Game of Feelings & Family Conspiracy

Not long after, Frau really arrived and was now sitting across from Iril. Iril was still staring at Frau with a strange and disbelieving look while Frau ordered the same food as she did.

"What?"

Frau asked with a smile as Iril continued to stare at him .

"Do you have something you want to talk to me about?"

Iril asked back, full of curiosity.

"Hmmmm... let me think about it first..."

Frau replied, pretending to be deep in thought. However, if not for the teasing smile on his lips, Iril might not have been suspicious. But she saw it clearly.

Iril pouted, her chubby cheeks making her look even cuter. Seeing this, Frau was tempted to pinch them but held himself back… for now.

In the end, Frau let out a small laugh.

Seeing Frau laugh only made Iril even more annoyed. She shot him a sharp glare.

Iril's pouting face, combined with her side-eye glance, was too much for Frau to resist. Finally, he reached out and pinched Iril's adorable cheeks.

"You're just too cute!"

Frau said, still smiling as he gently squeezed Iril's cheeks.

Iril's eyes widened in disbelief.

"What... what is he doing?"

She screamed internally.

Suddenly, she remembered the interaction between Serena and Frau when they first met. Back then, Serena had teased Frau about his feelings for Iril.

"So, you really do like me?"

Iril asked bluntly.

Even though it sounded like a question, her tone showed that she was already convinced of the answer.

Frau smiled widely and gazed deeply into Iril's eyes.

"Yes! I've liked you for a long time."

Frau admitted honestly, without the slightest hint of embarrassment.

Hearing the confession directly from Frau made Iril flustered. She didn't know how to react, and Frau could see the slight blush creeping onto her face.

Frau was delighted by Iril's reaction—it meant he had a chance to win her heart.

"I... I..."

Iril stammered, her words beginning to falter.

"Hmmm... the food here is really delicious."

Frau suddenly interrupted, taking a bite of his meal.

Hearing that, Iril immediately smiled.

"Right? The first time I tried it, I thought it was incredibly delicious too."

Iril replied enthusiastically, as if she had forgotten how awkward she felt moments ago.

"Hmm... you're absolutely right! This is amazing!"

Frau added, nodding as he continued enjoying his meal.

Iril smiled happily and resumed eating with joy.

Frau stole a few glances at Iril and felt satisfied—he had successfully diverted her attention and prevented her from feeling awkward.

It seemed that Frau knew exactly what to do to win Iril's heart quickly. He smirked mischievously, already planning his next move.

Meanwhile, Iril, completely immersed in her meal, had no idea that someone was plotting to capture her heart with no way out.

—

Somewhere else, Serena sat still, rereading the documents in her hands.

She never expected that by returning to the past, she would finally uncover the truth about Elena's parents.

Serena realized that, all this time, she knew nothing about her own mother.

She let out a long sigh.

"This just got even more complicated..."

Serena thought to herself.

Initially, she only wanted to find out why her father had suddenly asked to reconcile with her mother. But now, she had uncovered the deep roots of the problem.

Serena's expression suddenly turned serious as she recalled the name Lydia. According to the data Frau had gathered, Lydia was the second wife of Elena's father.

From an outsider's perspective, Lydia was an elegant woman—charismatic yet gentle, known as a dutiful wife.

Serena smirked mockingly because she was sure that Lydia's carefully crafted image was far from her true self.

Moreover, it was Lydia who had transferred money into Tom Hard's account.

It was now crystal clear—Lydia was the mastermind behind everything.

What made Serena slightly curious was her grandfather, Mr. Shine's, stance in all of this. If the truth were to come to light, whom would he choose—his second wife, who had always been by his side, or his estranged daughter, who had run away from home long ago?

Even though Serena was eager to see the truth unfold, she knew Lydia would deny all accusations. She was also certain that Tom Hard would take all the blame himself.

"What should I do now?"

Serena muttered.

She had never imagined she would have to face such a tangled mess.