Chapter 98: ALLURED

"No, you should have said this from the start," Theodore said softly, trying to keep his tone steady, hiding a faint crease between his brows, which indicated he was unsure of the situation.

If knowing this alone had made his feelings and thoughts go awry, then what awaited him when he told this news to his parents, would be inconceivable, considering they didn't even like Aileen.

Especially his mother.

His mother already considered Hailee like her own child, because she was so close to Hailee's late mother, Diana. You could say that they were best friends.

That was one reason why his engagement to Hailee was sparked. However, who would have thought that in the middle of all of this, Theodore would fall in love with Hailee's foster sister?

It was completely beyond everyone's expectations ...

"I'm sorry ..." Aileen said softly as she tightened her embrace on Theodore's body.

However, the apology only made Theodore grimace, as he felt uncomfortable to bring it up again. "Never mind... stop apologizing."

Just then, Zia, Diego Tatum's daughter, came to look for them.

"What are you doing cuddling in my house?" Zia asked in a fierce tone. She crossed her arms and looked at Aileen and Theodore with displeasure.

Zia disliked Theodore from the beginning of his acquaintance with Hailee and hated him even more when she learned the man's affair with Aileen, so there was no need to expect sweet treatment from her toward the two lovers.

She was also not very happy when she learned that Aileen would be coming with Theodore to the family reunion that was supposed to be for Hailee and Ramon.

Only because of George uncle's unwavering insistence that her father softened a little after hearing his explanation.

After all, there was nothing wrong. What was wrong was the fact that Aileen was disliked and Theodore's figure was not at all sympathetic after his affair with her.

"Oh, well… we will immediately go inside," Aileen said hoarsely, she then quickly wiped her tears.

Zia narrowed her eyes, she actually saw the tears, but didn't want to bother. Whatever made this woman cry, she deserved it. No matter what it was…

"Don't do anything weird in my house." After saying that, the figure of Zia, who had short hair and was tall, walked past Aileen and Theodore.

She felt very unlucky to have run into such a shameless couple.

"Let's go inside," Theodore said in a low voice. Wiping the remnants of tears on Aileen's cheeks with his thumbs. "There is no need to discuss this matter first."

"Very well," agreed Aileen, nodding. "I'm going to the toilet first." She had to make sure her makeup was still okay.

There's no way Aileen would want to meet Hailee with puffy eyes, even if these tears were just part of her acting.

"I'll wait in the living room." Theodore nodded and kissed Aileen on the forehead before letting the girl walk away, leaving him alone standing there with his mind crumpled.

It took a while for Theodore to neutralize his feelings and calm himself after the shocking news that Aileen conveyed.

It was only after he felt well enough, did Theodore walk back into the house and into the living room with heavy steps, where he saw Diego sitting together with Zia, talking about something.

While George was on the phone in one of the farthest corners of the room, it seemed like a serious conversation, because when their gazes met, George simply nodded at him and walked away, disappearing behind the door leading to the side garden.

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Aileen was in the toilet in one of the guest rooms in this house, after confirming that no one was around, she took out her cellphone while readjusting her make-up again. Making sure there were no traces of fake tears ruining her appearance.

"He just came inside," George said into the phone, informing Aileen that Theodore had just joined them in the living room.

"How is he?" Aileen asked while re-applying her red lipstick.

"Looks just fine to me," George said nonchalantly. "Make sure you make the best of your pregnancy to speed up your marriage. The Gevano family will not be able to let their prospective first grandchild go just like that."

"I'm not pregnant," Aileen corrected, embarrassed that George was taking this lie rather seriously. Subconsciously, she glanced at her flat stomach and grimaced. Getting pregnant at a time like this wasn't what Aileen wanted.

"And only you and I know about it," George said angrily, for Aileen had again spouted this important thing carelessly. He was worried that someone else would overhear this conversation.

"And you have hired some doctors, just in case Theodore wanted to prove this pregnancy, right?" Aileen quipped, she was openly showing her disgust for her real father.

"Shut up!" George growled in a muffled voice. He would have slapped Aileen again if only she had been in front of him.

And what made his anger even more intense was Aileen's laugh that he heard afterward.

How dare she laugh at him?!

"There's no need to be afraid like that," Aileen then ran her fingers through her hair, staring at the image of herself smiling with satisfaction because it had provoked George's anger, as she had to hide her rotten facial expression. "I understand this situation well. Your fall is mine, so you take it easy, daddy... "

Aileen deliberately said the word 'daddy' as sweetly as possible and then hung up the phone before George could scold her again.

After putting her phone back into her white clutch bag, Aileen stared at the reflection of herself smiling, but the smile didn't even reach her eyes.

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Theodore saw George coming back with a twisted face.

"Is there a problem with the company?" Theodore asked George casually, before leaning close to his side.

"Yes, more or less like that." George rubbed his face roughly and grumbled again. "Where are those two people?"

Theodore then glanced at his watch. "There's still half an hour before eleven," he said. "They will come at eleven o'clock."

"They should have come earlier. They know that the people waiting for them here are older than them, they should respect us." George grumbled, because he still felt resentment at Aileen for hanging up so insolently.

"Hailee said they'd be here at eleven." Zia, who heard George's grunt wrinkled her nose. "So, why would they be here so early?"

George pretended he didn't hear his niece's fierce comment and chose to drink his coffee and have some small talk with Diego.

Even though they were brothers, but George was not very close to Diego and tend to be afraid of him. Especially after his decision not to continue the family business and oppose their parents to enter the military world.

Luckily, at that time Giorgio volunteered to replace his brother, while George was too young to offer the same thing.

Maybe because of that too, Diego had gentler feelings for his second brother.

"Sorry for making you wait so long," Aileen said softly to Theodore and immediately sat beside him.

For a moment, Aileen glanced at George who gave her a stern look, but with an innocent face, she joined the small talk with Diego and Zia, acting as if her chats with Theodore or George had never happened.

After the so called small talk to which Diego responded with; yes, hmm, no, I think so, finally one of the waiters said that a car had entered the yard and would arrive soon.

"We have to go out to greet her," Zia said, then stood up.

"Why are we welcoming that girl?" George disagreed, he crossed his arms with a face full of dislike. However, his forehead creased when he saw Diego standing up and about to follow his daughter out of the room.

They were indeed the elders, but didn't that mean they have to set a good example as someone who is older, especially because they are the host.

"Come on, we should also go to greet Hailee and her future husband," Aileen invited Theodore, who received a disapproving look from George, but she ignored it.

Until in the end, only George remained in the room with his stubbornness.

Meanwhile, on the front side, they saw a black luxury car, which Theodore assessed as the latest release from a well-known brand and had only produced a few.

The luxury car was parked nicely under the steps leading to the terrace, where they stood, waiting for Hailee and Ramon to arrive.

A moment later, Ramon got out of one of the doors and circled the car before opening the door and helping Hailee out, holding her hand. Like a gentleman.

This attitude of Ramon's received a nod of approval from Diego and a sweet smile from Zia.

However, what Theodore saw afterward actually took him by utter surprise. The last time he saw Hailee was when they met in Blue See.

At that time Hailee did look as sweet and cheerful as ever. However, what Theodore saw this time was very different from the impression he had been getting all along.

Hailee looked so beautiful and mature...