Date The CEO.com

Chapter 278: Complications inside Complications

The three of them sat on a booth in a nearby cafe.

Eve had changed back to her boots accordingly. Her head whipped from side to side. The cafe was a popular hangout among teens. It was close to the school and had a nice interior for photos. It was the go-to destination—some even stayed over to do homeworks or projects.

"What is it?" She heard Ambryan ask.

He sat by the window which Eve found peculiar. It wasn't until she took the seat next to him did she realize why he picked that spot. Because she was now on the opening side, she had Madame Isabelle sitting directly across from her. 

Eve swallowed a laugh. 

So there was someone in the world that Ambryan was afraid of.

"Madame Isabelle!" A waitress exclaimed, heading over their table straight away. 

"Rose!" Madame Isabelle greeted with a wide smile. "Covering for someone today?"

A giggle escaped Rose's lips. "You got it. My cousin had something to do and couldn't find a coworker to take her shift. Since I worked here before, the owner was pretty lenient. I didn't have anything else to do so why not?"

"I hope you get something out of it though. Your cousin can't expect you to work while she's the one who gets paid for your efforts," Madame Isabelle scoffed. She skimmed through the menu and stated, "Ginger tea for me, dear. And maybe that avocado toast. I always feel a little hungry when someone else is paying."

Eve pressed her lips together, trying not to crack a smile. She bowed her head at the failed attempt. Her shoulders trembled slightly. Ambryan glared in her direction. He didn't have to read her mind to know what she found funny.

Rose raised her eyebrows. Then, she shifted her attention to the other side of the booth. "Really? Are they these lovely companions of yours?"

The cheerful expression on her face vanished. Her cinnamon eyes widened as they took in the other people present. She dropped her hands to her sides, nearly letting her notepad go.

"Everlee?" She uttered as she blinked several times. 

Eve smiled tightly. In her head, she silently scolded herself for getting swept in the moment. She should have remembered to contact Rose when she realized she was back in town. This could go in any direction but the chances of it being bad was high.

"Rose…, been a while," Eve attempted to laugh. It came out breathily. "Have you gotten tanner even when it's near winter? Or maybe you just had your highlights redone? Looks great with your ash brown hair!" 

Rose clicked her tongue and crossed her arms over her chest. She arched an eyebrow, pointing its arc as high as she could. "Gee, what do I owe the pleasure of this visit that I wasn't informed beforehand?"

"Trust me, Rose." Eve flinched. Under the table, her foot found Ambryan's and she pressed the sole of her boot onto the tip of his shoe. He jumped. "Even I didn't know that I was coming here until I woke up in this town."

"A likely story."

"It's true!" She defended and pointed her thumb towards her left. "Ask him."

Rose's glare flickered towards Ambryan. Her reaction may be an exaggeration to many folks but she, Eve and Andie had a deal. They had to inform one another for each time any of them were in the vicinity of the other. It could be Rose visiting Maize City or Eve and Andie driving by the town.

Ambryan glanced at Eve. She returned his gaze with a side eye. It was his fault that she was in this mess. It should be him who should help her fix it. Ambryan received her message loud and clear despite not exchanging a single word.

He turned to Rose and said, "I have no idea what she's talking about."

"Ambee!" Eve smacked his arm. Her palm reddened a bit. She hoped it was enough to inflict him pain. Otherwise, she just might resort to another jab on the foot—and maybe use the heel of her boot. 

Madame Isabelle also stared at him in disapproval. "Don't betray your girl, Noah."

"Wait, hold up," Rose interrupted, her hand raised with its palm out. She squinted her eyes and leaned forward. Ambryan was used to people looking at him and rarely was he fazed by someone's scrutinizing gaze.josei

This almost counted as one of those rare encounters. 

That was when Rose snapped her fingers and straightened her spine. "I knew you were familiar. You're Ambryan Hathaway, the CEO of Eros Productions. Last time I heard, you had a girlfriend who was a model… What was her name again? Ella? Emily? Esther?"

Eve hung her head, already knowing where this was going.

"Evangeline," Ambryan supplied. Across the table, Madame Isabelle scowled.

