Chapter 5
1430 Words
When we finally arrived home, we sat in the living room for a while.
Bulma immediately prepared some snacks for us. I needed them because I was still hungry. I barely ate anything at the venue because I felt so uncomfortable around all those people.
“Sweetheart, didn’t you eat properly at the party?” my mother asked.
I had finished the food in front of me rather quickly.
Yoa was also silently watching me.
“I-I didn’t. I felt uncomfortable around everyone,” I admitted before continuing to eat.
“Do you want some rice, sweetheart? I’ll prepare some for you. Just give me a moment—”
Before I could answer, she had already walked away.
And there it was again.
I was left alone with Yoa.
I continued eating, pretending his presence beside me didn’t bother me.
“Delicious?” he asked.
I looked at him and nodded.
“If only you had eaten your conversation with De Guzman’s son earlier instead of wasting your time talking to him, you wouldn’t be hungry now.”
I stopped chewing and looked at him.
“What do you mean?”
“Kids these days are too fragile. You’re still young, so no matter what I tell you, you probably won’t understand.”
I could feel the hair on the back of my neck rising from irritation.
“I’m not a child anymore. I’m a grown woman, and I know what’s happening around me.”
“See? You get irritated so easily. You don’t even know how to control your emotions. You let your emotions dictate you too much.”
“Do you have a problem with Kai?”
“So, his name is Kai, huh?”
I immediately stopped chewing.
I slowly straightened in my seat.
I was beginning to feel uncomfortable under his stare.
He was looking at me intently, his eyebrows almost touching.
“Why did you suddenly stop? Realized something important?”
I swallowed.
For a moment, I had completely forgotten who I was talking to because I was too irritated.
“Maybe you’ve forgotten who I am in your and your mother’s lives.”
His voice suddenly became serious.
“I’m the reason your mother has been able to enjoy the life she has now, and you’re about to enjoy it too. You should be thanking me, Adriana.”
I felt the hairs on my arms stand.
I didn’t know why, but hearing him say my name sent a strange sensation through me.
He crossed one leg over the other while staring at me.
I immediately busied myself with my food.
Although, truthfully, I could barely swallow anymore.
“Don’t be a brat. I hate brats,” he added.
“I-I’m sorry.”
Yoa raised an eyebrow at my response.
“Does sorry fix everything?”
I looked up and met his eyes.
“At least it can calm the situation down.”
He scoffed and shook his head in disbelief.
“That’s why you need to focus on your own growth, Adriana. You still have so much to learn.”
He leaned back slightly.
“And boys will always be boys. They’ll only ruin your plans and your future goals. So I insist that you study hard. Study first and prioritize it over them. Understand?”
I felt almost hypnotized by the intensity of his gaze.
Without even thinking, I nodded.
His eyes were strangely captivating.
Too captivating.
It made me feel insane.
“Men bring nothing good into your life,” he said as he poured wine into his goblet.
“Including you?” I murmured.
He laughed.
But the laughter never reached his eyes.
I could feel the coldness in his soul.
“I’m a man, not a boy.”
He took a sip.
“I can make everything dance in the palm of my hand. A person, a place, anything, Adriana. A boy can’t do that.”
His gaze hardened.
“I’m not the governor of this city for nothing.”
I fell silent.
He finished his wine and stood up.
“But I’m a dangerous man.”
His voice became colder.
“So know who you’re trying to piss off next time.”
Then he walked upstairs.
I remained frozen in my seat.
“Adriana!”
Only then did I snap out of my thoughts.
I turned and saw my mother wearing an apron, still holding a ladle.
“Come on, sweetheart. I’ve finished cooking. Where’s your stepfather?” she asked.
“Erm… he’s upstairs.”
“Go call him. Tell him we’re eating again. He didn’t eat properly either because he doesn’t trust food prepared outside.”
“P-Pardon?”
“Go on. Bulma is still busy, and I feel bad waking up the other maids.”
I reluctantly nodded.
I felt like my legs had become incredibly heavy as I walked toward Yoa’s room.
When I reached his door, I stood there for a moment.
Should I knock?
Should I just go back downstairs?
But my mother would probably wonder why I hadn’t called him.
So I finally knocked.
Three times.
The door opened.
And I froze.
Yoa was standing there without a shirt, wearing nothing but black silk pajama pants.
My eyes widened.
It was the first time I had ever seen a man without a shirt.
And, unfortunately, that man had to be my stepfather.
Worst timing ever.
“What?” he asked irritably.
I immediately looked away so our eyes wouldn’t meet.
“D-Dinner is ready,” I said softly.
Yoa looked at me, his forehead deeply creased.
“Don’t act like you have a f*****g virgin eye. Is this the first time you’ve ever seen a shirtless man?”
I immediately turned my back to him and clenched my fists.
“Want to punch me?”
I took a deep breath.
Before I could answer, he walked past me.
By the time I turned around, he had already put on a white shirt.
“The audacity,” I muttered under my breath.
“Heard you.”
I immediately fell silent.
I didn’t say another word.
When we went downstairs, I quietly returned to my seat and began eating.
“Sweetheart, classes are starting soon. So, what’s your plan? Have you thought about it?” my mother asked.
“Yes. I’ll go with what was originally planned. I’ll pursue fine arts.”
I saw my mother’s face light up.
It was a smile of pure relief.
“See? I told you, Yoa. My daughter won’t be able to resist me.”
My eyebrows furrowed.
What was that supposed to mean?
I decided not to ask.
Knowing my mother, she probably wouldn’t care about my opinion anyway.
“Good choice,” Yoa said.
“Sweetheart, I know you’ll enjoy your school. There are so many handsome boys and beautiful girls there,” my mother said excitedly.
Yoa remained quiet, continuing to eat.
“Mom,” I warned.
“What? That’s normal. You’re a young woman now. What’s wrong with having a boyfriend?”
She smiled mischievously.
“Besides, I saw you earlier with my friend Luisa’s son. Do you like him? He’s handsome, isn’t he? As far as I know, you’re going to the same school.”
I felt like my mother was making things even more difficult for me.
I could feel Yoa’s heavy gaze on both of us.
“What do you think, sweetheart?” my mother asked.
I drank some water before meeting her gaze.
“I… I don’t know, Mom.”
“Never mind, then. What matters is that you enjoy your school. Don’t pressure yourself, okay?”
I nodded.
“You shouldn’t tell her what to do. Let her live her own life.”
I stopped chewing.
What a hypocrite.
If only my mother knew how much he had been provoking me earlier.
“Sorry. I’m just really excited for my daughter,” my mother said.
“I’m done.”
Yoa stood up.
Before leaving, he carefully arranged his plate and utensils.
He even straightened the plate containing the remaining food before walking away.
“What was that?” I asked my mother, genuinely confused.
“Your stepfather is just too particular about everything. Why don’t you call him Daddy, sweetheart?”
My face immediately fell.
“Mom.”
She laughed.
“Come to think of it, he really does look more like your older brother. Don’t you want that? You get an older brother and a daddy at the same time.”
I shook my head and simply continued eating.
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