Chloe sat in the restaurant and looked at all the lavish dishes, but she did not have the appetite as she usually had, because the look on Christopher’s face was terrifying.

“Mr. Cleveland, is all this too willful?”

“I am having a day off today.”

“...” Chloe didn’t know what to say, “ why didn’t you tell me earlier?”

“it was a random decision.”

“...”

“OK, eat before they get cold, you should like these.” Christopher put a piece of eggplant on her plate, then he just watched her quietly.

Chloe put it in her mouth, feeling ill at ease, and ate a piece of bread by the way silently.

“Don’t you eat?” she noticed that Christopher didn’t start and felt very uncomfortable and embarrassing. Why can’t we just eat like normal people usually do?

“Hi, Chloe!” Vincent entered the picture unexpectedly as his usual cheerful self, who Chloe suddenly found her life savor. He should be rewarded with a big candy cane!

“Hey, how are you? Are you here for lunch too?” Chloe smiled at him and glanced at Christopher, whose face looked even worse.

“Yes, what a coincidence to meet you here, why don’t I sit with you guys!” Vincent didn’t wait for an answer, he found himself a chair and seated at the table.

“Why are you here?” finally Christopher opened his mouth, with a face looking as if ‘you don’t tell the truth I will kick you ass’.

“...Oh, I just, came for lunch, and found you guys are here too...” his eyes were dodging, then he turned to Chloe, “come Chloe, you are too thin, you should eat more!”

“if you don’t tell me the truth, I’ll let you pay for this meal.” Christopher took his eyes off Vincent, smoothed his sleeve, and helped Chloe with more food.

“You! Are we still best buds or not?” Vincent said and found something different had cracked into their relationship.

“No.”

“Ha ha!” Chloe was amused to laughter but when she looked at the funny sad face of Vincent, she held back.

“You two are! I must have made the worst friends ever! Fine, I’ll tell you!” Vincent weighed his words and told word by word, “it was all Cherie! She complained to my mom after we got back from the wedding that I had disrespected her, then the word went to my father’s ear, now you are looking at a man with no pocket money. Though I am not broken, it still hurts me!”

Honestly speaking, Chloe found it very funny. How could a man old as him still expect pocket money for his parents!

“So you are here for free meals?”

“Well, don’t say it aloud since you know it now, I don’t feel proud of it, especially in the presence of our sweet sister-in-law!” Vincent glanced at Chloe, then at Christopher. They didn’t react too much against it, that was when he knew his sweet talking was working.

“OK then. Excuse me, we need another fork and knife here.” Christopher changed his attitude towards Vincent quickly in an odd way, which Chloe found sort of funny yet embarrassing. She was still thinking about how Vincent had addressed her, ‘sister-in-law’, while the two men had called a truce and started to go at the dishes, especially Vincent, he seemed to have not eaten for days.

After the three of them had eaten and drunk their fill and walked out of the restaurant, Vincent took Chloe’s hand near his lips and kissed it, then he whispered into her ear, “Chloe, you are my sister-in-law now, remember to say more nice things about me before Christopher, I put my prospect of pocket money in you now!” then he drove away, leaving Chloe standing there alone. What I have done just now, Vincent thought, that was pretty cute!

“Let’s go, there is still some time before we should go back to work, let’s go for a ride.”

Christopher opened the door for her to get in first, then he went around the car and got in too. Everything was so harmonious. The staffs in the restaurant looked at them through the windows with envious eyes and wondered why this cute rich man was not their boyfriend.

“Hello? Vincent! You get back here right now!” In the studio, Cherie was on the phone with Vincent to urge him. She was pissed.

That jerk! Left no words for me and went to lunch himself!

“OK OK!”

“Remember, bring me something good for lunch. Something good! I’ll tell your mom again if you come back with nothing!”

“Jesus Christ! This is enough! Telling me off is all you can do now? I have no money in my pocket now, send me some if you want lunch!” Vincent felt very sulky, why don’t I know any girl as cute and docile as Chloe!