Chapter 164: Shall We Continue in Private?

'So sly…'

Eve clicked her tongue. Her lips posed in a smirk. It seemed like she wasn't the only one ready for battle. She blinked her eyes downwards, popping her mouth. Her head stayed bowed and she peeked at Ambryan through her lashes.

"Mr. Hathaway…" she spoke softly. Her eyebrow arched up and her nose directed towards the right. "Are you stalking me?"

"Stalking is a strong word," Ambryan replied. He fixed her bangs, making sure they were straight. "I think saying that I just want to hold onto you as long as possible is a better fit."

Cale clamped a hand against his mouth. His hold on Amy tightened. They hooked arms like two handcuffs. Nothing could break through it—not even a man running at full speed nor a truck about to transport a soul to another world.

Eve tilted her head sideways. "And why is that?"

"So you'd have zero chances of escaping."

Holding his breath, Cale felt a squeal burst inside his chest. It stretched his muscles despite the lack of sound. He read the scene like a web novel owned by an Asian company. It seemed that the pair had similar ideas about EliasWalker's movements.

"If we're going to eat, remind me that we shouldn't order any cheese," Eve chuckled. She pulled away from Ambryan's arm and gripped his hand instead. "I think you and I had had enough of it for weeks."

Both her and Ambryan continued to ignore the crowd. Their voices were just as loud as when they were alone. Their act projected naturally that zero to little people questioned the credibility of their words. The security teams kept the bystanders at a good distance.

Cale watched them with a scrutinizing gaze.

Although he knew the truth, he could feel something different in the air.

Ambryan stepped closer and kissed Eve's temple. His tone stayed nonchalant, saying, "We can always have the unbaked cookie dough inside the fridge."

Eve popped her eyes out of their sockets. "You haven't cooked it?"

"I checked online. It's still edible."

She gave him a skeptical look. If he hadn't baked the dough, what did he plan to do with it? They hadn't planned to meet soon. Their last conversation had been about the party. 

"What are we waiting for then?" Eve shrugged and went with the flow. She shifted her attention towards Cale and Amy, not letting go of Ambryan's hand. Her lips displayed an apologetic smile. "I'm sorry, Ms. Amy. I won't be able to join you. I look forward to our future partnership. Hope your day will be good. You too, Cale. Contact me if there's anything urgent."

Cale waved his hand, shooing them away. "Don't worry and go have fun, lovebirds."

Amy also encouraged them to leave. The crowd dispersed around her. Some followed the couple outside while others went back to their business. She'd never been in the midst of fame before. 

It was a little suffocating.

Yet, the two didn't crack under the pressure.

"I never pictured Ambryan Hathaway to be full of affection," the words left her mouth before she could process them. He used to be expressionless in public as if aware of the onlookers. 

Did Evangeline really change that in him?

"Sometimes you can't help it when you meet the right person," Cale told her. His eyes followed the two as they stepped out of the building. "It comes as natural as breathing. The rest of the world fades away and all that matters is that special someone in front of you."

She nudged his side. "Is that so?"

"Yeah…" Cale sighed dreamily. His eyes followed Ambryan and Eve until they were safe inside the car. "Much more powerful too when apart for a long time."

"I see."

Amy silently admitted defeat. 

Mila had the right judgement all this time. She saw the bond between the couple. They had a string that tied them together like they knew one another much longer than they seem. Maybe the romance stories she'd read were true.

Maybe everyone had a soulmate.

On the roads of Maize City, Ambryan and Eve found themselves in a familiar setup. Eve spotted the black sedans in the side mirror. Media vans followed closed behind—probably to snap photos of her entering Ambryan's condominium building.

Her cheeks reddened involuntarily.

She scrambled to think of a conversation, hoping it could redirect her thoughts and stop the blood rush. "Are we really going to bake the cookies?"

Ambryan spared her a glance. "Unless you want to waste the dough."