"Riiigght. E-van-ge-line," Rose repeated as if she had a revelation. Then, she propped a folded arm on Eve's shoulder, saying, "Funny how she has your mom's name right, Everlee? Looks like her too. It's almost like she's your doppelganger—"

"Rose." Eve sighed, meeting the pair of mischievous cinnamon eyes. 

"Yes?" 

She pinched two fingers and yanked them across her lips. "Zip it."

"Fine." Rose pulled her arm back and started writing on her notepad. All the while, her month continued moving. "I mean, I'm just your friend who never moved to the big city and stayed here. It's not like we practiced ballet together growing up or anything. Coffee for you, I suppose? And a cheesecake? What will this man who is not your boyfriend want?"

"Black tea. And flatbread." Ambryan nodded once. He wasn't sure what was going on but he did have a theory. Up until today, he actually never thought that Eve could have a friend around her age except for Andie. He didn't recognize Rose so it must have been after he left town.

"Thank you for choosing Café Stitz. I'll be back as soon as I get everything." Rose flashed a smile for Madame Isabelle before returning to the counter. She ripped off the paper and added it to the queue.

"Rose—" Eve tried to call out but her voice got stuck. She was sure Rose was only kidding earlier but it wasn't the time to bring it up when there was something else to focus on. A groan rumbled in her chest as massaged her temples.

She really should have just called Rose first when they got out of the car earlier.

"Do you want to smooth things over before we get into it?" Ambryan spoke softly. His body was angled towards her while his elbow rested on the table in order to support his chin. "It's not that long of a story but you could be distracted by this."

Eve blew on her bangs. She sneaked a peek towards the counter. Rose hadn't spared them a glance since leaving the table. It started off as a joke but because of how she interrupted her friend, a misunderstanding emerged.

"I'll be right back," Eve muttered.

She headed for the bathroom, her hand gripping her phone inside the pocket. She didn't want to be rude and center the time around her problems. This day was dedicated to Ambryan and Madame Isabelle. Whatever Rose was feeling would have to wait.

But, first, a little help should make things better.

Back at the table, Ambryan cleared his throat. He fixed his sitting posture and folded both arms over the table. "I haven't asked yet but how have you been, mom?"

Her indigo eyes regarded him. "I am happy to announce that I have been well."

"No trip to the doctor? Or anything similar?"

"Now, why would you think that?"

"You do have a bit of a smoking problem," Ambryan reminded her.

She merely snorted and brushed it off. "Nonsense. It's nothing I can't handle. We all die eventually and people around my age usually focus on living longer—but I can't give up everything that gives me a bit of joy."

Ambryan chose not to respond. He did agree that his mom enjoyed her habits but that didn't mean they weren't unhealthy. A passing waiter came by and provided them with three glasses of service water.

He gladly drank one and drained it by half. "E changed her name?"

Madame Isabelle sported a deadpan expression. "Am I really the one who you should ask about that?"

"It's not that," Ambryan quickly defended. "It's one of the reasons I didn't recognize her when we met. Her surname isn't Spinster anymore like I remembered it."

He watched as his mom had an internal debate with herself. "Well, yes. She changed it to her mother's maiden name. She and her sisters that is. That bastard father of theirs should never think of coming back. I wouldn't allow him to live."

Hearing this, Ambryan gained a wider perspective on things. It wasn't just him who had a past to share. It was Eve too. He had the thought briefly but since he had no plans to share his yet, he quickly placed the thought into the back of his mind. 

"He left, right?" Ambryan replied, recalling that part from when he and Eve had dinner with his parents. "He abandoned them. Pushed the responsibility onto Eve's shoulders so she had to give up ballet and support her siblings."

"Oh, he did more than that, boy." Madame Isabelle sneered. Then, she looked at the restrooms. "But that's Eve to tell. We should focus on telling her about how I found you as a baby a long time ago. To this day, even when I know what happened, I still find it hard to believe."

Ambryan nodded in understanding. "A baby found in a delivery truck? Yes, I can imagine the driver checked for an address but didn't find any."

His mom stared at him like he grew a second head. "No sane person would think that the baby was for transport."

"It was a joke, mom."

"It's a good thing that you inherited your family business." She said, catching a glimpse of Eve from the corner of her eye. "You'd make a terrible comedian."