chapter 69
last update2026-06-22 16:48:09

We were still eating when I heard someone knock on the door. My heart literally skipped because I knew exactly who it was.

Mrs. Park went to check and I heard her talking with whoever it was. It was like I had expected. Yemi was now at the kitchen door.

She was still in her work clothes so it was clear she had gone somewhere and was just coming back because she had some documents in her hand.

I suspected that Henry must have asked her to bring the document to me.

Since Henry found out that we had dinner, it just seemed like he was trying so hard to make me and Yemi compatible. Of course, he didn't show it but it was unusual that he had asked Yemi to bring me my documents.

She stopped into the kitchen and stopped.

She looked at me, then at Emma who was fixing Lily's hair thirty seconds ago. She was not eating more food and was speaking directly to Lily who didn't seem to notice that Yemi was in the room.

Then she walked directly to me. I couldn't stop observing her. Her face looked completely professional and controlled.

Two months ago, I would have thought she didn't care but there was this little blink in her eyes.

“I'm really sorry to interrupt..” Even her voice seemed perfect. Was I wrong? Was she not jealous? “Henry asked me to get these to you. Your signature is needed.”

“Oh.” I stood up and took the folder from her.

Our eyes met briefly but she looked away when she heard Lily call her name.

I wanted to talk to her. I felt the need to assure her that nothing was happening and that this was just a harmless lunch with Emma.

I wanted to say all of those but I knew I couldn't, not in front of Emma, not when she was here.

“I'll sign these now.” I said, hoping it could get her to say something but she didn't. She only nodded and smiled at me. Professionally.

I wanted to ask her to join us, to wait after Lunch so I could explain the situation but she turned to go.

“Yemi.” Lily sounded excited which made Yemi turn to her with a smile. At least that was genuine.

“Aren't you going to eat lunch with me?”

“No, I can't, today. I have to go back, my partner will be on duty today. I'll see tomorrow, maybe.” Yemi responded.

Maybe?

What did that mean?

She had to report to work tomorrow, and to me, too. I so badly wanted to ask her what the problem was but I couldn't find my words.

Imagine asking her if she was when she found me having lunch with my Ex.

“Hi Yemi.” It was Emma's voice. I scratched my head. This was the last thing I expected.

Of course, she always had to show herself. She always had something to say.. like she needed attention.

“Hi, Emma. I didn't see you there.”

I didn't know how Emma would take that. Someone not seeing her when she was actually there was probably the worst thing to say to her.

“Are you alright? You look kinda .. sad.”

“Yeah. I'm fine.” She turned to go.

Then she looked at me one more time. Her face was still professional and controlled. I heard the front door close which meant she had left.

I stood in the kitchen for a while still holding the folder she had given to me. I felt weird, like I.had made a big mistake in the last twenty minutes.

Emma must have seen me because she was standing near me for a few minutes.

“Is something wrong?”

I glared at her thinking that she had no right to ask me that question.

“You look like something wrong has happened to your existence.”

Maybe it has.

“I'm fine. You need to finish your food so you can go.”

Emma looked at the kitchen door where Yemi had been standing, then she looked at me.

“Why the rush?” She asked but I didn't answer. I owed her no explanation.

Then she looked at the door again then she was quiet for a moment. If I didn't know Emma well enough, I think that she wanted to get angry.

"Ethan," she called me slowly.

"Yes," I said.

“Why do I have a weird feeling that you look at Yemi in a different way?”

I was a bit startled that she had noticed the tension that happened between me and Yemi. I wasn't surprised anyway, Emma was always getting an idea from whatever was happening.

I said nothing.

“You're not going to say anything?” She asked.

“Are you going to believe me if I tell you that you are misunderstanding me?”

Emma picked up her spoon. She didn't say anything more, just walked back to the table. I just knew that this conversation has still not ended.

Lily looked at me from the table.

She looked at the door, then she looked at me again and then at Emma, who now seemed upset.

"Brother," she called.

I just knew what she was about to ask me and I honestly didn't want to answer any question.

"Eat your food Lily," I said, not looking at her.

The energy in the room was so awkward that I wanted to go lock myself in my office. I felt Lily's emerald eyes on me. I turned to face her.

Then she picked up her spoon.

"You should go talk to her, she looks sick.” she said quietly into her bowl.

"Lily," I said.

"I am just saying," she said, looking away. “She looks sick.”

I looked at the kitchen floor.

Then I looked at Emma who was eating quietly and pretending she had not heard anything. She seemed upset but that really didn't matter.

Then I looked at Lily who was also eating quietly and absolutely had heard everything and was very carefully not looking at me.

I put the folder on the counter.

"Excuse me for a moment," I said to no one in particular.

And I went after her.