He turned at a corner. It led to a longer route to his residence. The decision helped the bodyguards shake off the media. He suspected some of them already went ahead to the penthouse as well. They would have to keep driving until Wen gave the green light.

Eve smirked, knowing better than that. She crossed her arms over her chest and bumped her back against the seat. "Didn't find anything online on how to turn on your oven, did you?"

"No."

She chuckled at his honesty. Her head turned towards the window. There was something about how the people outside experienced an average day. If they had any troubles, they were most likely used to them and knew how to handle them well. 

None of it probably came close to a fake ex-boyfriend appearing out of nowhere.

"I take it you saw EliasWalker," Eve said, breaking the silence. She suspected that it was the main reason for his sudden visit. Not only to crush any rising rumors but to also talk about the situation privately.

"Yes."

Her throat constricted from his curt response. "I don't know him."

"I believe you." Ambryan sighed. He felt a lot calmer than when he first found out about the slowgram profile. His vision perceived red in those photos—and it didn't come from Evangeline's double. 

"I'm right here if you need to shake him off," he added.

Eve smiled, still staring out the window. "I know."

Ambryan had considered driving to his permanent residence. He could always ask Wen to bring the cookie dough there. It had better security and none of the media had seen it before. Privacy was guaranteed. It was also less work for all of them.

Just as he was about to propose the idea to Evangeline, Wen called to say the building and its perimeter had been cleared. He dropped the thought immediately.

A soft fur ball brushed Eve's legs as soon as she entered the penthouse. She bent down to pick up the feline. "Hi, Kiri! How have you been? I see your owner takes care of you well. You think he can be a good partner to your future mother?"

"Meow~" Kiri purred. She nudged her head against Eve's jaw. 

"It still surprises me how she's nice to you," Ambryan cut in. He hung his jacket on the coat rack near the front door. The sleeves of his dress shirt hugged his biceps. "She's usually wary of strangers. Not even Richard has gained her favor yet."

"Really?" Eve blinked. She raised the cat at an arm's length away. "Is that true, Kiri? What did Richard ever do to you, huh? You can tell me. Don't be afraid."

Kiri merely stared back. Her eyes darted between the pair. They sparkled as if they witnessed two stars that crossed right before her sight. She swayed her tail underneath her. 

Eve shook her head and cradled the feline in her arms. Walking further into the room, she spoke over her shoulder. "Do you still have work? I can take care of the cookies while you finish up."

"Are you sure you'd be okay?" Ambryan asked and loosened his cuffs. Now that she mentioned it, he remembered the reports left for review. The documents he needed should be complete by now. 

"I'll be fine. I have Kiri," she assured him, pressing her cheek against the cat's.

Ambryan surrendered and headed for his home office. He paused in his steps and gazed in their direction one more time. "I won��t take long."

"Please. Take as much time as you need."

Eve let out a deep breath. It slowly flowed out of her lips. Her legs had begun the journey to the kitchen. Her stomach rumbled at the thought of the cookies. Although she didn't have the place memorized, it should be simple enough to find anything she'd suddenly need. 

Kiri stayed out of any area that touched food directly. 

Her favorite spot was a cat tree beside the fridge.

With the pan and the cookies in the oven, Eve prepared tea and coffee. She found it ironic that a tea lover had a coffee maker inside the kitchen. Then again, the penthouse probably came pre-furnished so it was already there before Ambryan bought it.

What could be the reason for the coffee beans and grinder though?

"Who do you know that likes coffee?" She teased, hearing footsteps on the way. The butter-y and sugar-y smell of the cookies must have lured Ambryan out. "I still remember that you prefer tea. So these beans have to be for someone else."

He patted Kiri on the head before taking out two ceramic mugs from a cupboard. "I have both so I can accommodate any visitor's taste. Eve for one likes coffee."

"Eve?" Said Eve who almost dropped the bag of coffee beans. 

"My secretary." Ambryan placed the mugs on the counter. Then, he knitted his eyebrows. "That's right. You two haven't met. I'm used to having her communicate with almost everyone I know."