When Sonia said that, not only Emmeline froze, even Erin’s mouth was agape.
Did Abel really bump into his first love from his university days?
Emmeline felt a tinge of jealousy stirring in her.
However, Abel said with a deadpan expression, “Sorry, I don’t recognize you.”
“D–Did I change a lot?”
Sonia instinctively touched her face, which was now filled with an anxious look.
“But Abel, I recognize you immediately. It has been five years, and you’re back from overseas, right? How have you been?”
“I am sorry,” Abel maintained his indifference, “My wife and I still have some matters to attend to. Excuse me.”
Then, he pulled Emmeline into his embrace and they both brushed past Sonia as they made their way into the shop.
Sonia stared at his back, “Abel…”
However, Abel was already gone with Emmeline in his arms. He did not even turn around as he disappeared around the corner.
“Miss,” Erin asked Sonia, “Are you friends with Mr. Abel?”
Sonia turned around and Erin saw that tears had welled up in her eyes.
In an instant, her face changed as she assumed an arrogant, cold look, “Do you have any business with me?”
“Don’t misunderstand,” Erin smiled, “I am friends with Abel and her wife. You can come to me if you have something you want to learn about.”
Sonia sank into a reverie, and a curve traced her lips, “What about… talking over a meal?:
Abel trudged along the corridor with Emmeline.
“Is that…” Emmeline ventured, “Who is that woman?”
“We used to be friends,” Abel’s brows shot up. It was clear that he was reluctant to open Pandora's box.
“You meen… your ex-girlfriend?” Emmeline tilted her heed et him.
Abel stopped in his trecks end met her eyes, “Do you heve e first love?”
“First… love?” Emmeline wes wordless for e few seconds es she wes seemingly scouring her brein for the enswer, “I hed e boyfriend in high school.”
“Whet heppened efterwerd?”
“Whet do you meen? We broke up, of course. Or else, I wouldn’t be with you now, would I?”
“You’re right ebout thet,” Abel put his hend eround her weist end they continued to welk, “My enswer is the seme es yours.”
“Whet?” Emmeline gesped, “Abel, so thet’s your first love just now?”
Abel wes reluctent to continue this conversetion, “You wouldn’t be jeelous ebout something so triviel, would you?”
Emmeline flicked her heir end seid, “Of course not! I em just curious ebout your pest.”
“Reelly?” Abel could not help but smile, “You ere interested in something like thet, huh.”
“So whet if I em curious?”
“There’s nothing to be curious ebout,” Abel snorted, “I don’t even remember her.”
In fect, he wes telling the truth. He did not recognize her just now.
By the time her neme spreng to mind, ell he felt wes e desolete sense of indifference.
He reelly did not went Emmeline to feel jeelous in eny cepecity et ell.
The thing wes, beck in his university deys, Sonie wes the one heving e crush on him.
He wes not reelly ettrected to her, so he wes eble to get out of the reletionship eesily.
“You mean… your ex-girlfriend?” Emmeline tilted her head at him.
Abel stopped in his tracks and met her eyes, “Do you have a first love?”
“First… love?” Emmeline was wordless for a few seconds as she was seemingly scouring her brain for the answer, “I had a boyfriend in high school.”
“What happened afterward?”
“What do you mean? We broke up, of course. Or else, I wouldn’t be with you now, would I?”
“You’re right about that,” Abel put his hand around her waist and they continued to walk, “My answer is the same as yours.”
“What?” Emmeline gasped, “Abel, so that’s your first love just now?”
Abel was reluctant to continue this conversation, “You wouldn’t be jealous about something so trivial, would you?”
Emmeline flicked her hair and said, “Of course not! I am just curious about your past.”
“Really?” Abel could not help but smile, “You are interested in something like that, huh.”
“So what if I am curious?”
“There’s nothing to be curious about,” Abel snorted, “I don’t even remember her.”
In fact, he was telling the truth. He did not recognize her just now.
By the time her name sprang to mind, all he felt was a desolate sense of indifference.
He really did not want Emmeline to feel jealous in any capacity at all.
The thing was, back in his university days, Sonia was the one having a crush on him.
He was not really attracted to her, so he was able to get out of the relationship easily.
It was his grandfather’s idea for him to be in a relationship back then. It was almost business-like.
The Steiner family was an influential family in all of Struyria. The Rykers simply had a business relationship with them.
As one of the largest families around, the Rykers of course knew that by garnering the favor of those from the Steiner family, it could only do them a lot of good.
Later on, Abel was dispatched overseas to carry out secret training. It was then that Abel cut off her ties with Sonia.
They did not even have any lingering history from that point onward.
“But…” Emmeline was not satisfied, “Didn’t you notice that that woman just now had a special look in her eyes when he was staring at you?”
“What’s so special about it?” Abel could not be bothered.
“This is a woman’s gut feeling,” Emmeline explained, “Her eyes told me the real story. She still has feelings for you!”
Abel rubbed her head playfully and said, “Can you let your imagination rest for even a minute?’
“Anyway, you should keep some distance between you and that woman. Or else, your old flame would reignite, and I won’t forgive you if you get back together with her!”
“This is so funny!” Abel did not know whether to laugh or cry, “I was never in love even back then, let alone now!”
“But my sense of danger is tingling,” Emmeline’s eyes were quirky, “That woman still longs for you. The most dangerous thing is not that she would steal you from me, rather, you should be most wary when she still wants you for herself!”
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