Chapter 136 - Blue Rose
Looking at the two of them, Angela couldn't help but anticipate what's going to happen next. Clearly, Gael didn't like Vincent. And Vincent… Well… Angela didn't really know what he thought of Gael, but the way he looked at the other seemed as though he was trying to figure out what kind of person he was.
Vincent extended his hand towards Gael, saying, "A pleasure."
Meanwhile, Gael glanced at his waiting hand, but he didn't accept it. He just continued to look at him coldly as if receiving his handshake was a crime.
"Ms. Su, may I speak with you?" The supervisor came to her side, holding a chart in his hand. She hesitated to leave the two men together, but she felt stuffy with the tense atmosphere, so she eventually nodded and excused herself from their silent growling—hoping they wouldn't rip each other's heads off while she's away.
As promised, the supervisor updated her regarding the contractor's assessment. Apparently, the process would take at least fourteen to twenty-one days. And during this time, she couldn't stay in the apartment due to having no water. Even if the water would be back in a week after the pipes would be fixed, the workers would still need to work in her bathroom, replacing the walls and tiles.
She still had a year left in her contract, so she couldn't just move. Even if she forced the move, there was no way she could find a vacancy around the neighborhood at this time of the year. Furthermore, the temporary place they provided her won't be available until Sunday. She was homeless at the moment because going back to the Su Mansion just wasn't an option for her.
"I understand. This is quite inconvenient… If it's possible to hasten the process, I would really appreciate that," she told the supervisor.
After their short conversation, Angela went back to the two men who looked like they were ignoring each other. She glanced at them earlier while talking to the supervisor and didn't notice anything going on—both of them looking stoic as they stood next to each other while looking at her.
"How long is it going to take?" Gael asked when she approached them.
"Two to three weeks. I don't think I can completely stay away the whole time. I have all of my stuff there. I can't just leave it unattended with all of the workers going in and out of my apartment," she replied in an exhausted tone.
"You can take everything that you need. I'll ask someone to stay during the day and oversee the construction to make sure your things will be safe," Gael reassured in order not to make her worry.
Listening to their conversation, Vincent was curious, so he asked, "What happened?"
Angela realized that she hadn't told Vincent about her bathroom problem yet. She didn't actually want to tell him about it, but now that he's here, she didn't have a choice. "The pipes in my bathroom burst yesterday. It takes time to get repaired and all, so I can't stay here…"
Not giving up a chance to show the upper hand, Gael told her, "I'll help you pack your stuff. You didn't bring enough to my place last night. Dinner will be ready when we get there."
"Um…" Hearing his statement, Angela panicked. The way he spoke gave her a little heart attack. Now it was pretty obvious that she stayed over at his place the night before. Why would he announce it just like that? She could see Vincent shifting his gaze from her to Gael.
Angela wondered what Vincent thought of her after hearing that she slept in a man's place last night. He looked like he was waiting for an explanation of what Gael just said, but he couldn't dare to ask. Wanting to defuse the situation, she turned to face Vincent and apologized, "I'm sorry. I'll have to take a raincheck on that dinner invitation. I'll make it up to you next time."
A smile flashed on Vincent's face as he nodded in understanding. "That's okay. It looks like you have a lot on your plate at the moment. I'll take you up on that… How about Saturday at seven? Send me an address, and I'll pick you up."
"Saturday? I—"
"Good. I'll send you the details tomorrow. I'll see you then. Goodnight." Vincent gently placed a hand on her shoulder, squeezing it. Then, he curtly nodded at Gael and left.
Seeing the scene unfold in front of him, Gael scoffed at what he just witnessed. Did that man just boldly set up a dinner date in front of him—and without giving her a chance to decline? What an asshole.
He watched as Vincent exited the building and got inside a car. Shifting his gaze from the glass doors to Angela, his cold, hard face remained.
Vincent's invitation dazed her. The man personally came to invite her tonight, and she had to refuse him, how could she refuse him again? It looks like she set herself up on this one.
Not wanting to dwell on the matter, she let out a sigh as she snapped out of her daze and met Gael's cold stare. "What?" she asked in confusion.
"Nothing," he responded dryly, annoyed at their exchange awhile ago.
She studied his face and figured that his expression must be because of Vincent just now. 'These men's egos,' she scoffed in her thoughts.
The supervisor came and informed Angela, "Ms. Su? I forgot to tell you. A package arrived for you earlier today. The delivery man left it at the front desk, so I brought it to your unit when I went back there with the contractor."
After thanking him, she headed to the elevators with Gael following behind. The two were quiet during the elevator car ride to her floor. She felt his sour mood—what with his cold expression written all over his face.
Once they arrived, Angela opened the door and walked inside, setting her purse and the plush toys down the sofa. "Make yourself at home," she told him.
He silently nodded as he placed the stuff in his hands on the sofa. Then he watched her go to the kitchen island where a bouquet of fresh flowers was laid on the counter. Next to it was a vase that had flowers which he recognized were the ones he gave her a couple of days ago. But the new bouquet was from someone else.
Angela walked over to the island, glancing at the envelope bills, and then checked the flowers. A chill ran down her spine when she saw that it was a bouquet of a dozen white roses and a single blue rose in the middle of the arrangement. With a shaky hand, she carefully took out the card in it. The note was blank, but she knew exactly who it came from.
The card fell out from her hands, and she immediately threw the bouquet into the trashcan under the kitchen island counter, tossing the card along with it.
Gael cocked a brow, seeing what she just did. She backed away until her hips hit the opposite counter. Her hands covered her mouth as she was shocked by what she just received.
"What's wrong?" He swiftly moved towards her and placed his hands on her shoulders. Knowing that it was because of the flowers but not understanding why, he asked, "Who sent the flowers?"
Angela's face turned ashen. She froze, her hands clenched tightly together as her heart hammered in her chest. Looking up, she saw Gael's eyes were laced with worry. Although she didn't want to say it, she ended up blurting, "My ex. He found me."