Chapter 194 - Like Someone I Know

Looking up from her plate after her meal, Lina rubbed her belly and hummed in contentment.

The twins were already used to seeing her antics so they paid absolutely no attention to her weird behavior.

However, this was the first time that Reuben had seen her acting in this way.

'She is always so prim and proper before me. This is the first time that I have seen her acting like a child.' He chuckled after making this observation.

His momentary health scare was thrown to the back of his mind when he saw the satisfied look on her face.

Lina's mind which was still reveling in the taste of the finger-licking food that she had just savored was yanked back to reality when she heard his silent chuckle.

'Did I just make a fool out of myself in the presence of my first boyfriend!?' She cursed her wretched stomach for getting carried away.

She used 'first boyfriend' in her ignorance because she was still unaware of what fate had in store for the two of them.

The food was so delicious that she had forgotten all about the three men who were at the table with her. 

"Liked it, Kitten?" Reuben inquired after he watched her little moment of panic subside.

Lina timidly nodded her head and this time she was awarded a hearty chuckle.

"Then the chef shall get his well-deserved raise." He arrogantly declared while pouring another glass of ice tea for her.

Iced teas were his favorite beverage so when he heard that Lina was also a fan of the drink, Reuben was overjoyed.

He began planning his future dates and decided to take her to all the places that made amazing iced teas which he had discovered on his journey to find the best one.

Though he had not yet found "The ONE", he had surely found many which lived up to his expectations.

Not wanting to refuse his enthusiastic yet kind gesture, Lina accepted the glass and took slow sips.

'My tummy is full but I have to finish this glass! I can't say no after he was considerate enough to pour it for me.' She smiled and forced herself to empty the glass.

Trying to take her attention away from the bursting feeling in her stomach, Lina decided to make small talk.

"Why would YOU give the chef a raise, Ruby?" She questioned with her head tilted to the side.

The twins scoffed when they heard their ignorant little sister's query but did not bother answering it since they were still mad at her for taking Reuben's side earlier.

"I own this place so if you like the food here then we can come back anytime." He revealed and was satisfied when he saw the dumbfounded look on her face.

'You'll be scared when you know everything about him, Nana!' Wayne shuddered when he thought of this tycoon's side businesses.

Lina's face which had been dumbfounded had now turned awkward.

The third glass of iced tea had finally worked its magic on her and she felt the urgent need to relieve herself.

Not wanting them to discover her dilemma, she excused herself and gracefully left their private room.

'Quick! Before I leak!' She scurried once she was outside the door.

Thankfully she had met a kind waiter who had given her the directions so she reached the washroom without any mishaps taking place en route.

Taking her own sweet time to finish her business, she sighed in relief when she no longer felt the tormenting pressure on her bladder.

Exiting the stall, she stood before the mirror and looked at her reflection in it.

'Today was so bizarre! Not only did I get tongued, I even got a boyfriend free with it!' She cheered and she held her reddening cheeks.

Not wanting to waste the natural blush, she first reapplied her lipstick following which she fished the phone out of her pocket and started clicking pictures in the brightly lit washroom.

'This place is perfect to click mirror selfies!' She asserted and took advantage of the empty room to click funny and weird pictures.

After about half a million pictures, she decided that it was finally time to head back.

Walking out of the restroom, she headed towards the room that her brothers and her new boyfriend were waiting for her.

'Boyfriend… Ruby, my boyfriend. Has a nice ring to it.' She giggled as she turned around the corner which led to the room that the others were at.

*BANG*

Her giggle came to an abrupt stop when her body collided with someone who had walked in from the other side of the corner.

The other person unable to steady themselves staggered backward and was about to fall when Lina caught their hand in a tight hold.

Pulling the person forward, she succeeded in saving them from falling flat on their butt.

However, the other person was far from pleased let alone be grateful for being saved from that embarrassing situation.

"Do you not have eyes!?" A woman's shrill voice made Lina's delicate ears hurt.

She flinched and immediately let go of the hand which was supporting the other woman causing her to stumble a few steps back once again.

Thankfully, this time the woman steadied herself yet the glare on her face did not fade even for a second.

When the other woman saw the face of the person who had bumped into her, her eyes narrowed and her aura turned menacing.

'It's her!' She glowered and stood with her chin raised in contempt.

