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CHAPTER

"Willy, you have anything to say?", Jacob asked her firmly.

She looked around the small apartment, the kitchen was separated from the living room by an island, one bed room and a bathroom, very simply furnished. The beige sofa that they were currently occupying, a television in front of them. A simple bookcase holding different genre of books. The apartment doesn't look like one of the heir to Elliot Empire would live but well.

"Call Evangeline."

She could see the slight surprise in Jacob's eyes on the mention of his girlfriend.

"You didn't thought I or your mother won't know about her.", she coldly said to him, her eyes still darting around the room.

"Why don't you talk to me? Evangeline doesn't need to be here.", Jacob sighed out.

"Like it or not. I won't leave until she comes."

"Willy-"

Her sharp eyes cut him off mid-sentence, signalling him that it was useless of him to continue. He knew she was strong willed, once she put her mind on something she doesn't back down until she achieve it. He ruffled his hair and picked his phone up and dialled a number.

"Hello, Eva. Can you come to my house now?", he waited for the other person to respond, " No. Yeah. Alright, come fast, please."

"She is coming.", he informed her.

She nodded.

"Willy, don't be rude to her.", he warned her.

She just smirked at him with a challenging gaze, "Isn't it to late to warn me off?"

Jacob looked at her with skepticism, "Willy, did you do something?", he knew her insolent nature to people she doesn't like. He didn't want his decisions to affect the way his family behave with Evangeline.

She switch on the TV and put on a business news channel, after few minutes of silence, she said flatly, "Why does these channels have to be so boring?", she changed to a channel broadcasting a drama, and said to Jacob without looking at him, "Why don't you pick up Madam Elliot's call?"

Jacob sighed in exasperation, "Well she's good at nagging."

"She is.", she slowly nodded, Madam Elliot could be quite persistent to the point she annoyed the hell out of everyone. The elegant Madam was raised in a rich family, she was spoiled to the core so things get out of hand when she put her mind on something.

"So you should knew better than to provoke her by ignoring.", she pursed her lips, trying to concentrate on the ongoing plot of the drama playing on the screen.

"Make me something I'm hungry, and also something to drink.", she waved her hand at him.

Jacob had a slight smile on his face, he looked at the concentrated face of her, the girl who was annoyingly smart and matured at the same time immature, had grown to be the same as her younger version.

"You are just like mom.", he said standing up, advancing towards the kitchen when he heard her low serious voice.

"No. I'm better than her."

She heard the clanging of pots from the kitchen, Jacob was preparing food for her as she asked him. While she focused on the ongoing story, she was irritated by the constant crying if the female lead, and wanted to knock some sense on the protanganist for being so stupid but refrained because she didn't wanted to break the TV.

Aroma of the food wafted through the room, she hadn't had breakfast yet and it was almost noon. She couldn't held back the excitement to watch the surprised look when she reveal the purpose for her visit.

Minutes passed by when a steaming bowl of noodles and a plate of fried rice was placed on the round wooden sofa table. Her focused shifted to the food infront of her, the delicious smell invading her nose increasing her hunger, her mouth salivating. She took the bowl and mixed the noodles with chopstick Jacob gave her. She ate the noodles with great ardor, she had missed his cooking, she doesn't remember the last time he cooked for her. He returned with a glass of guava juice, place it near the plate, and sat beside her.

"Willy, Evangeline doesn't really know that truth of my family."

"So? Are you ashamed of your family?"

She didn't waited for him to say anything and continued, " Someday she'll know it, and I think the time has come. Better than you telling her than some stranger."

Jacob didn't bother arguing and even thought that it was time for telling the truth. Now that his mother knew about Evangeline, he knew it was matter of time before something happen.

In the midst of her eating, the bell rang. Jacob rosed to his feet and sauntered towards the door. She ignored it and continue eating. She reached for the glass, and took a sip, the sweet pulpy taste of guava rolling around her tongue as she savours her favourite juice. She looked up when she saw the two people walking towards her, she looked at them over the rim of the glass.

She saw that Evangeline stopped when she saw her, confused at her presence. She nodded at them, her glass still placed near her lips.

Jacob put his hand around Evangeline's waist and guided her to the sofa. They both settled on the sofa near her.

A silence spread as she continued eating her food. Evangeline threw a questioning gaze to Jacob, but he smile gently at her. She scrapped down plate of fried rice clean, her noodles long finished. She took a sip of her juice and said, "Do you know, guava juice is Jacob's favourite too."

It was more of a statement than a question and directed towards Evangeline. Evangeline was perplexed, she didn't know who this woman was or how she was related to Jacob, she felt edgy.

"Don't you recognize me?", she asked with a frown, keeping her glass back on the table, and decreased the volume of the television.

Evangeline looked at her in confusion, slightly shaking her head.

"Well, I seem to be very good in disguise.", she pondered out loud, "Anyway, we met two nights ago at Navy Restaurant.", she brightly smiled at her.

A sudden scene from that night strikes in Evangeline's mind. She thought it was not possible for that woman to be the same who was sitting infront of her. This women was dressed in black sweatpant and grey plain tshirt, but if she noticed carefully she could feel the same elengancy from her, "That night..."

"Oh! Jacob do your mother know that you have a fiancee?"

Jacob's eyes widened, he shouldn't be surprised by now that she knew everything, she had already done research on him. Evangeline hearts spiked on the mention of Jacob's mother. He hardly mention his family to her, so she was curious about that matter.

"Your mother would go berserk if she hear this. I mean you proposing a nobody without her knowledge."

"Willy.", Jacob sternly warned her.

She simply gave a mocking smile, and leaned back, " Jacob, sweetie. You know I'm right. The family will be highly disappointed in you.", she stared at the scene playing the television, the volume so low it melted like a background noise.

"I don't care for what they think.", Jacob's lips set in a firm line.

"Say Evangeline Glen, how much do you love this man?"

Evangeline replied honestly, "So much that I could trade my life for him.", the woman was making her nervous.

"Well then will you leave him, if his family opposed the relation?"

Evangeline wanted to say no, but she didn't knew how were the relationship between Jacob and his family and she didn't want to be the one to ruin anything.

Seeing her hesitation, a smile of that of a predator appeared, she seemed pleased with the reaction, "Jacob doesn't have a good relation with his family."

Jacob frowned deeply. She knew what she was saying was partially true, it was only Uncle James who had a strained relation with his son. But she was good at exarggerating things and likes playing with the feeble minds of the people around her.

"Your presence might just ruined the leftovers he had with them.", she sighed deeply as if it pained her with the mere thought of it, "I have known Jacob since we were toddlers, he valued his family a lot. But some years ago, he broke all the comtact with his family. Where you the reason for it, Evangeline Glen?", she coldly sneered.

A chill went up her spine as Evangeline looked at the cold, dark eyes of the woman sitting before her.

Her sneered turned into a warm smile, she felt how uncomfortable Evangeline felt. She sighed softly, "Congratulation, Jacob. Even though it would been a pleasure if it was you who had inform us with, regardless of that I can't help but be happy for you."

Then she turned her eyes on Evangeline, "Evangeline Glen welcome to the family."

Evangeline was confused with the way this woman was changing her words and keep changing her temper. She didn't knew what to feel anymore.

"Don't mind, Willy. She is a little bit of...", he trailed off, and gestured a carzy sign to Evangeline.

She scoffed, "I am the smart one among all our siblings."

She search for the ring in her pocket, the main reason she came here. When her fingers touched the ring, she pulled it out, admiring the intricate design of the ring.

"Willy, why do you have this?", his attention turned to Evangeline's ring finger which was naked of the ring he gave her.

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