âDidnât you just say that you had plans?â Angeline asked in confusion.
âThis is my plan. Iâd rather be alone with you than have dinner with everyone elseâ¦â
âAngel!â
The blissful expression on Jacobâs face from imagining his romantic alone time with Angeline was broken by a young girlâs voice.
Angeline whipped her head around and saw Floretta standing there. She was carrying a duck-shaped backpack and had her hair braided into two pigtails.
Angeline broke into a wide grin. âDid you come here by yourself, Floretta?â
Angeline forgot about Jacob instantly and ran over to hug Floretta, caressing her little face gently.
âNo. I missed you so much, so I begged Daddy to send me here.â
When she heard that, Angeline stiffened up. She looked around but didnât see Evander.
âWhereâs your daddy?â
âHe left as soon as I got here. He said he still has work to do and Francesca will pick me up later,â
Floretta replied obediently.
Angelineâs expression darkened. Heâs probably unwilling to come because of what happened at the party.
Although it had been over half a month, it still felt awkward whenever she thought about it.
âJac, I know you finished your scenes today, so I got you a present,â Floretta said excitedly.
As soon as she stepped onto the film set, her eyes never left Jacob.
âWhat did you get me?â he asked gently.
âTada!â She pulled out a cartoon figurine of Jacob from her bag. âIs it cute?â
âItâs adorable.â Jacob couldnât stop the smile from spreading on his face. He patted her head as he gazed at her affectionately. âI love it. Thank you.â
âYouâre welcome.â Floretta waved a hand at him. Excitement shining in her eyes, she asked eagerly, âWow, Iâm so happy! Can you give me an autograph, Jac?â
âOf course.â
Affection filled Jacobâs heart as he watched her. Evander always had a cold expression on his face and wasnât very likable at all. However, his daughter was a lovable and adorable little girl.
After Jacob gave Floretta his autograph, Angeline walked up to him. âAll right, Jacob. Iâll treat you to dinner.â
His eyes lit up. âReally? Iâll go pack my things right now!â
âOkay.â Angeline used this as an excuse and pulled Floretta to her side.
Evander disliked Jacob, so it was better for Floretta not to interact with him too much.
As the two of them had been rather popular lately, they found a seafood buffet restaurant in an obscure location. There werenât many diners around, so they didnât have to worry about being recognized.
Right after they entered the restaurant, Floretta looked around in curiosity. She plastered her face against the tank and stared at the king crabs in it.
âWow! The crabs are so big! Iâve never seen such big crabs before,â she exclaimed in awe.
A slightly pained expression appeared on Jacobâs face. He couldnât help but criticize Evander, âYour daddy earns hundreds of millions in a day. Why is he so stingy toward his own daughter?â
Floretta tilted her head at him, not quite understanding what he meant.
Seeing that, Angeline quickly stood in front of Floretta and glared at Jacob. âDonât spout nonsense. If anyone were to overhear you, the consequences would be bad.â
Jacob shrugged nonchalantly. He looked at Floretta and said generously, âIâll treat you to a meal today.
You can eat as much as you want!â
She clapped her hands happily and exclaimed, âReally? Yay!â She grabbed Jacobâs hand excitedly and went to look at the lobsters.
Angeline had intended to let Floretta eat some simple dishes. However, when she saw how excited Floretta was, she couldnât bear to be a wet blanket.
After picking out the seafood they wanted, they handed it to the chef to prepare the food. Almost half an hour later, the scrumptious-looking seafood dishes were served.
The delectable scent of the food was practically irresistible.
Jacob unceremoniously grabbed a crab leg, broke the shell with his teeth, and popped the meat into his mouth. He sighed contentedly and said, âOh, wow. Thatâs hot. And itâs delicious!â
Floretta put her hand over her mouth and sniggered. Angeline shook her head in exasperation. She removed the shell of the crab with a pair of pliers, took out the tender meat, and put it in Florettaâs bowl.
Before she got all the meat out, Floretta couldnât wait any longer and took a bite. Just like Jacob, she smiled happily as she shook her head and exclaimed, âItâs so good! Iâve never eaten this before. I want some more, Angel.â
âAll right. Slow down a bit, okay? Thereâs no need to hurry,â Angeline patiently coaxed her. She poured Floretta a glass of water and continued removing the shell of the crab.
Then a hint of confusion flashed across her eyes.
Floretta is almost six years old, yet she has never had crabs before. Isnât that kind of weird?
Angeline was occupied with feeding Floretta and wasnât able to eat much herself. When Jacob saw how much special attention she was showering Floretta with, jealousy bloomed in his heart.
âThatâs not fair. I want you to feed me too, Angie.â
Angeline rolled her eyes at him. She picked up a spoon and tapped him on the head with it. âAre you a child? Or are you unable to take care of yourself?â
âI⦠Youâre so fierce, Angie.â A bitter expression appeared on his face, and he munched on the crayfish in his hands angrily.
As he gazed at Floretta, who was happily eating her food, realization dawned on him.
This is part of Evanderâs plan, isnât it? He knew it was my last day on set and I would ask Angeline out, so he arranged for Floretta to disturb us!
After belatedly realizing that fact, Jacob was so furious that his face was turning red.
Evander, you cunning old fox. Youâre even willing to use your own daughter like this!
Angeline stared at Jacob in resignation. Since he had finally wrapped up his filming, it wouldnât be right for her to be too harsh on him. She removed the shell of a crayfish for him and put it in his bowl.
All of a sudden, there was a loud bang, and all the dishes fell to the floor with a crash.
Florettaâs face was strangely flushed. She was hugging herself, curled up into a tight ball, as she screamed in pain, âAngel, Iâm so cold! It itchesâ¦â
Angelineâs expression changed drastically after she heard that. She was scared out of her wits.
âWhatâs happening? Jacob, call an ambulance now!â
Floretta was just fine earlier. Why is her body itching all of a sudden?
Angeline seemed to have thought of something. She pulled Florettaâs collar open, and just as she thought, there were rashes all over her neck. Her back was covered in them too.
Floretta was sent to the hospital and wheeled into the emergency room.
In order not to attract any attention, Jacob did not follow her to the hospital. After contacting Evander, Angeline paced up and down the corridor anxiously.
Half an hour later, steady yet anxious footsteps echoed in the corridor.
Angeline was squatting on the floor. When she slowly lifted her head, she saw a pair of shiny leather shoes. The frigid light reflected off of the shoes was like a knife being held at her throat.
âWhat happened?â Evanderâs voice was colder than usual.
Angeline instinctively shuddered. She slowly stood up and kept her head lowered, not daring to look at him.
âIâm sorry, Mr. Golding. I failed to take good care of Florettaâ¦â she sobbed.
Just as she was drowning in remorse, the doors of the emergency room were pushed open, and the doctor walked out.
Evander immediately approached him. âHow is my daughter?â he asked nervously.