Chapter 2 I'll Be Your Father

Evelyn's POV:

When I got home, I peeled off the tight dress I was wearing and tossed it into the hamper. Only then did I notice that there were some blood stains left on the sleeves.

I remembered that the man had taken the blow for me. Because of me, he had a deep gash on his back.

Thinking about this, I couldn't help but worry about that mysterious man and sighed heavily. In an effort to reassure myself, I told myself that he was a grown man. He could take his own self to the hospital.

After showering, I sank into the bed and savored its warmth, reminded of the man's warm embrace just now. His impeccable features appeared in my mind again-his perfectly chiseled muscles, his deep-set eyes, and his charming smile...

Damn! I pulled the blanket over my face and sighed heavily, forcing myself to sleep. I still had to meet my mom's boyfriend the next day, and I didn't want to do it with dark circles under my eyes.

The next day, I selected my outfit carefully.

I picked a white dress and put on a light shade of lipstick for a simple and natural look. In the mirror, I looked every bit like the clean-cut high school student I was, not the hot, sexy wildcat from the bar last night.

I was sitting in a chair in a fine dining restaurant. I sighed as I looked around. I wonder why my mom hasn't come yet. I couldn't move my gaze when I saw a tall man walk into the room, struck by his handsome face, his blue eyes dark. His body shape looks perfect in his black suit.

It was none other than the man from the bar last night!

I stared at him as he walked towards me, too shocked to speak. Suddenly, I had a bad feeling about this.

He stopped his steps right in front of my table. "You must be Evelyn," he said with a gentle smile on his face. He stretched out his hand. "I am Valentino Gray. I'm your mom's boyfriend. To be more exact, I'll be your stepfather next month. Nice to meet you."

My jaw dropped. I was too stunned to even respond to his greeting. His last words from last night kept echoing in my mind. "We'll meet again."

So, he knew that I was his girlfriend's daughter!

Frowning, I looked at him unhappily and said in an unpleasant voice, "You recognized me yesterday!"

Valentino calmly sat down opposite me. "I wanted to tell you, but you didn't give me the chance."

"So you saved me just to make a good impression? You think that'll make me accept you as my stepfather?"

Valentino, however, simply shrugged. "Even if I didn't know who you were, I would've stepped in to help. Does your mother even know that you went to a bar?"

My heart leaped to my throat. He would definitely tell my mother that I snuck out last night.

His eyes gripped mine and there was something there I couldn't completely comprehend. But I could tell he was enjoying seeing my nervousness.

We both just sat there silently. Nobody spoke a word for what felt like an eternity.

His cell phone suddenly vibrated. He took it from his jacket pocket and answered the call. "Eva, where are you?" he asked and listened to the phone. "Seriously?" he asked, as he couldn't believe what he just heard."Do you really have to attend the meeting?"

He then sighed and said, "Alright. See you tomorrow."

"What is it?" I asked after he hung up his phone and put it back in his jacket pocket. "Your mom can't have dinner with us. She suddenly has a very important meeting," he replied into my eyes. I sighed as I avoided his eyes.

My family owns a famous mall in New York City . My mom runs the business . My mom was always like this. The only thing on her mind was money.

My heart suddenly beat fast again as I looked at Valentino, who was staring at me with his gentle gaze. "It's just the two of us now," he said in a soft voice.

I stood up abruptly and mumbled, "My mom isn't coming. There's no point in me staying any longer."

Valentino looked up at me and said in a seemingly casual tone, "Okay. I'll call and tell your mom that dinner is canceled. I can't wait to tell her about where you were last night."

My chest tightened. I looked at Valentino defiantly. I didn't want to give in just because he was threatening me!

He smiled knowingly. "Tell you what. Have dinner with me and I'll pretend that nothing happened last night. I won't tell a soul."

"Deal!"

I sat down quickly, albeit reluctantly.

A waiter then walked over to our table and stood by us. "Good evening," he greeted us politely. "Can I take your order?"

Valentino took the menu on the table and read it, and so did I. "What would you like for an appetizer?" Valentino asked into my eyes.

"Can we just eat the main course?" I asked. I felt so nervous with him so I wanted to finish this dinner soon and go home.

He smiled gently at me before he turned his head to the waiter. "Bring us your best main course," he said. "Yes, sir," the waiter said with a polite bow, and walked into the kitchen.

"How'd you even end up at that bar last night? And dressed like a stripper no less," Valentino deliberately drawled, glancing at me with a wicked smile.

Thinking about my look last night, I couldn't help but cringe a little. But I didn't want to look weak in front of him, so I looked at him expressionlessly and replied, "My life is boring."

