The Woman From Hell

Click! The noise came from his phone that was facing me.

I frowned. "Why are you taking photos of me?"

"You look good! The photo of you standing below the sunset is incredibly beautiful. It’s a shame you're not a celebrity." Xander waved the phone in his hands and laughed.

I did not want to be petty with him, so I turned and continued walking. It was remarkably stunning here, like a whole new world. It made one feel carefree and relaxed, allowing people to forget about their problems as they indulged in their joyful moods.

Xander kept his phone and walked beside me. "If you like it here, I'll bring you here more often."

"Thanks." I did like it here, but it was not necessary for me to come with him. If we were caught on camera again, things would be over for us.

As if he could sense my worries, he kept mum. Neither of us spoke as we walked side by side in silence. This place was secluded to begin with, and it was especially quiet with not many people around. Hence, we could rest assured that we would not bump into any fans or paparazzi here.

"Other than Theo Grant, is it a no for everyone else?" After a long time, Xander broke the silence. His tone was exceptionally serious.

I was momentarily stunned, only to realize what he meant moments later. I replied faintly, "Not really. It’s just that I met him first, that's all."

Relationships were brash decisions. Most of the time, i t was all about a moment. I met Theo just when my heart began to be receptive toward getting into a romantic relationship, and it could no longer hold anyone else after that.

To be exact, I no longer paid attention to anyone else from then on.

Xander stood in front of me, blocking my way. He said, "Love is like taking a walk. You don’t have to follow the same path until the sun goes down. You can always stop and switch to a better path when you find that it's getting tough. You’d feel a lot better.”

"Perhaps!" I smiled.

"So it means, you'll leave him one day, right?” He was persistent, his scorching gaze boring into me.

I could not help but chuckle as I pushed him aside, saying softly, "We’ll never know what tomorrow holds."

We would not know what the future would be like. In fact, we would not be able to know if tomorrow would come first, or would an accident come before tomorrow did. Many things were destined, like who w e would meet and who we would disappoint.

Without realizing it, it was the end of the walkway. Like Xander had said, there was a surf and turf restaurant at the very end of the walkway.

This restaurant seemed to have been around for a long time since the decor and its tables and chairs were on the older side. From afar, one would think that it was a n ordinary farmhouse if it were not for the glaring signboard that said 'James' Surf and Turf'.

The restaurant owners were a couple in their forties who were extremely excited to meet Xander again." You’re here? As usual, the backyard behind is reserved for you."

"Thanks!" Xander brought me to the backyard, which was a flower garden to be exact. All the different species of flowers were blooming. There was a little pavilion in the middle that was surrounded by curtains.

Xander brought me into the pavilion and there was a simple-looking table, but it had a distinctive style.

"You don't mind eating here, right?" Xander pulled a chair for me to take my seat.

I shook my head. I was not particular when it came to food, I would eat at food trucks along the roadside too.

I was just shocked that Xander would come to a place like this for a meal. “Looks like you're quite acquainted with the owners here." "I came here several times for a shoot before, and the owners would arrange this space for us to prevent unwanted attention. It's great to be able to dine peacefully without disruptions. Most importantly, the food here tastes pretty good, so I come here pretty frequently."

Indeed, for celebrities like Xander, they could only have a meal in the city if it was in a private room or a customized space with enhanced privacy measures. They would not be able to enjoy outdoor dining since they could not dine out in the open.

The owners gave us the menu, and Xander passed it to me. I took it without hesitation and ordered a few things that I liked to eat. Then, I returned the menu to Xander. "I only ordered what I like. I don't know what you want to eat."

Xander received the menu and as he ordered, he said," I like how you’re straightforward and genuine. There’s not an ounce of hypocrisy in you." Published by Nôv'elD/rama.Org.

I cocked my eyebrows and narrowed my eyes at him. " Have you been eating with fairies who refuse to eat mortal food?”

"They're not willing to touch food trucks by the roadside since they feel like the food is too cheap," Xander frowned as he replied.