Chapter 30 True Identity
Lauren watched Quentin intently, testing whether there was any hint of compassion towardstoward her.
The moment she asked, she regretted it, knowing it was an exercise in futility. Quentin was proud and full of himself, but not without reason. Of course, he would never regret his actions, even if they were wrong.
Quentin didn't expect Lauren to ask him such a question. Seeing the sadness in her eyes, he steeled himself and simply replied, "NoYes."
Lauren gave a bitter smile. She was humiliating herself once more, but it helped her to extinguish the last flicker of hope. The answer was what she had expected, and with it, she killed the last of her fantasies.
"Lauren, why such an easy question? You let Quentin off too easy," the others complained, wanting to prolong the game.
Lauren just smiled, not saying much more, and backed out of the group, claiming she needed to use the restroom as an excuse to leave the private room.
Lauren hid in the restroom, tears streaming down her face. She knew well that Quentin had always been cold and heartless toward her, but she couldn't help being deeply in love with him - a love she couldn't control.
What is love? Lauren asked herself, but no matter how hard she searched, she couldn't find an answer. She only knew that thinking of Quentin made her heartache, a love that weighed heavily on her.
With great effort, Lauren calmed the turbulence within her heart, puzzled by her own sadness caused by a mere word from Quentin.
No, she had to be strong. She needed to be an example for her child.
Drying her tears and touching up her makeup, Lauren put on a composed face and returned to the private booth.
Quentin glanced at her from the corner of his eye. Her swollen eyes were a clear indication that she had been crying. A nerve twinged deep inside him, once, twice, growing more painful as he watched Lauren.
"Amelia, what's wrong?" Linda noticed Lauren's odd demeanor and asked with concern.
"I'm fine," Lauren said, feigning nonchalance while her smile evidently concealed worries.
Linda, not probing further, suggested, "If you feel unwell, go rest on the couch over there. When we're done here, we'll drive you home."
Lauren shook her head quickly as if jolted by the idea, "No... no need. My place is pretty close. I'll just hail a cab later. Don't trouble yourself and John."
Linda, suspicious, felt her woman's intuition kicking in that something was off with Lauren.
"Amelia, you're acting strangely."
"Heh, am I? Doesn't seem like it," Lauren laughed it off, hoping it was enough to deflect further questions.
"Are you embarrassed, or is it inconvenient for you?" Linda kept on.
"No, it's just so late, there's really no need for the hassle. I'm telling you, a ten-minute cab ride and I'm home."
Lauren nervously explained, adamant not to let anyone discover that she was living in The Robinson Family villa, which would instantly blow her carefully concealed identity.
Quentin wasn't one to eavesdrop on others' conversations, especially not those between girls. But his ears betrayed him, tuning out all other noises and focusing only on Lauren's voice.
Ah, deceitful woman, always able to lie. Quentin gave Lauren a sidelong glance, resenting that he had felt a twinge of guilt for his straightforwardness earlier. It appeared she was nothing but an actress, after all!
Internally grumbling, Quentin's gaze lingered on Lauren with increasing worry and a growing indulgence he wasn't aware of, but Noah noticed.
"Hey, what exactly is your deal with this Amelia?" Noah asked Quentin in a hushed voice.
Quentin's gaze drifted back to Noah, a hint of confusion in his eyes. Could Noah have recognized that Amelia was essentially his darling in name?
Quentin never intended to keep his good buddy in the dark; he just hadn't found the right moment to spill the beans.
"No big deal," Quentin muttered, unwilling to elaborate in the noisy setting.
"Come on, you were practically drooling over her just now," Noah teased, a dramatic flair in his tone.
A sharp glare from Quentin made Noah cover his mouth in mock terror.
"No offense, man. As long as you're happy."
Lauren waited until the group dinner was over to leave with everyone else to keep their spirits high.
"Are you sure I can't give you a ride, Amelia?" Linda asked, concerned.
Lauren shot Linda a reassuring look, "Really, it's okay. Don't worry about it."
Linda nodded and got into her car, driving off.
For safety, Lauren didn't hail a taxi right away but walked a good distance down the road before flagging one down.
In Noah's car, Quentin watched Lauren walking alone on the street, his gaze intense as her slender figure flashed by and disappeared from view.
"No use looking, she's out of sight," Noah chuckled, always keen to rib Quentin.
Quentin's expression remained stoic as ever. "You asked about her; she is Lauren."
Quentin's sudden clarification took Noah a moment to process, but when he realized who Quentin's "Lauren" was, he slammed on the brakes.
"Whoa, Amelia is Lauren? Which Lauren? Don't tell me..."
"Yeah," Quentin confirmed flatly, unaffected by Noah's agitation.
Realizing the truth, Noah became unsettled, "Quentin, man, that's cold. How could you not tell me Amelia's real identity until now? Do you even consider me your bro? No, wait, that's not the point. The point is Amelia is Lauren? That's just wild!"
Seeing Quentin's increasingly serious face, Noah knew this was no joke.
"Ha, man, I think Amelia—no, your girl—she seems pretty cool. Do you really hate her that much?"
Quentin looked out the window, reflecting. Hate her? At first, sure, but now... he suddenly wasn't so sure.
"Your darling wife is kind and ambitious; I think she's a good match for you. Forget the past, man. You've got to look ahead to grow. If you dwell on what's behind, how can you move forward?" Noah tried to convince Quentin. It had been too long, and it was time to turn the page.
Quentin replied softly, "Forget? Easier said than done. Even if someone could make me forget my past agony, it will never be Lauren."
Noah shook his head in resignation. He knew Quentin all too well - the guy was stubborn as an overcooked duck,: tough on the outside but tender within. Despite Quentin's denial, Noah sensed something compelling about Lauren, something irresistibly drawing people to her.
With a knowing smile that made Quentin uncomfortable, he said coldly, "Don't tell anyone about this, and don't give her any special treatment because you know who she is. Keep it as it is. I don't want any unnecessary interaction with her."
Quentin was clearly deceiving himself. No unnecessary interaction? Yet he had already joined group dinners—wasn't that a sign that Lauren had some significance in his heart?
Noah simply smiled and said nothing. Grown men, and yet they act like children with their tempers.
