Ch.93

Ch.93
Ayanna POV.

"Oh, hi, Ayanna," he said casually, attempting to hug me, and I obliged.

"And I own this hotel, by the way. It's normal for the owner to be here, don't you think?"

"Where have you been? It's like you disappeared from the surface. I didn't hear anything from or about you after that party and the huge sum you paid to my agency."

"You mean the night you dumped me to go hook up with Travis? Oh yeah, I remember," he said, chuckling.

And I felt somewhat guilty.

"I'm sorry about that night. I left because I was angry. The both of you were trying to place a bet on me like I was an object."

"It's fine. I understand. And I also found out that you got married to Travis and you both have a little daughter. That was interesting. I should have noticed from that night," he said with a smug smile.

"Oh, that's by the way. Where have you been?"

"Do you seriously want to know about my whereabouts?"

"Well, last I heard, you were supposed to invest in Travis's company, but I never heard anything about that matter nor about you. So yeah, I'm curious."

"Since you're so eager to know, let's discuss over breakfast. I just got here, and I'm famished, okay? I can't talk over an empty stomach," Henry said.

"Okay, it's fine. Let's go. I haven't eaten either."

"Aren't you supposed to be here with your husband for a honeymoon, perhaps? I haven't seen him."

"How do you know?" That made me suspicious because the second wedding was a private one, and no one knew about it apart from the family members.

"Oh, come on. I was just guessing. You wouldn't be in Paris alone."

That eased me up a bit.

"He went out to attend to something before I woke up."

"So, Ayanna, let's go have breakfast, and you can ask whatever you want. Or do you intend to wait for your husband?"

"Oh, it's fine. Let's go."

We walked over to the restaurant, and I was about to sit down when Henry pulled out the seat for me like a gentleman.

I mouthed a thank you.

I ordered a croissant with café au lait, while Henry ordered an omelet with a baguette and espresso.

I started eating, but Henry was just staring at me without touching his food.

"Aren't you going to eat, or do you just want to stare at me all day?"

"Really? All day? Do you want to stay with me all day?"

I couldn't help but laugh. "I didn't literally mean all day. It's just an expression or figure of speech-whatever it is."

He burst out laughing. "Hey, calm down. I was just pulling your legs. No need to get all serious with me. You should have seen your face!"

"Ha, ha. It's okay. Mind telling me now?" I asked.

"Well, Ayanna, since you're so eager to know, I had a business to attend to at that time. Due to some unexpected circumstances, I got delayed over the process and couldn't present myself to the public. So that's it."

"Seriously? For almost a year? You want me to believe that?"

"Come on, Ayanna. Why are you being so insistent? It's not like we were friends or dating for you to keep tabs on me. Why are you suddenly so interested in me?"

To think of it, even I didn't know why I was asking those questions.

"Alright, Henry. I'll see you later."

It was better if I just went back to my room. I called on the waitress to foot my bill.

"I invited you to have breakfast with me. Why on earth are you trying to pay?"

"You can go ahead. I'll take care of it.
 "See you later."

I stood up to leave, and he muttered something.

"What did you say?"

"I said, not even a hug?"

I hesitated, thinking about whether I should hug him when he suddenly hugged me out of nowhere.

Unfortunately, it wasn't my lucky moment because I saw and heard Travis's voice.

"Who are you, and why are you hugging my wife so tight?"

Travis folded his arms. "Interesting way to greet a married woman, don't you think?"

Henry turned to face him, a sly smirk playing on his lips. "Oh? I didn't realize hugs were illegal now. Maybe I should have asked for a permission slip first."

I groaned. "Can we not do this?"

Travis smirked. "Just making sure boundaries are clear. Some people have a habit of overstepping."

Henry chuckled, tilting his head slightly. "Oh, don't worry. I know my place." His gaze flicked over Travis, amusement glinting in his eyes. "But judging from your reaction, do you?"

Travis let out a low laugh, though his jaw tightened slightly. "Oh, I know exactly where I stand-with my wife."

Henry raised a brow, pretending to be impressed. "Ah, your wife. Right. Must be nice to have that kind of certainty. Not everyone is so lucky in relationships."

I shot Henry a warning glare. "Henry..."

But Henry ignored me, shifting his weight as he casually slid his hands into his pockets. "Don't take it so personally, Travis. I was just being friendly. Unless, of course, you think there's something more to it?"

Travis's eyes darkened. "I don't think-I know exactly what I see. And what I see is another man getting too comfortable with my wife."

Henry shrugged. "Relax, man. It was just a hug. If that's enough to shake your confidence, maybe you should be asking yourself why."

I stepped between them before things escalated. "Okay, that's enough! Can we not turn a simple hug into a full-blown war?"

Travis exhaled, running a hand through his hair. "Fine. As long as he remembers who he's dealing with."

Henry smirked, clearly enjoying every second of the exchange. "Oh, I never forget."

I groaned, grabbing Travis's arm. "We're leaving. Now."

Henry gave me a wink. "See you around, Ayanna."

Travis didn't respond, but the way he tightened his grip on my waist made his message clear.