Chapter 30 Who Provoked?

Mark Pattinson said nothing after that. Like a man gambling his life away, he put the pedal to the metal. He could not explain why he would feel disheartened, disgruntled, every time he heard Lyla talk to another person. Something inside of him was hoping for something and when nothing happened, he would feel disheartened. The woman was gentle whenever it was someone else yet when the two of them were alone, he could feel her wanting nothing more than to escape at the first opportunity. Lyla noticed how the man beside her was behaving oddly. She wanted to say something but chose not to. She was struggling with the nausea in her stomach. She was about to vomit. The worst part of the entire ride was the corners, when she almost knocked her head to the side. With some form of familiarity, the car went through the route and stopped below Lyla’s apartment. “Thank you, President Pattinson. I’ll be going now,” said Lyla as she unfastened her seatbelt while facing Mark Pattinson. After that, she got out of the car. Mark Pattinson turned to face her. He looked into her eyes, staring deep into her. His eyes reflected something complicated, an inexplicable emotion. Lyla did not understand that. She could not understand what the look was. She raised her gaze to meet his. In his eyes, Lyla’s clear, crystal-like eyes were now shrouded. Her face was flushed red as even he could see that she was still drunk. “Lyla, I had not thought of you to be so great! Since you’ve provoked me, don’t think you could just throw me away now!” he said, enunciating each word. Lyla’s eyes were locked into his, unknowingly. She looked into his deep, dark eyes and felt they were swirling whirlpools that were sucking her entire being into him. At that moment, she felt like she was about to fall into an inescapable trap. That feeling was not good. In the end, she lowered her head. “I understand. I will never provoke President Pattinson ever again,” said Lyla before she left the car promptly. Mark Pattinson, as he sat in the car, stared at her back. His eyes narrowed in… When Lyla returned home, she was surprised that the two darlings were still awake. The elder brother heard his mother come home and immediately came out from his room. He leaned by the door while all three of them exchanged a look with each other. Speaking of which, being stared at with such tenacity was something she had never experienced. She felt nervous as her heart started to race. “You… Why are you still awake…?” Lyla lowered her head. Her behavior was that of a child caught red-handed doing something wrong. “Mummy! You’re already an adult yet you would let us all be worried for you!” said Gretel. “Sigh…You must have drank too much. You are making us all worried!” said Hansel after he noticed the red flush on his mother’s cheek, and went to the kitchen. Lyla’s elder brother, Lyle, frowned. “Lyla, did you drink? You know that you cannot tolerate alcohol!” Even though the three of them were basically scolding her, Lyla could not help but feel a sense of warmth. “It’s not like I have a choice. I won't be drinking again next time…” Lyla sat on the sofa. She passed her handbag to Gretel. The little girl took over the handbag with a certain spry and hung them up nicely. At that moment, Hansel came over with a bowl of warm chicken soup that was made earlier. “Mummy, have some chicken soup. Uncle purposely made this for you.” Lyla turned to her son. She picked up the soup spoon and had sips of the hot chicken soup. She looked at her two darlings, her brother, and saw the worry in their eyes. All of the sudden, she felt conflicted. “I’m sorry for making you worry,” said Lyla. Her voice broke a little. “Oh my dearest mummy, please don’t make things hard!” cried Gretel. Her eyes glittered. Hansel clicked his jaw close and said, “it’s just a bowl of chicken soup! Don’t read too much into it.” That son of hers… He would always be cool, never expressing his true emotions. “Aright, go to sleep! Your mother is already tired.” Lyla’s brother saw how tired Lyla was and summoned the two kids to go to bed. Lyla took a bath and went to bed. She tossed and turned around, failing to sleep. The vague image of Mark Pattinson came to mind. That deep look in his eyes and that commanding tone of his… What did he mean by provoking him in the first place and throwing him away? Who was the one who started it all? What could she do in the future? She did not want to have anything to do with him…