CHAPTER 82: HOW DARE YOU?

Arriving at the restaurant where she was to meet Valerio, Evelyn paused at the glass door. She stared at it, frowned, and let out a defeated sigh.

Why was she even doing this again? It wasn’t like she wanted to be here at all, but looking through the glass door, she could already see Valerio who was seated at one of the empty tables, legs crossed and waiting for her.

She let out a deep breath, pushed the door open, and stepped inside.

As soon as she approached, Valerio turned his head, rising to his feet with a big smile on his face.

"Evelyn, hi!"

"Hello." She offered him as much of a polite smile as she could.

Valerio being the gentleman that he was, pulled the chair out for her, and as she sat down, he didn’t fail to notice just how casually she was dressed.

Did she not want to come at all? Why say yes then? Though to be fair, he’d been persuading her over and over again.

Maybe she came to make him stop.

Well, who cared? The point was, she came eventually.

Returning to his seat opposite her, he asked, "What would you like to eat?"

Evelyn shook her head.

"Nothing."

"Why?"

"I don’t really have the appetite to eat anything right now, Valerio," she said to him with a bite to his tone.

It looked like he got the message, because he nodded, clearing his throat. "My apologies."

Evelyn steepled her fingers. "So?"

"Why did you call me out, Valerio?"

Valerio swallowed, half smiling. "I haven’t even asked you how you are or—"

"To be honest with you, Valerio, I didn’t want to come to this. My friend convinced me and all I want to do is go home. I wish I didn’t feel this way, really, because I have no intention of hurting you, but I genuinely feel so irritated and I’m sorry."

"What...do you mean?"

She dragged her fingers through her hair. "Just...tell me why you wanted me here."

Valerio stared at her. He’d hoped this would be more than just him apologizing which was his initial reason, but looking at Evelyn...

"I wanted you here, but I’d like to apologize properly to you with a...date..."

"But...this isn’t a date." Evelyn shook her head at her.

"Yeah." Valerio chuckled awkwardly. "I can see that now."

She sighed defeatedly.

"In any case. I really want to apologize to you for what I did last year,’ he said. "I never should have spoken to you that way. Humiliated you like that or...said you weren’t my type."

He let out a soft breath. "You were my type in every way, Evelyn. From the way you talk, to how intelligent you are. How different you are from your siblings. You are a beautiful woman, one that even your father adores. Everything about you."

Evelyn peered at him, hard and confused. "Uh...t-thank you."

"Evelyn—"

"Why are you telling me these things?"

"Because I lo—"

"No, no!" Evelyn rapidly shook her head. "Don’t say that to me. Don’t even try it!"

"But I love you. I do, Evelyn." Valerio spoke his mind either way. "I’ve always loved you even before you confused me that day. But I couldn’t have you, not when you were Darkwood’s daughter. You were out of my league, above my standards and how could I be with a woman when I had yet to become anything myself? I wanted to be able to stand in front of you without feeling a shred of shame or insecurity. I didn’t want to feel below you in any way or like I’m not worthy of you. That is why I took a whole fucking year to fix myself. Don’t you get it!?"

He stared at her with a hard look. Wanting her to understand.

Evelyn deeply frowned.

"Valerio, enough. Stop it. I don’t have time for any of this."

"What do you mean you don’t have time for any of this?" He glared at her. "I’m telling you how I feel and you don’t even want to listen!"

"I don’t want to listen, because I’m not interested!" she snapped at him. "How many times will I say this to you? I loved you in the past and that’s it! I don’t love you Valerio, I don’t want you and I’m not interested in you. Please leave me alone!"

She slapped her hands on the table, rising to her feet. "You know what? I’m leaving. This was a stupid idea. I never should’ve accepted this invitation. You are always the same. Never knowing when to accept a no or when to stop. And stop coming to my company or anywhere I am. I don’t like it, so please stop it."

But Valerio snatched her bicep before she could leave, pulling her to a stop.

She glared at him. "Wh-what are you doing?"

She looked around the restaurant, only now realizing that the entire place was oddly empty as if he’d booked the entire place for himself tonight.

A different kind of fear she’d never tasted before washed through her, and her chest began pounding. Her instincts kicked in, to get out of here, to leave. Something about this entire setting was starting to frighten her. The way he was staring at her.

"No..."

She shook her head.

"L-let go of me."

"You know you can be really annoying sometimes Evelyn, you know that? You don’t love me, really? Why? Because of that asshole, Zayne Mancini? Is he the one you love? Is he the reason you’re rejecting me?"

"Let go of me!" she yelled at him, yanking her arm. "Valerio take your hands off me. I-I-I mean it. Stop it. Stop this!"

"Aw don’t look at me like that now as if I’m a monster." Valerio shook his head, chuckling. "This is all your fault. I took an entire year to build myself up into this, just to find out you’re fucking around with someone else? Zayne Mancini? Is it because he’s richer than I am? Or wait... You fucked him, didn’t you? Let me ask then. How good is he in be—"

Evelyn slapped him so harshly, he staggered, face tilted to the other side.

"How dare you speak to me like that?"