Chapter 144 You Must Really Want to See Me
"Wait, it's you?" Evelyn was shocked.
With her freckles and messy hair, she had a cute, innocent vibe.
Gilbert smiled, his eyes twinkling. "Why can't I be your blind date?"
Evelyn's lips tightened, unsure what to say.
The question was simple, but Gilbert's gentle smile made it feel like a harmless joke.
"May I sit?" Gilbert asked.
"Please, have a seat," Evelyn replied.
Gilbert looked the same as when they first met, dressed in a custom navy pinstripe suit and gold-rimmed glasses, looking sharp and elegant.
"Ms. Taylor, you look very cute and unique today," Gilbert said, his eyes narrowing slightly. "But you don't need to pretend around me. Just be yourself."
Evelyn coughed lightly, embarrassed. "I remember my blind date wasn't supposed to be you. Why are you here?"
"Because I knew you'd want to see me again. And I wanted to see you too," Gilbert said, adjusting his glasses with a calm smile.
His words seemed to hold hidden meanings.
"Not bad. Since our last meeting, I've been curious about you, so I did hope to see you again," Evelyn said, her sharp eyes meeting his. "Gilbert."
Gilbert's eyes narrowed, and his hand trembled slightly with joy. "Evelyn, long time no see."
Evelyn was slightly stunned but replied politely, "Long time no see."
Though they shared some childhood memories, it had been over a decade. Gilbert felt like a stranger to Evelyn now. She vaguely remembered him as a short, thin kid with delicate features, often mocked and isolated. Evelyn, popular in elementary school, would step in to protect him, even taking down three older boys who bullied him. From then on, no one dared to bully Gilbert again.
Evelyn had forgotten most of those memories. But Gilbert, despite living abroad and facing many challenges, never forgot that Evelyn was the first light in his dark life. To him, she was the sun—radiant and dazzling.
"So, that night at the KTV when I was drunk and bumped into you, you recognized me then?" Evelyn asked.
"Yes," he replied with a faint smile.
"The night I was in danger, you didn't just happen to save me; you were following me?" Evelyn asked.
"Yes," he replied.
"Why?" Evelyn frowned. "Since you recognized me, why didn't you reveal your identity?"
"Because I was waiting," Gilbert said, his voice slightly hoarse. "I was waiting for you to remember me."
Evelyn felt a strange sense of guilt, as if she had let him down. "You chose the meeting place too?"
"Yes, I thought you'd like it because it has the vibe of Oasis Villa," Gilbert said, his eyes sparkling. "Do you remember? When we were kids, we often played hide and seek in your garden. You always liked to hide in the rockery."
As kids, hide and seek was their favorite game. Gilbert could always guess where Evelyn was but pretended not to know, anxiously looking around to satisfy her desire to win. He liked losing to her, but only to her.
"Wow, you still remember that?" Evelyn scratched her messy hair, feeling a bit embarrassed.
Gilbert smiled gently, sipping his coffee.
After chatting for a while...
Evelyn learned that Gilbert had been living on Aurora Isle for years, taking care of Angela Lopez, who gradually became unable to care for herself. Despite having chances to return to Mugden, he chose to stay and build his career there for Angela's sake.
Evelyn remembered the complicated dynamics of the Alexander family. Gilbert had two older brothers and an older sister from his father's first marriage, while he was the son of the second wife, Angela. She knew little about Angela, even though her family was close to the Alexanders and she had visited their estate as a child.
"So, why did you come back this year?" Evelyn asked.
"As a son of the Alexander family, I want to reclaim what's mine," Gilbert said, playing with a small cup.
Evelyn nodded, understanding his point. In wealthy families, if you don't get into the core of power, you might end up with nothing. A united family like hers was rare.
"There's still some time before dinner. What should we do?" Gilbert asked with a smile.
"What?" Evelyn was caught off guard.
"I'll take you to see the roses at sunset," Gilbert said, leaning in with sincerity. "I have a private rose garden, and today it's open to the public. Let's go enjoy the flowers."
Evelyn's heart skipped a beat. She loved roses and had a small rose garden at Oasis Villa. Without hesitation, she agreed, "Sure! Let's go!"
On the way to the rose garden, Evelyn got into Gilbert's Bentley. Given their families' close relationship, it would be strange to insist on separate cars.
Gilbert drove steadily, with William following closely behind, gripping the steering wheel tightly. He had just seen off Eric, and now Gilbert appeared, clearly on a higher level. Gilbert had followed Evelyn before and now used his connections to replace her blind date, showing he was always prepared and calculating.
William took a deep breath, eyes fixed on the car ahead. Evelyn had been hurt by Edward before, and he wouldn't let any man hurt her again. He would do everything to protect her.
Meanwhile, in the car, the atmosphere was pleasant. Evelyn had shed her cute and ugly disguise, going bare-faced with her long hair tied up, without any pretense.
Gilbert discreetly glanced at her. Her face, pure and beautiful, was open and calm. He steadied his thoughts and softly asked, "Do you remember what you called me the first time you saw me that night?"
"What?" Evelyn blinked. "I really don't remember."
"You called me 'little beast.' Elbert used to scold me with that, and you heard it and teased me with it."
"Kids say the darnedest things. I'm sorry for being rude back then," Evelyn said, her cheeks flushing.
"It's okay. You can still call me that if you want," Gilbert said, smiling indulgently.
Evelyn mumbled, waving her hand in embarrassment, "Gilbert is fine. We're not kids anymore, and you have a status now. It's not respectful."
Gilbert's eyes squinted slightly as he leaned closer, his voice gentle. "Alright, whatever you say."
