Chapter_53
Chapter 53
“You should be clear-headed now,” Abel said with a teasing smile, fanning the air around him. “You’re stinky!”
Emmeline, still groggy from the alcohol, pouted and shot back, “You can’t say that! Last time, you were allergic and puked alcohol too. But I didn’t say you were smelly. I even took you to the hospital for an injection!”
Abel raised an eyebrow. “That’s why this time I took you home. We’re even,” he said with a grin.
“I don’t need a big scumbag to take me home! You disgust me!” Emmeline snapped, clearly still frustrated.
“I’ve told you it was a misunderstanding!” Abel said, trying to calm her down. He helped her sit up, then turned to Luca. “Let’s go!”
Luca started the car, but Emmeline, still unable to sit still, fell against Abel’s chest. He immediately wrapped his arms around her to steady her. In that moment, their lips accidentally met.
The air in the car froze. Emmeline quickly pushed him away and wiped her mouth vigorously. “Hey, don’t take advantage of me!”
Abel smirked, his eyes gleaming with mischief. “You can take advantage of me too.”
Emmeline was still disoriented from the alcohol, blinking up at him. “What do you mean?”
“This is what I mean.” Abel moved closer, grabbing the back of her head and kissing her lips again.
Emmeline’s eyes widened in shock, and she froze as she felt Abel’s kiss. Her heart raced in her chest, and for a moment, the world seemed to slow down. She couldn’t help but feel the warmth of his lips, but as soon as the kiss ended, she found herself blushing deeply.
“You just vomited,” Abel said, stroking her lips with his thumb. “Your lips don’t taste good.”
Emmeline, now fully aware of what had just happened, was a mix of shame and anger. She opened her mouth to shout at him, but before she could, he quickly clamped her wrists and gently pressed her back onto the seat.
“Be obedient! I don’t want to use force against you!” Abel warned, his tone turning more serious, but there was still a hint of amusement.
“You dare not do so,” Emmeline muttered defiantly.
“You can try it and see if I dare,” Abel teased, leaning in again, his face dangerously close to hers.
“Ah!” Emmeline yelped, startled.
Luca, hearing her scream while driving, momentarily swerved the car, his hands gripping the wheel tighter. He wondered if Abel had done something more than just tease her.
“Drive properly!” Abel snapped, sitting up straight, trying to regain control of the situation.
Emmeline’s heart was still racing. She curled up in her seat, not daring to move. Just moments ago, she thought Abel was going to do something worse, but he had only leaned in to scare her. She exhaled slowly, trying to calm herself down, but then she realized how embarrassed she felt. After being scolded by Abel, Luca focused back on the road and continued driving.
Meanwhile, Emmeline, her mind a foggy mess from the alcohol, fell into a daze and soon drifted off to sleep, her head tilting to one side.
Abel, noticing she might fall off the seat, gently pulled her back into his arms, his gaze softening as he held her close. The warmth of her body against his chest made him feel an unfamiliar sense of protectiveness.
When they arrived at Nightfall Cafe, Abel carefully carried Emmeline to the second floor and laid her down on the bed in her bedroom. Just as he was about to leave, he heard her retch again.
Abel quickly ran downstairs to find Daisy, hoping to ask her to make some hangover soup for Emmeline. But when he returned upstairs, Emmeline was nowhere to be found.
“Emma?” Abel called out, a sense of panic creeping up on him. He checked all the rooms, but she wasn’t there.
Finally, he went to the rooftop. There, he found Emmeline curled up in the swing chair, sleeping deeply. His shoulders relaxed in relief. He hadn’t realized how nervous he’d been until now. Maybe it was because, from the moment he had met her at the airport, he had secretly started falling for her.
Abel took off his suit jacket and draped it gently over her, gazing down at her delicate form. She looked so peaceful, almost like a fragile work of art. He couldn’t resist reaching out to touch her face, his fingers grazing her smooth skin.
“Ms. Louise!” Daisy’s voice broke the silence.
Abel jerked his hand back quickly, caught off guard. Daisy was rushing toward him with Emmeline’s mobile phone in her hand. “Ms. Louise’s phone is ringing,” she said, handing it to him.
Abel took the phone from Daisy’s hands and glanced at the screen. Though there was no name in the contact, Abel recognized the number immediately. It was Adrien’s. He frowned, a tight knot forming in his stomach. With an annoyed sigh, he answered the call.
“Em, I just brought the children back. Don’t worry. I’ll take good care of them…” Adrien’s cheerful voice came through the speaker.
Abel’s patience wore thin. Without a second thought, he ended the call, but Adrien didn’t give up and called back immediately. When Adrien called for the third time, Abel picked up the phone, his tone impatient.
“I got it. Please take care of the children,” Abel snapped, cutting him off.
Adrien’s voice sounded surprised. “Abel? Why are you at Emmeline’s place?”