Chapter 80

But I didn't see her. I had thought that she was at the garden, waiting for me, maybe but she wasn't there.

So she really went home.

Was this really about me? Was she upset about the Lunch or was this something else?

I was still thinking when a car drove into the estate and thankfully it was Henry because I needed to speak to him.

When I had received the folder from Yemi, I wondered why he had handed it to her.

“Young master, why are you..”

“Henry.. this folder.” I pointed at the folder I was holding. “Why did you have to give it to Yemi?”

“Oh.” He was trying not to smile and honestly I thought that was really weird. Henry didn't smile, didn't laugh, so it all felt awkward seeing him do that. “I honestly thought that wouldn't be a problem..”

Actually it wasn't. If it was another day, I would have been so excited if she handed me this folder but not today, not today.

“Is something wrong?” Henry asked, seeing that I wasn't smiling as he had expected. “I'm sorry, Young master. I had thought..”

“No.. no.” I stopped him. “You aren't wrong.” I paused, standing still for a while. “Do you think something is wrong with Yemi? She looked angry.”

“Angry?”

“Yeah.” I nodded, avoiding talking about my feelings and what I had observed.

“Not really. She only mentioned that she was going to see her mum in the hospital.. I asked her..”

“Hospital?” I interrupted Henry. My eyes were wide open. I didn't know about that.

“She mentioned that her mum was sick and was at the hospital. I had thought she would mention it to you too when she handed the folder.”

Henry looked at me like he was questioning me and I looked away. At this point, I was upset with myself. How didn't I know that she didn't look happy.

Here I was thinking that she was upset that Emma was having lunch when in fact, she was worried about something else entirely.

“You didn't get to talk to her? Were you busy?” Henry asked me genuinely curious.

I wish I was busy.

“Well, she came in looking so sad that I thought it was because Emma was seated right in the dining room eating lunch.”

“Emma was here today?”

I didn't answer but I could see the disappointed look on Henry's face even though he didn't say anything.

I mean he shouldn't be disappointed, he was the one that asked me to do this, so I decided to.

“She ate Lunch with Lily. I honestly thought that Yemi was upset about that but now I know that it was just me doing my thing. I was literally overthinking the whole thing.”

Henry looked at me.

I know.

I looked stupid, talking about things like this but he couldn't blame me. All my life, all I ever knew was love from my mum and love from Emma who turned out to break my heart.

When I was younger, I didn't have time to talk to anyone, I mean I was too busy trying to earn a living to actually talk to any girl.

I was the weird one in school but I didn't finish because we had no money for me to continue.

That was when I fell in love with Emma. When I did, I still didn't have the courage to speak to her.

She was the rich daughter of the woman my mother worked for. Her place could never be mine. I thought she was beautiful but never spoke to her for even a day.

But it seemed like she liked me too because she was the one who made the move to speak to me first. Slowly we became friends and were happy with each other.

We fell in love and got married but after that, Emma changed.

Her mother never liked me. I guess they talked to her till all she had was hatred for me. She changed and the only woman I loved turned out to become a bad memory for me.

“Don't worry. You can talk to her tomorrow.” Henry said, her eyes softened.

“I'm not worried.” I shot at him. What was that look for? “I only feel bad about her mother. Do you think we could go visit?”

“What? Visit her mother?” Henry almost choked on his saliva.

“Yes. Isn't that allowed?” I asked.

“Well, it is.” Henry said slowly. “Are you sure this is you just being worried?” Henasked again, his eyebrows narrowed at me.

“What else could it be?” I was not going to shoot myself on the leg. Even if I liked Yemi, I shouldn't have announced it to the world when I didn't know what she wanted.

I had to be careful so I wouldn't fall stupidly in love like I did when I was much younger.

“Well, we could go visit but do you know where?”

I paused. Henry was right. I didn't even know where we were going.

“And Yemi might not like that we are interfering in her personal life. There's a reason she hasn't told you yet.”

That was harsh.

“You don't have to sound like that, it's not like I'm going to ask you to look into her or anything like that.” I said, looking away with one of my hands in my pocket.

“We need to talk.”

I turned to Henry who had been trying to hide his smile a while ago and he wasn't smiling anymore. Whenever he is like this, I know that it meant business and it was serious.

“What is it about?” I asked, gently but he nodded. I knew that it was about Victoria. He was only nodding because he didn't want Emma eavesdropping.

“We should talk after she goes.” Henry suggested. That was probably a good idea but the problem was that we didn't know when Emiky would decide that she was finally ready to go.

Just then, we heard the big door open and close.

“Ethan, Lily wants to go get ice cream. Do you want to come with us?” Emma asked, stretching her voice.

I shook my head in a way she wouldn't see, then turned to Henry. I was in this mess because of him.

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