Sweetheart, Do You Still Love Me

Yelena had no interest in conversing with her jerk of a brother, so she simply rolled her eyes before glaring at him. "Hank put in a lot of work just to win you over, you know? He even put effort into his relationship with me. Do you think I should tell him about the date that you're going on?" Hex asked.

"What are you trying to do, Hex?!" Yelena hissed.

"Hey, I'm not trying to do anything. It was just a random comment, that's all." Even though Hex was a big mouth, he could tell his words had triggered his sister's temper. He was smart enough to take his words back. "Alright, don't be angry. Do you want me to tell you who your date is?" Hex offered.

"Tell me," Yelena muttered grumpily. "Federick," Hex said. The name rang loud in Yelena's mind. She hadn't heard any news of Federick in the past five years. Back then, she had ignored Federick's words and was insistent on returning to the country to search for Hank. After that, she was too afraid to reach out to him, worried that he was mad at her. Just like that, they gradually lost contact with one another.

How could he be my date? "I bet you didn't expect this, huh? Well, it's time for you to repay some debts. I'm just waiting to enjoy the show this time," Hex uttered with a tut. For once, Yelena didn't make a snark response—she simply tidied herself up a little before she headed back to her room. Federick… Yelena didn't necessarily fancy him, but their relationship was rather complicated.

Upon hearing who her date was, Yelena regretted how compliant she had been with her father's request earlier. I should have asked him more about it first. Well, it's too late to change my mind at this point, so I have no choice but to shamelessly go ahead with the plan. Yelena threw herself onto the bed before covering her sheets over her face.

She couldn't avoid the harsh reality forever. About 30 minutes before the date, she forced herself to put on some makeup and a decent outfit before she headed out with Francis. They arrived at the suggested restaurant, and Yelena spotted a familiar figure the moment she stepped into the place.

Federick didn't seem to have changed much. He was still the same as before—someone who rarely smiled unless he was talking. He seemed especially cold and distant as he sat in silence, giving off the aura of an unapproachable man. However, Yelena knew who Federick was deep down; he was a stubborn and temperamental man who would point his finger and growl at her if she disagreed with him. He was extremely fierce, but he always had a good point to back his anger up.

Francis had already headed over to greet Federick while Yelena was still caught in her thoughts. "It's been a while, Gus. I think the last time I saw you was about three years ago," Francis uttered.

Gus beamed as he reached over for a hug. "That's true. We've spent the last few years developing our business overseas, so we rarely ever came home. I'm not just visiting this time around, though. I'm planning to move back here! We can always head out for a few drinks," Gus suggested.

"That would be perfect!" Both Francis and Gus were too immersed in their conversation to notice how the two younger individuals were in a rather awkward state. Neither of them knew what to do in that situation. Francis assumed that Federick and Yelena were only quiet because their old men were around, so he gave Gus a look. "Hey, Gus. I have some alcohol in my car, and I think I should bring it over. Do you want to come along with me?"

"Sure, sure. We haven't met for a long while, after all. There's a lot I want to talk to you about," Gus replied. The two old men continued chatting as they walked off, leaving Yelena and Federick to themselves. The two of them stared at each other without breaking the silence.

Federick was almost certain that it was going to take a while for Yelena to speak up, so he reached over to have a sip of water first. Eventually, he was the gentleman who initiated the conversation. "Aren't you a celebrity? It's been a while since I last saw you, but it looks like you've gained some weight."

Yelena was confused for a while. Is he starting our conversation with such a remark? She forgot all about the tension in the room earlier, and she no longer hesitated to snap back at him, saying, "Who are you to say that about me? It's been a while, but it seems like your tongue got sharper."

Federick could already predict her response. When he saw the look of scorn on her face, he felt an oddly familiar and pleasant sensation in him. "You don't seem like the type to be awkward and restrained. Since when have you ever been nice to me, anyway?" he replied. Yelena bit her bottom lip as she didn't know what to say for a while.

"I thought you'd be mad at me," she finally said. Federick raised an eyebrow and gazed at her expression for a while. "Tsk. Why would I be mad at you? I figured you'd live a good life after you returned to the country. I didn't expect that guy to dump you and leave you in such a miserable situation. What's the point of me being angry at you now?" His words seemed to rub salt into her wounds.