to appear serious.

"Mr. Pig—sorry, Mr. Richard—I know my mom is pretty, really, really pretty, but this marriage can't happen. Absolutely not. I would have to kindly decline you on my mom's— what was the word again— behalf," she solemnly said.

The corner of his lips twitched.

"Shut it, brat. I have been enduring you for too long tonight. If you keep on being this insolent, I need to teach you your position well." He sneered, appearing menacing.

Evelyn was a little shaken up, but she clenched her hand into a tight fist. She needed to get rid of this man for her mother's sake.

"You are not getting married to my mom. I won't let you, Mr. Pig." She glared at him.

He sniggered.

"What makes you think your mom will listen to you? She is desperate to get married to me or else why will she be here. Ruined women like her should be grateful that a man is taking fancy in her. As for you, if you don't behave well, I will have you thrown away."

Evelyn puffed up her cheeks. Huffing, she stood up on the chair, picking up the bowl of mildly hot soup in front of her, and without thinking twice, she drowned the man in the content.

"You mean pig!" she exclaimed.

A harsh gasp escaped from the man's lips when the hot liquid came in contact with his body, causing him to immediately jump up from his seat. The chair was pushed back.

Evelyn then laughed at him.

"So ugly! As if my mom would have horrible taste! Go and look at yourself in the mirror first, Mr. Pig!"

"You!" Richard exclaimed, raising his hand and being about to slap Evelyn. This made Evelyn reflexively want to step back, resulting her footsteps tripping.

Fear gripped her chest as she was about to fall down from the chair when a hand being placed on her shoulder stabilized her position. As for Richard's moving hand, his wrist was grabbed, preventing the slap from falling on her cheek.

At what happened, Evelyn's eyes widened, caught off guard. She almost fell from the chair and broke her limbs.

Turning back, she grinned at the recognition and greeted, "Steven!"

He smiled back at him.

"Let go of me!" Richard shouted, pulling his hand away from Steven's hold.

Then, Steven's stare turned fierce as they were directed towards Richard, and he said, "Assaulting a child— do I need to teach you the repercussions of it?"

"That fucking brat started it first!"

"Who do you think will be legally punished?"

Muttering curses under his breath, Richard knew this was a lost battle. Therefore, he strode away, groaning about how this was a bad day.

"Thank you, Steven, for getting rid of that mean pi—uncle," Evelyn voiced out. Her eyes sparkled.

Only then did the realization hit her how rudely she behaved. Steven must have seen it, and panic flooded through her chest. There were chances of her father getting to know about it. She didn't want others to call her a rude brat.

Steven reached out and carried her.

"You shouldn't be standing on the chair. It's dangerous. Also, you shouldn't pick fights with someone bigger than you. You could have gotten badly injured if I wasn't here."

"It's his fault. He, he insulted my mom and told me that my mom would abandon me after marrying him." Evelyn pouted, clearly upset by those words even now.

"Even so, you need to be careful, little Eve. Where is your mom, leaving you here all alone?" voiced out Steven.

"She went to the washroom. Don't blame her. I sent her there."

Steven pinched on her cheek.

"You are really protective of your mom, aren't you, little one?"

°°°

Amelia was in rush after getting out of the washroom. Leaving her daughter with Richard didn't make her feel at ease. That's when, her shoulder bumped against a hard surface, causing her to almost fall back when a hand wrapped around her waist preventing that.

Lifting her head, her eyes met a pair of blue ones. They were familiar, awfully familiar. Nostalgia filled her chest. Old feelings begin to arise, overwhelming her senses and rendering her incapable of thinking.

"Daniel," she slowly enunciated.

She closed her eyes for a second before fixing her expression. Her countenance was filled with coldness as she pulled herself up and took a step back from the handsome man.

She couldn't let her heart get swayed by him.

It was dangerous.

"Thank you," she said.

Then, without glancing at his direction, she passed by him about to leave when he grabbed on to her wrist, preventing her from walking away.

"Are you leaving again?" he asked. His features hardened.

"I have my business, and I am pretty sure Mr. Daniel is a busy man. There is no need to waste time in these trifles."

With that, she was about to pull her hand away, but Daniel didn't let that happen. Angered, he pinned her to the wall and held on to her shoulders. Intense emotions— mostly being rage— flashed through his blue eyes.

His jaw tightened, and his bearing became intimidating, easily being able to suffocate the other party. He fiercely stared at the woman who hardly reached his shoulder length.

"Trifle? Is that what the matter between both of us are? Do you know how long I have been looking for you? Is that all you have to say?" There was pain in his voice.

It almost made Amelia crack before she remembered that she couldn't let herself fall into this toxic cycle, especially now that she had a daughter. She promised to provide her baby with a healthy environment.

And that's what she would do.

"I don't know what you are trying to achieve here, but I have moved on, Mr. Daniel. And it would be best if you do the same. In fact, I am here today on a date."

"A date?" he questioned.

She nodded.

"Now, if you could let go of me. I don't want to keep my boyfriend waiting."