Chapter_39
Chapter 39
Abel could not allow Emmeline’s reputation to be tarnished. The last thing he wanted was for people to think she was with a “sugar daddy.”
“I can’t let that happen!” Abel muttered to himself. “We can’t have people saying those things about Emmeline.”
“Then go buy a normal car, something around $30,000,” Abel said, his voice firm.
“Understood, Mr. Ryker,” Luca replied, ready to act on the order immediately.
“Wait, I’ll come with you,” Abel added.
Luca looked up, confused. “I can handle this myself, Mr. Ryker. You don’t need to trouble yourself.”
“Did I say I was going to follow you to buy the car?” Abel asked, slightly annoyed.
Luca blinked, realizing he had misunderstood. “Oh, my mistake. I was overthinking it.”
The two of them made their way to the basement parking lot, and Luca went to retrieve the car.
As they walked, Abel gave another instruction. “Go to Struyria’s best women’s clothing store,” he said, his voice cold but purposeful.
Luca was taken aback. “What are you planning to do, Mr. Ryker?”
Seeing Luca’s confusion, Abel explained. “Timothy and I have been eating Ms. Louise’s food, and now we’re buying her a car so she can serve us. It feels wrong. We need to return the favor.”
“That makes sense,” Luca said after a pause, thinking it through. “Then we should buy her some clothing too. Two sets, as a way of showing gratitude. We can’t just keep taking from her.”
Abel nodded. “Exactly. Let’s do that.”
But once they were out shopping, Abel and Luca quickly realized they were out of their depth. Abel had just returned to Struyria and was unfamiliar with the city, let alone the local clothing shops. Luca, being single, wasn’t much help either.
After a while, Abel found a high-end Italian brand store online and decided to make the purchase. He used his best guess to estimate Emmeline’s size, based on the times he had carried her. He wasn’t entirely sure, but he thought he had a rough idea of her measurements.
Once they completed the shopping, Luca dropped Abel off at the company before going to buy the car. After some searching, he found a reliable, popular model that fit the budget and sent it to the café.
When Abel returned that evening, he found Emmeline hard at work in the kitchen. Previously, it had been just Emmeline and the children running the café. But now, with Abel and Timothy around, things were more complicated. Emmeline had to manage the café with help from Daisy, as they juggled the needs of four children.
The kids were playing on the third floor, and Abel stood by the kitchen door, watching Emmeline cook. She moved with surprising skill, and the sight of her in an apron only made her more impressive in his eyes.
Abel thought to himself, Please let Emmeline be the Wonder Doctor. If she is, then I won’t lose anything by agreeing to my grandfather’s request. Adrien and she never had any real feelings for each other; the kids were an accident. I can ignore that, just like I can ignore the situation with Alana. After all, I have a child with her too. The playing field is level.
“Mr. Ryker, dinner will be ready soon,” Emmeline called out without turning around. “Why don’t you play with the kids for a while? I’ll call you when everything’s ready.”
Abel nodded but stayed rooted to the spot. The children, though adorable, would likely be uninterested in his company. Besides, he didn’t want to play with them. He preferred watching Emmeline work in the kitchen.
But after a moment, he realized that standing there like a statue wasn’t helping. He couldn’t just hover by the door. So, he reluctantly decided to retreat to the rooftop to smoke.
Daisy, who had been silently working at the stove, spoke up without turning around. “Ms. Louise,” she said, her tone knowing. “I wouldn’t believe you if you told me you weren’t family. There’s something going on between you and Mr. Abel. You two look like the biological parents of those kids. There’s got to be a misunderstanding.”
Emmeline chuckled lightly, shaking her head. “What are you talking about, Daisy? Don’t start making things up.”
Daisy, however, wasn’t convinced. “I really don’t think I’m wrong. You and Mr. Ryker look like the real parents. The way you act around those kids… it’s obvious.”
Emmeline paused for a moment, the thought lingering in the air. But she quickly waved it off. “There’s nothing to misunderstand, Daisy. Don’t worry about it.”
Daisy turned around briefly, a knowing smile on her face. “Alright, Ms. Louise. If you say so.”
