Love Began with the First Meeting

"I'm confident about Dad, but Mom..." Charlie muttered in a very low voice. "All right. I will no longer interfere, as you said."

"Hmm. Remember to tell me how things are going on your side, in case of any new developments," Mark said. Mark was a bit worried because Charlie was only a three year old kid. After his younger brother promised to report to him when necessary, Mark hung up. Looking at Eric, whose face was covered by a big smile, he said, "Uncle Eric, I feel like we're playing with fire here." "But we have the same purpose," Eric said, shrugging. "We want to see if your father and mother are able to stand this trial."

Curling his lips in disagreement, Mark said, "You want to see if Mommy will run away from her problem once again."

Eric responded to Mark with just a smile; he did not say anything. Eric only wanted to know if the relationship between the two of them were firm enough that they would no longer part because of any potential third party. If they stuck together firmly with each other, he could not ask for anything more.

*

Molly was supposedly reading a financial magazine in Brian's office. She stole glances at Brian, who was discussing something with Harrow. She hadn't turned a page in the magazine for quite a while.

At that moment, Tony walked into the office and went straight towards Brian. He said a few words in a whisper into Brian's ear. Molly couldn't hear a word.

Brian's hands paused for a second. He took a look at Molly with his falcon eyes. Molly looked away hastily, as if she had done something bad and was feeling guilty now. She pretended to read the magazine in her hands.

Tony glanced at Molly too. Then in a low voice, he asked, "Mr. Brian Long, do we need to stop her?"

Brian didn't answer. He kept his eyes on Molly and after a while, said in a low voice, "Let's talk about it later."

Tony took a peek at the computer screen on the desk, and then nodded. He then retreated to the far corner of the room, where he always stood almost invisibly.

Harrow and Brian continued their previous conversation until Charlie came back with Evelyn after buying snacks. The two men hadn't finished their discussion yet, but as soon as the twins walked into the office, they stopped talking with a tacit understanding. "Deal with the rest at your own discretion," Brian said as his fingers ran quickly on the keyboard. "But I don't want to see this happening a second time."

Harrow nodded in reply. He wouldn't allow for such a thing to happen to him for the second time either. He didn't know how this matter would have ended if Brian was not in A City at this crucial moment. Fortunately, he was here and even settled it with ease. It turned out that the board that had been under Emp's control was going through some internal changes and Emp was slowly losing control over it. Fortunately, they had found it early enough to take countermeasures. Otherwise, a huge economic turmoil would have taken over the world as soon as quotation was opened that day.

Brian stood up and gave Tony a glance. Tony had been working for Brian for many years. He knew what Brian wanted him to do with just that look from him.

"Dad!" Evelyn greeted Brian in a sweet, lovely voice when she found that her father had finished his work. With a tin of cookies in her hands, she ran to Brian and said, "Dad, hug!"

Hearing her little voice, Brian's face softened in an instant. In a half squat, he picked up his daughter into his arms. Seeing the cookies in her hands, he shook his head and said, "You'd better not eat those now. We'll be having lunch soon. If you eat all this cookie, will you eat anything else for lunch?"

"Yes, I will!" Evelyn answered with a nod. "I want to eat lobster today."

"Food is the only thing in your head!" Charlie scoffed at his sister, following her to Brian's side.

Evelyn pouted and then pulled out her tongue at Charlie. Then she took a cookie out of the tin and brought it near Brian's mouth.

He opened his mouth and took a bite. Apart from Molly, Evelyn was now another important source of his happiness. In the past several dozen years, almost all of the children in the Long Family had been boys. Wing was the only exception. Due to their circumstances at the time, she had been sensible and mature since her early childhood. But Evelyn was different. Her birth was a surprise for the Long Family and an unexpected blessing for Brian. All the men in the family bestowed favors on her as much as they could, and she clearly knew how to make them love her more. Her strategies worked perfectly too. Brian loved his daughter dearly. He always felt that Evelyn was a gift from God to skyrocket his love for Molly.

And Evelyn was spoiled by Brian the most. Just like now, she would put whatever food she wanted in his mouth, whether he liked it or not. That had become one of her habits. She knew that her dear father would never refuse her.

After some time, the four of them left Emp for lunch. Tony drove them to A-magic, which had recently become Evelyn's private kitchen. A cook was hired specially for her in order to satisfy her changing appetite. When they arrived at the restaurant, the couple took the twins to seat them at a table. Then they ordered food for all of them.

"It looks like you are trying to swallow some unsaid words with much difficulty," Brian said to Molly, who was sitting opposite to him. He took a sip of his water and asked, "Is there anything that you want to talk to me about?"

As soon as he heard his father's question, Charlie, who was sitting next to Molly, stopped eating. He glanced sideways at Evelyn, who was busy eating happily. So he pretended to eat as he pricked his ears, waiting for an answer from his mother.

Meanwhile, Molly put down the chopsticks and lowered her eyes. She was wondering whether she should ask Brian about the so-called fiancee. If she chose not to ask, the question would become a load on her mind, but instead if she chose to ask him, she was afraid that Brian might feel that she was creating unnecessary trouble out of nothing or that she didn't trust him. She didn't want that.

Leaning against the backrest of the chair, Brian remained calm and composed, gazing at Molly, and waiting for her response. He knew that she was unable to conceal her emotions. Seeing the color of her face change slowly, an almost invisible smile appeared at one corner of his thin lips.

"Uhh..." Molly started, like she was determined to ask him. However, when she raised her eyes to look at Brian, she was met with his deep, black eyes. She didn't know how to ask him about it.

Charlie felt dejected at his mother's hesitation. His little lips moved slightly, mumbling something to himself.

Brian didn't urge Molly to speak. He was willing to wait for her to speak when she had sorted out her thoughts. He already knew what Molly wanted to ask. He had been informed of Cora's arrival as soon as she had arrived in A City. For someone who had been trained in XK Intelligence Agency, it would not be any difficult to find Molly. Besides, Molly had seemed kind of low ever since she had come back to Emp. He could reasonably dope out that the two women had met. 00000