CH 33: The First Meeting

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Ambryan lifted up his violet eyes, his lips still touching the teacup's rim.

Evangeline held her coffee with two hands. She slipped one finger through the handle and cradled the mug near her lips. Her eyes closed as she inhaled the aroma. A satisfied moan rumbled in her throat.

"Now, this. This is good coffee," she whispered, opening her eyes. The coffee lit up her entire face. "I think I'd come back here just to try the others."

They just sat there for a while and enjoyed their beverages.

Ambryan enjoyed the silence. It seemed that his hunch was right. Evangeline was a woman who felt the same. She neither tried to talk to him nor created noise. This might actually be a rare peaceful lunch.

As much as he'd prefer it that way, they needed to discuss several things.

"Ms. Evangeline, if you don't mind, I'd like to open up a topic," he said, breaking the ice. The teacup clattered on the saucer. He patted his lips with the table napkin.

"And what would that be, Mr. Hathaway?" Evangeline kept the mug near her face. She merely raised her eyebrows at him.

"It's regarding the next 9 months."

No matter what his mother told him, a relationship still had a few similarities with business transactions—especially for one that wasn't ordinary. He watched her expression carefully. He wanted to assess her reaction.

Evangeline put her coffee down, licking her lips. She took the table napkin and cleaned off the residue on her face. "About our relationship, you mean? Are we going to announce it or something? Because I would protest strongly."

"Absolutely not," Ambryan snapped. The frown lines between his brows deepened. "I dislike the press. I just use them whenever I need their advantage."

He had a reason as to why he never corrected them about his dating life. It served as a hint for future dates, letting them know that it wouldn't last for long. He only intervened if it involved irrelevant details and false assumptions.

"Do you have any demands?" He continued. It was better to make things clear from the beginning. He didn't want unnecessary misunderstandings.

Evangeline folded her hands over the table. Her forehead creased from confusion. "Demands?"

"From the relationship."

He heard her tongue click. Her left cheek compressed as she bit it on the inside. He watched as her eyes retreated from reality. The expression intrigued him. He clasped his hands together and waited, studying her.

She wasn't a conversationalist. That was true.

However, she didn't need to be. She wore her thoughts on her face.

"I only ask for what I said. That I'd be able to accept, to refuse or to argue freely." Evangeline repeated, meeting his eyes. He did remember the message. He already agreed to it before.

Ambryan cleared his throat. He was about to respond when she cut in before he could.

"But now that I think about it..." Evangeline suddenly said. A small twinkle gleamed in her eyes. The corners of her lips curled up as she gained an idea, "There might be some things I'd like."

Ambryan leaned back and crossed his legs. Now, this sounded much better. His demeanor switched to his business mode. He narrowed his gaze, keeping his expression neutral.

"State your terms."

Evangeline shifted in her seat. She lifted her pinky finger and proceeded to share her conditions. Her hazel eyes turned serious.

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