Lina frowned when she saw the 'I'm better than you will ever be' smirk that appeared on the other woman's face.

'Some people need to learn how to behave in public.' She shook her head at this mannerless woman who did not even utter a single word of gratitude after being saved.

Rolling her eyes at her, Lina simply took a step to the side and decided to pass her by.

However, the woman seemed to have different plans and hastily blocked her way.

Lina's face contorted as an annoyed look graced her face before it quickly reverted to her usual poker face.

'I want to get back to Ruby and this woman is acting up here!' She scowled in her head.

"How may I help you?" She questioned and frowned when the other woman openly scoffed at her.

"Stop acting like you don't know who I am!" The other woman snarled at her.

Lina's lips let out a derisive chuckle before her mind could even react.

'Heh? Are you the Queen that I have to know who you are?' Lina mocked as she rolled her eyes.

"Have we met before, Miss?" She questioned and tried to recall whether she had ever met this woman.

'She does look like someone I know but I can't seem to put my finger on it!' Lina rubbed her chin as she glanced at the woman from top to bottom.

The other woman's cheeks burned with embarrassment when she saw Lina openly checking her out as though she did not know who she was.

"We have met before! You stole my spot at Cecilia's and you hurt my friend!" She yelled out words of accusations which made Lina frown.

Thinking hard about the only time that she had visited her mother's salon, Lina then realized where she had seen this woman.

"I remember now! Aren't you the woman who created a scene when Aunt Kira refused to give you my slot with Nico?" Lina blurted out the incident that had occurred when she was late for her appointment at Cecilia's.

Jeanette Liang, the woman who had created the said drama on that day, narrowed her eyes when that humiliating memory came back to her mind.

"Not only did you steal my appointment you even-" Jeanette raised her hand and pointed a finger at Lina's face as she started her rant.

However, Lina was in no mood to listen to her bitch and moan about something that wasn't even her fault.

"If I recall correctly, you did not make an appointment and wanted to claim my slot." Lina calmly stated the truth of the matter.

Jeanette's face displayed just how pissed off she was when she heard those words.

Words that were identical to what her father had told her when she had contacted him to complain about that incident.

'Was daddy already aware that the person on whom I was planning to take revenge was this bitch, his secret lover?' She glowered when she connected the dots.

Though she was completely off the mark this thought had taken a seat in her mind.

Lina was confused when she saw this pretty yet annoying woman's expressions changing to a seething fury.

The anger in Jeanette's heart was enough to burn Lina alive but when she thought of Talia's instructions, she had no other choice but to keep her emotions under control.

Once again, Lina was surprised when she saw the menacing aura completely vanish following which a soft and elegant smile appeared on her face.

"We seem to have gotten off on the wrong foot." Jeanette admitted with a sheepish smile and extended her hand towards Lina.

"Hi, I'm Jeanette Liang. I was there at your debutante dinner but couldn't meet because I was busy trying to help a friend out." She introduced herself.

She did not forget to hint about the time she spent trying to coax Mandy to leave the bathroom after her breakdown.

Lina nodded her head, not aware of the hidden meaning behind those words and accepted her hand to shake it.

'I don't like you already because you change your aura in a matter of seconds.' She flashed a professional smile without letting her inner thoughts appear on her face.

Strangely, she was reminded of the time she had met that scary man at Obsidia's auction.

Thinking of that incident made her recall how heroic Reuben had been when he appeared just in time to save her.

Not wanting to waste any more time with his stranger, she decided to head back to her private room.

"It was nice meeting you, Miss Liang. I would be taking my leave now." She politely bid her goodbye and took a step forward.

Jeanette raised a brow as she turned to look at Lina's back.

'You think you can leave so easily?' She sneered and chuckled eerily.

"Did you enjoy snatching away her big moment in the spotlight?" Jeanette spoke in a mocking tone.

Lina's feet which were striding forward came to a halt when she heard the question which was obviously directed at her.

Turning around, she glanced at the shorter woman who had now reverted to the same derisive look from earlier.

'Does she need to have so many mood swings?' Lina wondered while trying hard not to roll her eyes.

Jeanette misunderstood the conflicted look on Lina's face as guilt and fear of being exposed of the immoral thing she had done to Mandy.

She took a few steps forward and once again the two women stood face to face only this time the confrontational air around them was obvious.