Maybe I should be reflecting on my taste in clothes. If Ashton’s wearing the same suit as Hunter, might we be in a similar situation ourselves?
I had always thought that keeping secrets from someone was nowhere near as difficult as pretending nothing was wrong in front of them.
Emery’s attention had been consumed by Audrey and Gregory these few days. She brought Xavier along with her on her daily visits, and she typically spent an entire day at our house. Before Emma and I had even left the mall, we were bombarded by a slew of WhatsApp messages from her, urging us to go back.
Emma and I were terrible liars. We exchanged looks and prepared to stay out until it was late.
We had only just settled down in a cafe when Hunter showed up.
He found us easily thanks to his towering height. He then started walking toward us.
Emma gave up her seat and sat on a chair directly next to mine.
The cheating men that I had encountered in the past typically behaved in a stiff, panicky, or furious manner. I had never seen one as calm as Hunter.
He sat opposite us, exuding the confident and cultured charm of a university professor. His courteous exchange with the waiter almost made our meeting seem like a casual get-together rather than a damage control session for our awkward encounter.
I guess we were all fooled by his polite manners.
Once the coffee was served, Hunter looked at the cup for a moment before lifting his gaze to us. Upon seeing my impatient gaze, he spoke sheepishly. “You saw everything just now.”
We didn’t ask any questions.
Hunter sighed before taking a sip of his coffee. He stared directly at me and said, “I’ll talk to Emery about this, so I hope you won’t intervene.”
“When are you going to tell her?” I asked calmly.
He took a deep breath and adjusted his glasses. He answered resignedly, “Soon.”
“Good. I hope you keep your promise, Professor Zane, or you’ll lose whatever little respect we have for you.”
He had pushed his glasses up his nose bridge countless times in the past, but the action merely disgusted me now. I placed a few bills on the table to cover the cost of our drinks and left with Emma.
On the way home, my emotions were in turmoil.
From what I could see, I couldn’t understand how that woman was better than Emery. Yet this had happened.
Maybe in the world of the literati, love is but a cheap commodity to be discarded once it has run its course.
We reached home at about seven at night. We thought Emery had left, but there was a hubbub in the living room when we walked in. Louis was here.
“Mommy, let’s eat dinner!” Summer ran toward me and dragged me toward the dining room.
I exchanged a look with Emma before we sat down at the dining table.
Emery happened to be seated on my other side. She nudged my elbow gently and asked, “Where did you two go? You didn’t reply to my WhatsApp messages either. Was there an emergency?”
“I’ll tell you about it later.” I glossed over her question, pretending I couldn’t talk about it openly in front of the others.
Emery had always been an easygoing person to begin with, so she dropped the topic good-naturedly.
Clink!
Louis suddenly tapped on his wineglass with a fork, catching our attention.
“The incident this time has taught me many valuable lessons!” Louis was the picture of a natural leader as he raised his voice before continuing, “Most importantly, I’ve learned that steering clear of others doesn’t necessarily mean that you’ll remain unscathed. I’ve always been proud of my morals, yet I never expected to be a victim of sabotage, let alone dragging my own grandchildren into this mess. I’ve disappointed my own family and the Stovall name.”
He shot me a regretful look before he continued in better spirits, “From this day on, I promise not to put my family in harm’s way again. I vow to spend the rest of my days getting rid of Ezra’s syndicate!”
On the first day of my apprenticeship, John insisted on sending me to the office.
