Chapter50 Honesty or Lies
What did Caius mean by that? Was he hinting? Did he see her at the jewelry store entrance earlier?
Linnea forced herself to sound calm and answered Caius's call. "I haven't gone anywhere. I'm at..."
"I stopped by the beach apartment. The only thing left on the bed was your lace nightgown."
"I wasn't trying to say I was there," Linnea held back the rest of her words. "I'm shopping at the mall."
"Want me to join you?"
"No, Caius. You're so busy with work. How could you have time to join me..."
"As luck would have it, I canceled an impromptu meeting. Right now, I have plenty of time."
"Really, you don't need to..."
"Linnea, you don't want me to join you." Caius's smile sounded certain. "That's strange. You're so good at resisting the man you've been obsessed with since college?"
Linnea had no choice. She started the video call and explained, "I'm in a changing room at a clothing store..."
"Shopping for workout clothes?"
"...Yes."
Caius was sitting in the back seat of his car. Through the blurred window, she couldn't make out the location outside. His emerald eyes, even through the phone screen, were sharp enough to see right through her soul.
Linnea couldn't help but look away. He immediately ordered, "Why are you hiding? Look at me."
Linnea had to move her eyes back.
"You have sweat on your forehead, and your cheeks are completely flushed. Nervous? So you were lying to me just now. Wearing workout clothes, you must be at the gym, right?"
"You're afraid to tell me even that. Is it... because of another man?"
"I'll give you one last chance. Honesty, or lies?"
How could Linnea possibly tell him the truth?
Forget a suitor. Even if Soren was just a client she barely knew, Caius would still be furious. Last time, all she did was compliment a client's outfit, and he did something in his CEO office...
"I'm just working out at the gym," she struggled to lie. "It's a male personal trainer this time, so I was nervous to tell you..."
Caius cut her off, announcing, "You've wasted your last chance, too."
Linnea's stomach immediately twisted with anxiety. She tried to make another excuse, but Soren's voice suddenly came from outside the door:
"Linnea, why are you still not out? Did something happen..."
Linnea's heart hammered. Her hand slipped, and she hung up the call.
The moment she hung up, she wanted to immediately find an excuse to cancel the date, sneak back to the beach apartment, and pretend nothing happened. No new texts popped up in the chat. She maintained a semblance of calm and stepped out to meet Soren.
"Did I interrupt you? You seemed to be on the phone."
"No."
Soren quickly followed up, "May I ask who it was?"
"...A client."
"A client who needs to cling to you even on your day off?" Soren smiled at her and added a knowing tease. "You must be very thorough with your work. Otherwise, this 'client' wouldn't be so dependent and persistent."
"He sounds really vicious, and quite scary. Just a few words with you, and an attractive woman sounds like she's on the verge of tears... He must be a rough, barbaric guy, right?"
"You misheard," Linnea clenched her jaw and firmly cut him off. "I can't casually discuss my clients. I think we should drop this topic."
"My apologies." Soren shrugged. "You know I'm pursuing you, so I can't bear to see a client bully you."
Linnea forced a smile.
She always had a subtle intuition. In fact, she noticed a hint of hidden pleasure in his still-warm eyes. Soren must have figured something out... Men are indeed malicious creatures!
Thinking of the potentially enraged Caius, she decided to cut the date short, but the hastily arriving gym manager spoke first:
"You must be Ms. Linnea? I can't believe that young Soren actually knows a beauty like you!"
Linnea had to swallow her words. "Undoubtedly, Soren is a great guy, hard to come by."
"That's too much praise for Soren!" The manager laughed heartily, then teased Linnea when she was unprepared, "Is this the blind admiration of a lover?"
Linnea flinched and instinctively looked at Soren. Did the manager misunderstand, or did Soren tell him something?
Soren held up his hands to show innocence. "He's just being clumsy as usual. Don't blame me for it..."
Linnea offered an awkward smile.
Hearing their conversation, the manager scratched his head. "Aren't you two a couple?"
His voice was loud, and for a moment, his shout echoed through half the gym.
"No, we're not." Linnea began to regret the idea of using Soren. She forgot that Soren was definitely not a steady, kind person. He even kept his family background a secret from her. "I'm sorry, I have an urgent work matter. I need to leave early."
"You're not?" The manager was shocked, saying without reservation, "But you look so close. If not a couple, then maybe friends with benefits..."
"Friends with benefits?"
Linnea's suspended heart finally died.
She stiffly turned around to face Caius, who had appeared out of nowhere. Where did he pop up from? Had he been waiting downstairs ever since the phone call?
Soren said nothing, but his eyes showed hostility as they met Caius's.
Caius ignored him.
He walked up to Linnea, reaching out to touch her cheek. She anxiously dodged him. "...Don't tell anyone about us, please!"
"Don't worry. I couldn't be bothered to let people know about our business."
His fingers hovered in the air, paused, and then dropped as Linnea wished.
Caius looked down at her, and after a moment, spoke in a low, quiet breath:
"You look very unhappy to see me here. So, is that guy your boyfriend? Lover? Date? Linnea, you better be honest with me."
"Otherwise, I won't mind just screwing you right here."