Chapter 431 - Curiosity

Charlie gave a speech about how grateful he was for having Angela as his daughter and many other tear-jerking stuff a father could say about his little girl even when she was already twenty-nine years old. He was a charmer, and everyone said "Aww" when he recalled a time when she was a child who had so many questions he thought she was going to be a reporter or a journalist.

"She's naturally curious even now," he said. "And I hope she'll continue to be curious until she grows older." Then he looked at her among the crowd below him. "Princess, you're a blessing to me—"

"What about me?" Oliver cut in, and their father shook his head but smiled anyway.

"You and your brother are a blessing to me," Charlie corrected before he continued to address Angela. "If you stay curious, your life will never be boring. If you stay curious, your mind will be open, and your creativity will continuously flow. Your curiosity will keep you active, make you happier and stronger. As your father, the only thing I want would be to know that you will live a full life whatever choices you make for yourself. I'm so proud of you, Princess." He raised his glass, and everyone clinked theirs to each other. 

Angela clicked her tongue, wiping the corner of her eye before a tear could roll out of it. "Dad…" She smiled as she walked up to him and gave him a hug. 

"Happy birthday, my dear Angela Kylie," said Charlie as he kissed her hair.

"Thank you, Dad."

They got off the platform, and the live band proceeded to play lively music once again. She was about to go back to Gael's side when a few business partners came close to Charlie. Her father called Gael over, introducing him to them, and Angela decided to give them a little space. She didn't care much about their discussion, so she was happy to excuse herself in their group and told Gael she needed a drink.

Nina was at the bar, talking to one of the sons of Angela's father's business partners. Angela joined the two and met the guy, James. She realized the two of them met some years back in one of Su Corp's parties. The three of them chatted for a while before James asked Nina to dance with him, leaving Angela at the bar. She didn't mind it, really. Watching people was more her thing.

"Your party's alright," muttered her cousin, Lyra, to her left. She wore a body-hugging red dress like this was her own birthday party. That was what she did. Lyra always liked to be the center of attention.

"Hm," responded Angela, not in the mood to talk to her. She enjoyed her cranberry juice and vodka cocktail as her company more than her cousin.

"I heard something a little disturbing that's for sure not good for our reputation."

Angela sighed. By "our reputation", Lyra really meant "her" reputation.

"I don't really care about your petty gossip, Lyra. We're not celebrities."

Lyra scoffed as if the statement was offensive to her. "First of all, we're Sus. We ARE celebrities. And I've got over two hundred thousand followers on Insta—of course, that's double yours because that's all you'll ever be—second to me. But you're still a Su, so you're famous enough."

Angela made sure to roll her eyes at her cousin so obviously. She didn't care about her number of followers. Although she might have when she was younger and needed validation, she stopped caring about those things in recent years. Her posts weren't even attention-grabbing anymore, unlike how they used to be as she only posted more personal and random stuff that wouldn't particularly interest other people. Clearly, that wasn't the case for Lyra as she treated having that many followers so sacred.

"Anyway, my point is…" Lyra continued. "Whether you like it or not, you should care about this gossip."

"Please. Do. Pray. Tell," Angela mumbled with obvious sarcasm as she asked the bartender to make her another cocktail.

"Your boyfriend's uncle was in prison for over a decade. Something to do with selling weapons and assaulting someone. Did you know that?"

Angela snapped up her head so fast she might've sprained a muscle in her neck. Her eyes narrowed at the other. Lyra couldn't be talking about Giovanni, so Angela thought her cousin might be referring to Gael's other uncle, Pietro, who was currently bedridden due to cancer. The haughty smile on Lyra's face made Angela snarky. 

"I don't know what you're talking about. Whatever that is, that has nothing to do with Gael."

"Oh, but it does. The apple doesn't fall far from the tree, you know. I have lots of friends from New York. They told me your boyfriend's family are notorious mafiosos." She lifted her chin, and there was a slight tilt in her smile like she had won something over Angela.

"They're just rumors, Lyra." Angela shook her head, letting out a sigh of exhaustion. The way she spoke came out as if she believed her own words. Angela wasn't only naturally curious—it looked like she was a natural liar too. "Don't be so dramatic." She received her new cocktail from the bartender and thanked him before he turned around to look at the crowd again, feeling the need to get away from her cousin.

"Mafias are only good in books, Angela. Not in the real world," said Lyra. Angela kept her face cool, recalling that her dearest cousin was a fan of Galatea K.S. who wrote that very genre she was talking about. Then Lyra shrugged. "Whatever. His family is trouble, Angela. Don't put our family on their web. I don't want to be relatives with criminals like them."

The muscles on Angela's jaw ticked, and she gripped her glass tight; she was surprised it didn't break. What Lyra said struck a nerve on Angela. Probably because there was a truth in it. Not only was Gael in the Mafia, but Angela's mother, Cynthia, was in the Bratva too. But Lyra didn't know what she was talking about—not really. However, that still pissed Angela off, and she wasn't taking any of this lightly.

Turning to face her cousin, Angela grabbed Lyra's elbow and gripped it so hard that her nails dug into the skin, causing Lyra to wince and pull her arm away, but Angela didn't let go. The latter didn't like how Lyra talked about Gael's family.

"Listen here, Lai Lai." Angela got into Lyra's face, speaking under gritted teeth and calling her the nickname that she hated so much. "I've had enough of your name-calling and pathetic snipes at me. I've been merciful with you before, thinking you're not worth my attention because I know you're only jealous of me. And I'm so sorry you feel that way…but you're never going to be me no matter how many millions of followers you'll get.

"You have got to stop dipping your toes into my business. So if I hear you yapping anything—and I mean anything—about me...or Gael again, I'll tell your mommy and daddy that you slept with your college professor after meeting him in a swingers party."

Lyra gasped. Her eyes went so wide, they almost popped out of her sockets. "You wouldn't!"

"Try me."

"How do you even know about that?" She lowered her voice, and her face got redder by the second.

Angela lifted the corners of her lips into a victorious smile. She really wasn't a hundred percent certain about that swingers convention. Angela heard about Lyra and the professor through campus rumors back when they were still in the university. As for the orgy party, that information was from Nina who swore she saw Lyra in the same hotel where the private party was held around the time Lyra was dating the professor.

"Doesn't matter. Just stay out of my life, and I'll stay out of yours."

Lyra was seething. Her nose flared, and she looked like she wanted to scratch Angela's face.

"Everything okay in here?" Gael came to Angela's side, his hand resting around her waist. She let go of Lyra's arm, and her cousin massaged the sore spot.

"I think Lyra has something to say to you." Angela folded her arms under her breasts. If her cousin was so brave telling her about Gael's family, she shouldn't have problems telling that to his face.

Lyra glanced at Gael. He cocked a brow and waited for her to speak. Then she slid her stare back at Angela and rolled her eyes before walking away.

"Don't let her get to you," Gael told Angela.

"I've had enough of her."

"Forget about her." Taking her hand, he pulled her towards the dance floor. "Come on. Dance with me." Gael held their joined hands by their shoulders and placed one hand on the small of her back while she rested hers on his arm. She was smiling again. "There she is," he said and hugged her closer to him. "Now, keep that pretty smile on your face and dance with me like the other night."

And she did. Angela already forgot about her encounter with Lyra and focused on dancing with Gael instead. He twirled her around and drew her in again, reminding her that tonight was her night.. Their night.