Chapter 6 Unwanted Encounters

Chelsey's current place was the one she secured post-graduation, before eventually moving into the house Trevor bought her.

She hadn't severed ties with the lease for the sake of convenience, and only a select few were privy to her rental apartment.

When she swung the door open, an unexpected sight greeted her; Gabriella, clutching her phone, still engrossed in conversation.

"I thought you were still out on your business escapade," Gabriella remarked, her tone accusatory, as if she could decipher Chelsey's thoughts.

Brushing past Chelsey, she barged in, brandishing a bag from a prestigious label. Chelsey had spotted it online—a new release, carrying a price tag upwards of two hundred grand!

"Why splurge on another..."

"Don't babble. Let me remind you, Chelsey, I am your mother. Spare me your charades. I'm doing this for your own good!"

With that, Gabriella thrust a paper bag into Chelsey's arms.

It contained new clothes she had bought for her, effectively derailing Chelsey's plan to present herself in a less flattering light.

She even took charge of Chelsey's makeup routine, and when Chelsey deliberately dawdled, she assumed control herself.

Arriving at the dinner location, Chelsey felt a pang of unease at the sight of the quaint building before her.

It was a restaurant called Misty, owned by Trevor.

Gabriella had mentioned it in passing earlier, but Chelsey had been so preoccupied with devising a refusal strategy that it hadn't quite registered.

For no discernible reason, panic seized her. Instinctively, she cast a glance at Trevor's designated parking spot.

It was empty.

She breathed a sigh of relief.

But as she averted her gaze, a Bentley leisurely approached.

In the twilight's glow, the headlights cast a misty glow.

It wasn't due to Chelsey's acute vision; rather, it was the conspicuously emblazoned license plate number.

In Kerton, that license plate number was known to be Trevor's.

Hastily tugging Gabriella to leave, Chelsey noticed that Gabriella had also caught sight of it. Gabriella yanked her back, lowering her voice. "It's Trevor!"

Killian shut the car door, alighting from the vehicle to open the rear door for Trevor.

Out of the corner of Chelsey's eye, she glimpsed Trevor stepping out of the car. Having just wrapped up work, he was now clad in a black suit, a cold and aloof expression adorning his features.

He handed his Bluetooth earpiece and a stack of documents to Killian, exchanging words with him before striding in their direction.

"Gabriella."

His voice was low, melodious, yet cold.

Despite that, Gabriella, being despised within the Morris family, still appeared flattered. "Hey, Trevor, are you here for dinner too?"

Trevor remained noncommittal, casting a casual glance at Chelsey, who studiously avoided meeting his gaze. A hint of derision played on his lips. "And what about you?"

Chelsey clutched Gabriella's hem tighter. Ignoring the gesture, Gabriella chirped, "I've set Chelsey up with a date, so we're here for dinner!"

Trevor let out a faint chuckle. "Yeah, Chelsey is old enough to get married."

His words sent a shiver down Chelsey's back, making breathing a challenge for her.

Trevor, who was usually proud and aloof, had always held himself superior and wasn't one to easily bend to the will of women.

Since the last time Chelsey said something that provoked him, they had parted ways in discord, not contacting each other for a few days. It was an unspoken agreement that they had severed ties and no longer had any connection.

Now Trevor appeared calm, but she couldn't shake off the embarrassment she felt.

Gabriella shot her a look and scoffed, "See, even Trevor agrees. It's for your good!"

Then she turned to Trevor with a smile. "Why not join us for dinner, Trevor? It's a perfect opportunity to vet Chelsey's date."

"Mom!" Chelsey couldn't bear it any longer. "Stop talking already! He's... Trevor is busy."

Trevor adjusted his wristwatch and glanced at her flushed face. "I already have dinner plans. Otherwise, I could help Chelsey assess how good her date is."

Those words felt like a stab at Chelsey's heart.

She could hardly catch her breath as she pulled Gabriella away.

As they walked a few steps away, Gabriella chided her for not being sensible. "You didn't even greet Trevor! The Morris family is under his control now. Buttering up to him works better than anything else. What will you do if he holds a grudge against us later?"

"He's always held a grudge against me!" Chelsey mumbled under her breath.

Gabriella didn't hear clearly and was about to ask when the door to the private room in front of them swung open.

"Hey, Mrs. Morris, you're finally here!" Emerging from the room was a plump middle-aged woman, elegantly dressed but with a hint of cunning in her speech, making people uneasy.

Smiling, Gabriella greeted her, "Mrs. Copeland, I apologize for our tardiness. We got stuck in traffic on the way."

The woman, Rayna Copeland, exchanged pleasantries with Gabriella before casting an appraising look at Chelsey, her eyes briefly revealing surprise and shrewdness.

She approached with familiarity, grabbing Chelsey's hand. "So, this is Miss Howard, right? My, she's bright and beautiful, with skin as tender as a baby's."

Instinctively disliking Rayna, Chelsey tried to withdraw her hand, but Rayna's grip was firm. She continued walking towards the private room while talking.

"Miss Howard must be around the same age as my third son, Yosef. You two should get along just fine. Yosef, say hello to the lady."

Chelsey raised her gaze to see a man in trendy attire with a crew cut, sporting an earring on his right ear. He held a phone, tapping away, and revealed a wrist tattoo.

At the sound of his name, he looked up, a smirk playing on his lips. When he saw Chelsey, his eyes lit up, and he promptly stood up.

"Miss Howard, pleasure to meet you. I'm Yosef Copeland." He grinned and extended his hand, the tattoo on his wrist—a black mamba—caught Chelsey's eye.

Chelsey recoiled slightly at the sight, her aversion to snakes making her frown. Nevertheless, she extended her hand for a polite shake. Quickly retracting it, she said, "Hi, I'm Chelsey Howard."

"Chelsey? Lovely name."

"Thank you."

Yosef pulled out a chair, his gaze lingering on Chelsey's flushed cheeks. "Your name is as beautiful as you are. Please, have a seat."

Chelsey had intended to sit elsewhere, but Yosef deliberately pulled the chair closer to him.

Seeing through Chelsey's thoughts, Gabriella nudged her into the seat, placing her hands on Chelsey's shoulders to keep her in place. She then smiled and said, "You youngsters have plenty to chat about. It's better to sit closer."

Yosef showed some consideration for Chelsey. He waited on her attentively, inquiring if the dishes suited her taste and if she desired anything else.

But Chelsey's mind was elsewhere; she pondered how to politely decline any advances from Yosef.

Setting down her napkin, Gabriella announced, "We've nearly finished our meal. Chelsey, Mrs. Copeland and I are planning to go shopping later. You can head back on your own."

Rayna was sharp-eyed. "Yosef, make sure to escort Miss Howard home."

"No problem," Yosef readily agreed, leaning back in his chair, his hand casually resting on the back of the chair behind Chelsey.