GHOST TRILLIONAIRE OF VANDERBILT

Chapter nine: Encounter at the table

The Meal course arrived after ten minutes in lidded silver trays carried in by four staffs walking in with professional ease. Patron's steal glances at them, commenting in hushed tone.

The tray's were gently placed on the table one after the other along with different labels of drinks that immediately made Arabella gasped, her voice catching on it. Her eyes widened on the spread of dishes in her front.

Ceramic plates arrived immediately too with cutleries only used in this kind of settings.

"Are you ready, Sir, Ma?" The waitress glanced between them. "I'll be offering the table service personally."

Caius glanced across to Arabella who was still in shock, her wide eyes counting down from one lidded trays on the table and drinks that stood together like trophies at the side.

What the heck?

"Please go ahead." Caius said seeing she was still processing everything. He smiled faintly.

"Alright. It's an honour to serve you, Sir, Ma." 

The waitress moved, flipping one lid open with ease. Steam trapped beneath wafted into the air. The tantalizing aroma of accurately cooked and spiced fried rice diffused in the air, hitting Arabella's nostril and raising her appetite. She swallowed before she knew it.

The rice was scooped into the ceramic plate, fried plantain, coleslaw gently laid over the green graind with fried chicken. It was served with steady hand. 

Arabella's stomach grumbled as the plate was carefully set in her front.

"What drink will you like to take, Ma?"

"Oh, yeah..drink...." Her eyes went to the collection of assorted drinks on the table. It was difficult to make a choice. "I'll just take the orange juice." She said after some second.

A glass cup was set in her front and the orange juice was carefully poured. 

Caius giggled softly seeing her reaction to everything.

"Food is better served before your eyes," he said. "the eye is a sense organ so it captures the process and helps to increase the body to boost the appetite." 

He was also served the same dish— fried rice with orange juice.

The waitress bowed gently and stepped to the side.

"If you need anything else, I'll stay around." She said respectfully and stepped to the corner.

Arabella stared at the plate in her front and looked at Caius again.

"This...all of this is..is much. We can't afford this, Caius." She leaned closer. "Listen I understand you want me to get better and you want me eating good stuffs but this.. it's too much."

"Good thing the Restaurant offers discounts." He said without even bothered. "Let's just eat up before the food run away, dear." He said.

Arabella stared at him intently. Something about him wasn't adding up. The way he talked calmly, the way he was relaxed despite the expensive plates laid out before him.

She didn't pick her cutlery. She leaned in further, her voice dropping to a low curious edge.

"Who are you really?" She asked. 

Caius looked at him and smiled lightly. "I'm a weird?" 

"You're too relaxed with all of this placed into your front." 

Caius wanted to tell her his family owned the place, to tell her who exactly he was but he stopped. Not yet. It isn't the right time yet. He doesn't want her to be overwhelmed with her PTSD and have the motive that he's one of those arrogant rich people.

"You don't need to worry about it, Arabella. Just trust me." 

They ate in the silence after then, savouring the expensive taste of the meal, occasionally exchanging conversation between the meal and quiet laughter. 

It was Arabella's first time feeling relaxed with someone. And for once, the pressure and despair in her heart knotted. She was slowly getting used to Caius and their attachment was growing stronger 

"You're being silly, Caius." She laughed over his joke.

"Hold on. . Hold on, Princess." Caius said between gentle laughter. He grabbed the handkerchief and leaned over gentle to remove a small food particle from her lips.

"What is that?" She asked.

Gently, Caius brushed the crumb from her lips. Caius's face was close, his finger brushed against her skin gently.  Arabella flinched, the contact sending electric pulse to her brain. Her chest hammered. Her cutlery went still. Her face flushed.

"There you go." Caius leaned back and sat back in his seat. 

The guesture caught her off guard. Her heart fluttered. 

What was happening to her? She thought, her heart racing.

It was a familiar voice that broke her out of the reverie. She turned in the direction of the voice and whom she saw made her breathe hitched.

"Oh God." She gasped, her voice trembling. Her expression changed to panic instantly. "We need to leave. I need to leave." The words tumbled out of her mouth.

"What's the problem?" Caius asked with a raised brow.

"My step-sister... she's here..I can't let her see me here..it'll be trouble.." 

Caius looked across the room to see a young woman about her age in a flashy outfit with a man in expensive suit walking inside.

"You don't have to leave, Bella. She's not going to do anything to you." Caius immediately understood the situation. Obviously, Arabella is not only bullied in the school, she was bullied even at home.

She held her hand gently.

"Look at me. Just relax. I'm here with you and nothing is going to happen."

At the moment, the young woman, Diane, standing beside the young man and looking at the space and admiring it suddenly looked in their direction. Her eyes narrowed, flashing with shock and maybe confusion.

"What the heck?! Ana?" She muttered in disbelief. "No.. what's she doing here?" Her eyes tunneled to the distance.

"Babe, please give me some seconds." She excused herself and moved across the Hall, her heels clicking gently.

Arabella's heart slammed her chest in anxiety.

Diane stood before their table, smirking. "Well. Well. Well. If it isn't the dirty Bella. What  are you doing in a place like this where kings and Queens dine? Tired of watching dirty plates at home? Huh?" Her voice was poison wrapped in silk. She then looked at Caius and snorted.

"And who are you? You badged yourself a..." Her eyes darted to the tray lining up on the table in shock.

".....a Scammer?"