As I was still coughing non-stop, Yuval approached me and patted my back gently to soothe my cough. At that very moment, both of us looked exactly like a loving couple. Again, he warmed my heart with his thoughtfulness and gentleness. Even though I did not fall for him, I guessed I could lead a happy life by marrying a thoughtful and caring man like him. Who knows? Maybe I will learn to love him as time passes by…
After I had finally stopped coughing, I raised my head and smiled thankfully at him. To be honest, it did make me like him a bit more. Even so, it was still a vast distance away from love.
“Why didn’t you tell me that you can’t drink? If I knew it, I surely wouldn’t let you,” he mumbled guiltily.
“Don’t worry. I’m fine now,” I consoled him.
Right then, I caught a glimpse of a familiar figure and froze. In a split second, my eyes widened in disbelief. Michael Shaw! Why on earth is he here?
As a surge of anxiety started to well up in my heart, I looked at him nervously.
“Anna, what’s wrong? Are you alright?” Sensing something awry, Yuval looked at me quizzically with knitted brows.
I did not reply him, as if I was oblivious to his question. Meanwhile, Michael was glaring at me with a grim look on his face. I shuddered as his eyes were blazing with growing rage.
Yuval followed my gaze and turned to have a look inquisitively. The moment his eyes caught Michael’s figure, there was a sudden change in his expression. Instantaneously, his smile faded from his face.
“Anna, are you sure that both of you are just employee and boss?” He looked intently at me and asked doubtfully.
My eyes started to blink uncontrollably as a sense of guilt swept over me. I recalled how Michael dragged me away before Yuval’s eyes previously. However, I was not sure what he intended to do with his sudden appearance. Thus, I did not know how I should answer Yuval.
As Michael advanced toward us, he never shifted his intimidating gaze away from me. The anxiety in my heart intensified as he was getting nearer to us. I wondered what he would say to us later! He’d better mind his words!
I had the urge to flee the place at once, yet I restrained myself from it as I clenched onto the sides of my blouse nervously. If Michael blurted out the relationship between both of us, I would not know how to justify it to Yuval!
At the sight of the enraged man who was approaching us, Yuval furrowed his brows. Nevertheless, he still politely stretched out his hand and greeted Michael with a courteous smile. “How are you? Nice to meet you again.”
Michael, on the other hand, was purposely ignoring Yuval’s outstretched hand while sparing him a cold glance. It was just like how it was during their first encounter previously. His rude attitude implied that he did not give a damn about Yuval at all.
Yuval stole a glance at me, humiliated and infuriated. Needless to say, he could sense Michael’s intense hostility toward him.
“Mr. S-Shaw, why are you here?” I stammered as I forced myself to look into Michael’s blazing eyes.
“In case you’ve forgotten, this is a restaurant, and I can have a meal here just as much as you could,” he scoffed.
At that moment, he was just about two paces away from me. Intimidated by his imposing aura, I shifted my gaze away from him hastily and dared not have any eye contact with him again.
“I didn’t mean that. It’s just… I mean, what a coincidence.” I smiled embarrassingly and tried to sound casual. Even so, I felt a rush of mixed emotions creeping into my heart. While trying to stay calm, I was displeased with the man’s sudden appearance and could not help but feel suspicious about that. Is he stalking me? After all, what are the odds that we’re all here at this restaurant at this time?
“Well, what do you know… It really is! Seems to me like fate really likes bringing us together whenever you’re out dating with your boyfriend,” Michael mocked, not forgetting to emphasize the word “dating.” I could even see the flickers in his blazing eyes; he was undoubtedly boiling with anger at that moment.
I knew that he was green with envy whenever I was on a date with Yuval. After all, he was a particularly possessive and self-centered man. Nonetheless, I could not just go all out since both of us were just friends with benefits. I had to think of my future too!
“It seems so… Though I almost thought that you were stalking me!” I mustered my courage and mocked him. If I continued to give in to him without refuting, Yuval would surely sense that something was amiss.
As a matter of fact, I knew that Michael had been following me. That was the only reason why we would always bump into each other whenever I went on dates with Yuval.
“Me stalking you?” he questioned me in an icy-cold tone. His eyes were as cold as the abyss.
“Mr. Shaw, don’t take it too seriously! I was just joking. But looking at how you’ve taken it, Mr. Shaw, was I perhaps correct?” I scoffed and looked into Michael’s eyes provocatively. To avoid Yuval from being suspicious of me, I was determined to put on a brave front.
“Well, aren’t you full of yourself, Anna Garcia? Who do you think you are, that I would stalk you?” The prideful man gritted and snickered as his gaze turned even colder. For a second, I even thought that he would throw a punch at me for provoking him.
“Mr. Shaw, I’m sorry for being blunt. You are right. Since there’s nothing between us, of course, you wouldn’t have followed me. It might be just a coincidence!” I heaved a sigh of relief at Michael’s mocking words. That was what I had expected. I’m sure Yuval will not be suspicious of me again as Michael’s words kind of clarified that there was nothing between us.
Nevertheless, another wave of anxiety swept over me that instant as I thought of something. Looks like I’m putting myself in hot soup once again. I bet he wouldn’t easily let me off for challenging him in front of Yuval!
Michael was no ordinary man. It struck him almost at once that I was tricking him into clarifying that there was nothing between him and me. His face became grimmer, yet he did not utter any words. However, it was as if I would perish at any moment from the burning flames in his eyes.
I turned away deliberately and pretended that I was unaware of his escalating anger. After all, he won’t be able to do anything since we’re in public. He warned me earlier to keep mum about the relationship between us, didn’t he?
“Yuval, let’s continue eating. I’m starving!” I intentionally nudged Yuval’s arm and sounded coquettish. Knowing that I had unintentionally disregarded him while bickering with Michael, I tried to cheer him up by shifting my attention back to him.
Michael clenched his fists till veins protruded on the back of his hands, which scared me. If I wasn’t assured that he intended to keep our relationship a secret, I guessed he would really teach me a lesson then and there.
“Alright.” My words seemed to have eased Yuval’s displeasure right away. His lips curved into a gentle smile again as he cut some smaller pieces from his steak and placed them on my plate. He was apparently showing off to Michael how close we were with each other. I could not resist but chuckle inwardly. Ah! Men are all the same. Even such a good-natured gentleman like Yuval still has his pride that can’t be challenged by others.