My answer seemed to surprise him a little. He chuckled. "That's why you went to a bar? To have fun? Or you would die of boredom?" he teased me.

I respond with just a smile. We were both silent, and this silence was killing me. "How did you meet my mom?" I asked to break the silence.

"I met her by accident five months ago. My car hit her car. Since then we've seen each other often and I ended up being her boyfriend," he said and smiled.

"Oh, I see," I said as I nodded my head a little. "My mom told me you are a lawyer."

He responded with a nod. "Being a lawyer is my dream since childhood. I want to fight for justice and punish those who are guilty," he said. Somehow, I could see the anger and hatred in his eyes. His eyes turned soft again as he smiled at me. "Tell me, what is your dream?" he asked me.

Sadness suddenly took over my mind upon hearing his question. "I ... I wanted to be a pianist, but my mom forbade me to do that. She wanted me to be like her. She wants me to run our family business," I said and looked down, trying to hide my sadness from him.

It startled me when he touched and held my hand, making me look back into his eyes. "Evelyn," he said my name softly. "Never give up on your dreams. You have to fight for your dreams, no matter what."

I paused, staring at him. It was the first time someone said those words to me and it really touched my heart. I suddenly felt comfortable talking to him.

Valentino took his hand from mine when the waiter came to bring us food and served them to us. "Please enjoy your dinner," he said politely before he left us.

"Let's eat," Valentino said as he smiled at me. I nodded. He then tucked the napkin into his collar while I put it on my lap and we started eating.

"To be honest, I don't like eating in places like this," Valentino said to me in a low voice. "I can't enjoy eating with so much manners."

I held back my smile, looking at him. I never thought that he felt what I felt. "Me too," I said.

He smiled at me. "Let's quickly finish this steak. I'll take you somewhere," he said.

"Where will you take me?" I asked, curious.

He smiled mysteriously. "A place that's even more fun than the bar from last night. People who frequent bars are either alcoholics or stoners. That's no place for a little girl like you."

We got into Valentino's car after we walked out of the fine dining and left the place. The car stopped when we arrived at a nightclub parking lot and parked there.

"Let's go in," Valentino said to me in an excited tone.

"I-I'' m not used to such places," I said.

He held my hand with his eyes kept fixed on mine. "Trust me. You will have fun in there," he said, trying to reassure me.

I paused for a moment in doubt before I gave him a nod. I told myself that I need to have fun, otherwise I'll die from boredom like he told me. He smiled at me. "Let's go now," he said and got out of the car and so did I. He took my hand and led me into the club.

I tightly held his hand as we walked inside the club. I covered my ear hearing the music that sounded so loud. I was shocked and embarrassed to see the women and men who were dancing with erotic movements.

Valentino took me to the bar, and we sat there. "Give me the usual and a margarita for her," he said to the bartender. The bartender nodded his head with a smile. They both seemed to have known each other. He then prepared the drinks and gave them to us.

"Cheers," Valentino said as he touched his glass to mine and took a sip. I then did the same. "Do you like it?" he asked me. I nodded at him with a smile. He smiled back at me and took a sip of his drink before he placed it on the table.

I drank my drink while looking around me. I then realized that the women near us were staring at Valentino without blinking. I could see the admiration and lust in their eyes.

Two beautiful women in sexy dresses then walked over and stood next to Valentino. "Hi, handsome. Can we join you?" one girl asked with her flirtatious look.

Valentino smiled gently at them. "I'm sorry. I'm with my girlfriend right now," he said casually.

He surprised me by saying that while the girls looked at me with their jealous gazes. They both then walked away from us.

"Why do you say I'm your girlfriend?" I asked into his eyes.

He drew closer to me. "To make them leave. Your mom will kill me if she finds out I'm with them," he whispers in my ear. I couldn't help but laugh at what he said. We then looked each other in the eye with a smile.

Loud song in the room, then turned into a soft song. "Let's dance," he said as he took my hand and led me to the dance floor before I could open my mouth to speak.

We stood facing each other. His hands spread out on my lower back, pulling me closer to him. His gaze on my face turned my skin to fire. I am suffused with red as I blushed.

I shivered inside as his hand stroked my back waist and rubbed it heavily. I felt the bulge under his trousers against my belly. I could feel my body react to him deep in my core.

He brought his lips closer to mine. It's almost as if he's inviting me to move closer.

My heart was banging against my ribcage. It almost felt as though it was going to explode. My eyes widened as I watched Valentino's handsome face gradually come closer. The distance between us was slowly getting narrower and narrower...

Were we really going to kiss?