It's Love That Blinds Him
It’s Love That Blinds Him – Chapter 22

To Lucia’s surprise, the attempted street murder had not received much publicity, aside from a brief appearance on the television news two days after the incident. No reporters appeared outside the building, looking for every detail, and she was able to come and go as usual.

After taking Malcolm’s house map in the morning, Lucia returned to the apartment in the evening. But to his surprise, Malcolm wasn’t there.

It was her third day in the apartment and she still hadn’t seen any trace of Malcolm. Lucia felt like they were both inflexible, playing a very boring game. When one of them took a step forward, the other took a step back.

Planning for the Evans Group file was progressing timidly, but surely. The first project had already been completed, and all details were taken into account. During the day, Lucia was so busy that she hardly thought about her conflicting emotions. It was only in the evening, when she returned to the empty house, that she felt like a lonely woman waiting for her dear husband to return.

Perhaps it was due to the turmoil in his life lately. Now she spent most of her time on work, and she was exhausted.

“Am I too old to handle all this? », Wondered Lucia. She had refused her colleagues’ invitation to go to a bar after work. Tired from overtime, all she wanted to do was go home and get some sleep.

The lights in the office went out one by one. It was already eight o’clock in the evening. Lucia tidied up her desk and took her purse from the coat rack. She then put her phone in her pocket, turned off the light and left her office. As she was walking down the hallway, her phone started ringing, which made her inexplicably excited. She answered the call as quickly as she could.

“Why this rush? Did you miss me until this point? » Malcolm’s magnetic voice was heard on the other end of the line.

” Do not flatter yourself. What would you say about dinner? » Lucia cursed under her breath for having spoken before thinking.

” I am downstairs. “, Malcolm chuckled.

Lucia hung up and rushed to the elevator. She was always honest and very bad at hiding her true thoughts and feelings. “I missed him immensely. » She didn’t seem to know when this man had forced his way into her heart. Maybe the first time they made love, or maybe the time he mentioned the house.

When she got downstairs, she ran into the parking lot. Malcolm seemed amused by her agility and smiled affectionately at her while shaking his head.

“Is someone chasing you?” ”, he teased her.

” Yes you. Here we go. I’m starving,” Lucia said, looking at him evilly.

Malcolm’s smile grew wider and he started the car. As they moved down the road, Lucia closed her eyes to give them some rest. She had had a very busy day and all she needed now was to sit quietly for a while, rest, eat a good meal and get a good night’s sleep.

Malcolm turned on the radio and the soft melody of a piano filled the car. The music relaxed Lucia so much that she fell asleep within minutes. Malcolm took his suit jacket from the backseat and gently covered Lucie with it before continuing to drive. He was careful not to wake her, not until they reached their destination.

Lucia relaxed, sleepy, and the suit jacket slid down her body. She took one look at her surroundings and began to raise her voice. The smell that had woken her, so familiar and alluring, had turned out to be that of Malcolm, of the jacket he had used to cover her. That, mixed with the smell of the ocean, made him feel safe and comfortable. That’s why she fell asleep so quickly.

“We’re here,” Malcolm announced, placing his jacket in the back seat before getting out of the car and walking around to the other side to open the door for her.

Lucia didn’t know how to react to his sudden transformation into a gentleman. As she got out of the car, he put his hand on Lucia’s waist and began to lead her forward.

Lucia glanced around, then turned to Malcolm, extremely confused. How did he know she liked this restaurant? They were in front of Pastasweet, Lucia’s favorite place in the city.

“You don’t like it?” Malcolm asked, his eyes lighting up with amusement.

“It’s not that… How did you know about this place?” », asked Lucia bluntly.

“I have my methods. Let’s go inside. If we linger any longer we will have a midnight snack instead of dinner. » Malcolm gave him a gentle push and they began to climb the steps, towards the front doors of the restaurant.

Lucia’s eyes were full of tears. Whatever his reason for doing this, she was truly moved by his consideration. Women did not need expensive gifts or to be showered in luxury. They just needed attention, love and support. They need men who knew them so well that they gave them what they needed without being asked.

For a brief moment, she had the illusion that Malcolm loved her. She felt so good in his arms. Protected and cherished. As if this man could give her everything she ever wanted.

” What’s wrong? Malcolm asked softly. Her silence seemed to make him anxious.

“Nothing,” Lucia replied, shaking her head and offering him a small smile.

They grabbed a table near the French windows, the perfect place to enjoy the night scene. Lucia had started frequenting this restaurant because it was close to work, then she fell in love with the tranquility of this place. Whenever Sophia visited him, they always came there for dinner.

” Good evening! Do you want to take a look at the menu? » A pleasant female voice reached their ears.

Lucia quickly raised her head to look at the person speaking. It was Kathryn, the girl with elven features. The waitress uniform was a little too big for her, but it couldn’t hide her liveliness.

