Chapter 976

Chapter 976 You Smoked

As she walked, she pondered for a good excuse to take her parents away.

After all, they hadn’t been here for long, so they hadn’t had the chance to try out most of the dishes on the dining table. If there wasn’t a special reason, her parents wouldn’t just leave like that.

She had to come up with a logical excuse that wouldn’t arouse suspicion.

However, this type of excuse obviously wasn’t that easy to find.

Just when Rina was getting more and more annoyed inside, Julia suddenly spoke up. “What’s wrong, Rina? Why do you look so pale?”

“I’m—”

Rina looked up and was about to tell them she was fine. Then, she suddenly thought of something, and her eyes lit up with a fleeting light.

Right, my pale face can serve as an excellent excuse!

With that in mind, Rina smiled a little, but fearing that someone might catch on, she quickly hid the smile. Then, with a sudden change of expression, she gripped her chest where her heart should be, and put on a suffering expression.

Seeing that, Titus and Julia were both startled, and they stood up simultaneously.

“Rina, what’s wrong?” Julia hastily circled around the table and walked toward Rina.

Even though Titus didn’t say anything, the nervous look on his face was clear as day.

When Rina saw that they were indeed worried, a light flashed across her eyes. She knew her plan was working.

But this wasn’t enough. She needed to do something more.

At that thought, Rina faked a discomforted scream, and she slowly crouched down on the ground, as if she suddenly caught some sort of disease and couldn’t hold on any longer.

She really managed to trick Titus and Julia like this, and they were immensely terrified.

“Rina, what exactly is going on?” Julia was so worried that she was about to cry.

Titus helped Rina off the ground and asked hastily, “Yes, Rina. Tell us, where does it hurt? Don’t scare us like this.”

“Dad…” Rina gripped her chest as she heaved labored breaths, her widened eyes staring at Titus. Her lips trembled as she said weakly, “I… I don’t feel so good, I—”

She suddenly stopped short.

Then, leaning in Titus’ arms, Rina “fainted.”

Titus shook her a little, but there was no response. He was really frightened now. “Rina!”

“Honey, quick, let’s take Rina to the hospital.” Julia also was so worried that her eyes reddened, and she hastily reminded him.

Titus finally gathered his wits about him and nodded consecutively. “Right, the hospital. Let’s go to the hospital. Come, we’re going right now.”

Once he finished speaking, the couple carried Rina as they hastily walked toward the entrance of the private room.

In the corridor, Toby was still leaning on the wall next to the entrance of the private room, smoking.

He had more or less finished the cigarette, but he still hadn’t put it out and returned to the private room. Instead, he kept staring at one of the private rooms across from him, as if waiting for something.

Just now, Rina had replied to him, saying that she would lead Titus and his wife away soon.

He wanted to see how long it would take her to do it.

Toby faintly let out some smoke, hovering the cigarette over the ashtray at the side. With a slight tap of his finger, the ash broke off and fell into the ashtray.

Soon after, there was some movement coming from a certain private room across from him.

Toby was about to take one more puff, but when he heard the sounds, he suddenly changed his mind and put out the cigarette by pressing it against the ashtray.

The cigarette was just put out and tossed into the ashtray when the door of the private room diagonally across from Toby opened. A couple familiar to Toby was carrying someone as they hastily walked out from within.

Toby could recognize right away that the couple was Titus and Julia.

As for the person Titus was carrying…

Even though Toby couldn’t see her face, he knew it could be none other than Rina.

Seeing the couple’s worried looks, and from the way Rina was carried outside by Titus, Toby could make out that Rina had a “sudden sickness.”

Of course, he knew that Rina had faked it. It was an excuse Rina made up specially so that Titus and Julia could leave.

If not, how could such coincidences occur? He had just asked her to leave moments before, and now she was suddenly ill?

As Toby watched the three leave, a cold smile crept upon his thin lips.

Titus and his wife focused all their attention on Rina, so they didn’t realize his presence. After leaving the room, they headed right toward the stairs.

But it was a good thing. If Titus and Julia saw him and challenged him, Little Leaf might come out, and things would get much trickier.

Toby sent a last glance at the stairs the three disappeared at, then calmly averted his gaze and turned around, returning to the private room.

When Sonia heard the footsteps behind her, she turned around and smiled as she said, “You’re back.”

“Yeah.” The chill in Toby’s face receded as it was replaced with a gentle warmth that filled his eyes.

Sonia patted his chair. “You’ve taken quite a long time.”

“I saw a performance when I was coming back,” Toby replied after taking his seat.

“A performance?” Sonia was stunned, then she got curious and was about to ask him what sort of performance it was when she caught the smell of cigarettes coming from him.

Yes, the smell of cigarettes.

It wasn’t the usual kind of cigarette, though, which was especially thick and foul.

On the contrary, there was a slight fragrance to it, and it smelled quite nice.

Since these cigarettes were specially made, outsiders who had never smelled the fumes before wouldn’t know that it belonged to a cigarette. They might even think it was some sort of perfume.

As for Sonia, she had smelled this cigarette before, and from him no less. This was exactly why she knew that he had been smoking.

Also, she knew that he smoked, but it wasn’t an addiction, so she usually never saw him smoking. As time went on, she almost forgot that he smoked.

Now, when she suddenly caught the scent of cigarettes from him, she finally remembered that this terrible man was a smoker.

In an instant, Sonia’s expression soured as she glared at the man, her voice filled with anger as she said, “You smoked?”

Hearing that, Toby knew he was in trouble. She seemed to be upset about him smoking.

Toby subconsciously wanted to say he wasn’t smoking, but he knew it was futile to lie, for the smell couldn’t fool anyone.

Also, he still had the rest of the cigarettes in his pocket. If he lied, she could definitely search his pockets and find the cigarettes.

When that happened, the atmosphere would get even worse.

So, it was better for him to admit it right from the start.

With that in mind, Toby coughed lightly, his voice a little guilty as he answered, “Yes, I smoked.”

“I knew it.” Sonia frowned, her expression turning worse.

Toby glanced at her from the corner of his eye. “You don’t like me smoking?”

“Of course I don’t.” Sonia pursed her red lips and looked at him. “Who would want people they care about to smoke? Smoking is bad for your health, don’t you know that?”

“I do.” Toby nodded.

Sonia glared at him, her voice getting louder. “You knew, but you still smoked?”

Toby touched his nose, keeping quiet. He knew very well that if he replied now, he would only make the situation worse.

Sonia glared coldly at the man. “I already knew before this that you smoked, but that was when we weren’t back together. So, I wouldn’t care if you smoked, or if you smoked a lot, or if you smoked yourself to death.

After all, there’s nothing between us. But now, it’s different. We’re together now, so I have to take responsibility for your body and your health. So, I absolutely do not allow you to smoke. Also, I noticed that you haven’t smoked in a while, so I thought you quit long ago. Too bad, I was wrong.”