Kathryn also seemed to be surprised to see Lucia there. She blinked twice and seemed unsure of what to say for a few moments. She glanced at Malcolm and frowned. Then she pulled herself together and became happy again. Lucia pulled herself together as well and asked, “Kathryn, what are you doing here?” » She couldn’t keep the disbelief from her voice, even if she wanted to.

People who could afford to live in such a large villa were not short of money. “Why would Kathryn work as an underpaid waitress here? Did she work full time or part time? Does she really need the money? », thought Lucia.

“Hello, Lucia. I work here. Well, part-time anyway, as I have my studies and everything. I’ve only been here a few days. What are the chances of meeting you here? », replied Kathryn with humor.

As Lucia and Kathryn talked, Malcolm listened absently to their exchange. Kathryn had looked at him askance for a moment, and he didn’t fail to notice her searching gaze. “Is it curiosity? Or does she have other intentions? “, he asked himself.

“Lucia, what can I get you?” The restaurant risks being closed before you have eaten if we continue like this. » Kathryn winked flirtatiously at Lucia and added, “It must be Mr. Evans, right?” What do you want to order? » She turned to Malcolm and gave him her best smile.

Lucia quickly ordered her usual dish and Malcolm asked for spaghetti carbonara. After grabbing their menus, Kathryn nodded to Lucia and headed into the kitchen.

“Lucia is with Malcolm? » Kathryn frowned, but a few seconds later, she managed to return her normal, happy expression.

“How do you know this girl?” Malcolm asked indifferently, taking the napkin that was placed next to his plate and wiping his lips.

“Kathryn?” Oh, she lives in the same villa area as Zack,” Lucia answered honestly, not wanting to hide anything from Malcolm.

Although he remained silent, a glint shone in Malcolm’s eyes. Both fell into silence. Lucia was reading a novel on her phone, curled up in her seat like a cat, not caring that she was in a public place. Malcolm couldn’t help but stare at her in fascination. It was the first time he had seen Lucia so relaxed in front of him, all her defenses down.

When their meal was served, Lucia put her phone away and started eating. She was used to the hectic pace of her life, so she ate quickly and leisurely, as usual. On the other hand, Malcolm maintained his usual elegance and ate at his ease.

Sometimes rudeness and elegance could go hand in hand.

Lucia, after finishing eating, took her napkin and wiped her mouth. Then she looked up at Malcolm and was surprised to see that he had already finished his meal and was looking at her silently.

” What? This is who I am. I’m not an elegant eater like you,” Lucia said, shrugging her shoulders.

Malcolm chuckled. He stood up, leaned over the table and placed a soft k**s on Lucia’s forehead. Then he sat back down as if nothing had happened. Lucie looked at him, her eyes wide. When she recovered from her initial shock, she frowned.

“If you were, I couldn’t call you a wildcat!” “, Malcolm said. Obviously he was in a joking mood.

“What exactly do you like about me?” Lucia asked as she lazily finished Malcolm’s dessert.

“Have I ever said I like you?” “, Malcolm replied indifferently.

“Um…” Lucia didn’t know what to say anymore. It was quite a blow, to be honest.

Malcolm asked for the bill and a few minutes later, he took Lucia’s arm and headed towards the exit. They met Kathryn on the way and Lucia smiled sheepishly at her as she let Malcolm lead her.

“Malcolm?” » An elegant feminine voice made them stop in their tracks.

Malcolm turned around with a small frown. Lucia was forced to turn around him, dragged by his movement and almost fell, but he stabilized her just in time. “Boy, that would have been embarrassing!” », thought Lucia.

Lucia took one look at the woman standing in front of her and that was enough to recognize that she was an upper class lady. She wore long, straight hair half up, and the rest of her shiny hair fell over her slender shoulders. Her perfectly fitted dress came to just above her knees, showing off her slender legs. She wore makeup as naturally as possible, unlike Lucia, who didn’t have time to put it on when she was busy. The woman gave Malcolm a cute smile, keeping her teeth out of sight, and her voice was both soft and sharp. “How do they know each other? », thought Lucia curiously.

“What a coincidence to run into you here.” Is this Miss Garcia? » With a smile, Susan greeted Lucia with a graceful nod.

Lucia responded with a nod, but she sensed something was wrong with Susan. “His smile is not reflected in his eyes. Yes that’s it. She doesn’t seem to want to acknowledge my presence. Full of resentment even! Am I paranoid? », thought Lucia. After all, she didn’t even know this woman.

” Why are you here? » Malcolm’s voice was very cold.

“I heard the best about this restaurant, so I came here with my friend to see for ourselves. After I finished dinner, I happened to see you passing by. So I thought the polite thing to do was to greet you and your… friend,” Susan explained elegantly. His logic could not be dismantled.

After giving the woman a stern look, Malcolm decided to remain silent. He took Lucia’s hand and led her outside. Susan stared at Lucia with resentment, her eyes burning a hole in Lucia’s back as the latter walked away with Malcolm, so much so that she could feel him. But when Lucia turned to look behind her, Susan was no longer there.

“What a strange woman!” »