Filed to story: Sweetheart Do You Still Love Me
“I want him alive. The rest don’t matter.”The strength they used would decide if the men would live or die.Arthur panicked after Callum and Elspeth left. There were too many of them, and he was going to die there.As he was thinking, both parties started fighting. He ran to the side and attempted to get away amidst the chaos.In the next second, Elspeth’s men noticed him and grabbed his collar.”Let me go! I’ll give you the money. I’ll give you lots of money!”That man snorted.
“We serve them, not money. I’ll crush you if you continue using money to insult us.”Since Elspeth only needed Arthur alive, it didn’t matter if he was hurt or not.”You! How much did Elspeth give you? I’ll give you double!”Seeing that Arthur still didn’t get the memo, the man slapped him.
“How many times have I told you?! Unless you’re also one of the leaders of Evil Wind Sect, we are only loyal to her!””E-Evil Wind Sect?”
Arthur had heard of this group, but he never thought that she was involved in it.”That’s enough. You’re too talkative-even more than Miss Elspeth.”
That man dug his ears annoyingly as he got ready to tie Arthur up.Suddenly, a few shadows appeared out of nowhere with better skills than them.The man was alarmed, and he asked his people to be cautious while guarding Arthur since he was the hostage.However, it seemed that those people weren’t there to fight; they were there to take Arthur away, and their gazes landed on the man being held captive.Everyone was on high alert at the sudden appearance of the fourth group of people.The people who showed up did not stall. They hurled a smoke bomb and fogged the area.When the rest managed to open their eyes, the people were gone along with Arthur.”Quick! Report to Miss Elspeth!””She’s at the engagement party, though. We shouldn’t disturb her, right?””Go after them, then. One of you will stay back and inform her when the engagement party is over.”…When Elspeth and Callum returned, the chaotic hall suddenly became quiet.Some of them were disappointed as they thought things would go south. They put on gloomy faces when they saw that Elspeth and Callum’s expressions were normal as if nothing had happened.Max and Yelena, on the other hand, were finally relieved.This was their first time taking the lead, so it was fortunate that nothing went wrong.”Alright. Everyone is here. Let’s start.”
Callum’s voice was filled with a tenderness that had never been heard before.Elspeth nodded. Suddenly, a burst of laughter could be heard from the door before she said anything. It sounded like Eric’s voice.She turned her head around and saw him standing at the door. He was late, but Elspeth frowned at the person who was with him.Emma?It seemed that Emma was also unhappy with the situation. Eric had told her that he would bring her to an event to help her reappear before the public’s eyes. In the end, it turned out to be Elspeth’s engagement party.If she had known earlier, she would have dressed up more to take Elspeth’s limelight and relieve her anger!”I don’t suppose I’m late, am I?”
Eric placed his present aside while speaking gently.”Of course not. If you were any later, you would be joining the baby shower.”Eric raised a brow at that. That was quite typical of Elspeth.”Anyway, it’s good that you’re here, but why did you bring an outsider with you?”
Elspeth tilted her chin up with a playful smile.
“I don’t remember inviting Miss Walker, though?”Emma never expected Elspeth to disrespect her like that, especially in front of everyone else.”What do you mean? You should be honored that I’m here!”
Emma was afraid of garnering too much attention and lowered her voice despite being proud.”Honor? Emma, you know very well if your presence is appreciated or not. You’re not welcome here. Please leave.”Elspeth’s tone was sharp, and it seemed as though she wanted to throw Emma out immediately.At the same time, she shot daggers at Eric.However, he touched his nose as laughter filled his eyes. He wasn’t afraid of her.”Alright, I was the one who brought her here. Let it go.”Her tone changed.
“You brought my fianc?’s ex-girlfriend to my engagement party. What are you thinking? I know that you foreigners don’t care about such things, but since you’re here, please respect my culture.”Elspeth was infuriated, and her gaze turned icy.
Elspeth didn’t have a big temper, but Emma’s appearance was just adding fuel to the fire.
“You don’t want me here? I didn’t even want to come!”Emma felt disgusted to see Elspeth and Callum being all lovey-dovey.Just as she was about to leave, Eric grabbed her arm.
“You stay here. Do you not want to debut again?”She was stunned for a moment.This was the only way left for her to debut, and she couldn’t lose Eric’s help no matter what.Elspeth frowned without saying anything, for she saw Eric mouthing the words,
“I have my reasons.”Although she was taken aback, she immediately let it go.Eric would never hurt her, so they would talk about it after the engagement ceremony.With that, they continued the ceremony as conflicting thoughts filled the people sitting at the front.Blake’s eyes were filled with relief; Edmund was smiling playfully; and a hint of sadness flashed across Eric’s eyes.Only Emma was engulfed in rage that almost burned away all reasoning.All of this was supposed to be hers. Elspeth took everything from her!The engagement ceremony was almost over, and everyone began digging into their food. Then, Eric pulled Elspeth to a corner.”Explain. Why did you bring Emma over?”If he failed to give a good reason, Elspeth was going to give him a big slap.He spoke in a serious tone he rarely had.
“I was afraid that Emma would plot with Arthur to ruin the engagement party. It would be better to put her under our noses. That way, we’d feel safer since she’s under our watch.”This was something Elspeth failed to consider, but Eric had thought about it on her behalf.He was right. Arthur had tried to ruin the engagement, so Emma might try to do something as well.Elspeth became teary- eyed when she thought about it.
“Thank you, Eric.”Looking at her slightly reddened eyes, he patted her on the head.
“Alright, it’s over. What’s important is that I saved Princess Elspeth’s engagement party.”Despite saying that, disappointment filled his eyes. If he was braver, perhaps he would be the one standing by her side now.”Eric, you can always come to me if you ever get in trouble. I will do everything in my power to help you.”This was her biggest wish.Eric took a deep breath and smiled.
“What help would I need from you? Don’t forget my dad is Oil Magnate. I’m rich, and no one dares to bully me.”Elspeth laughed heartily.
“Yes, indeed.””Alright, hurry back. Callum looks like he’s going to kill me.”When she turned her head, she saw Callum looking at them intently. It seemed like he wasn’t too happy.As such, she stuck her tongue out.
“Alright, I’ll head back now.””Go on.”Eric inevitably felt sad as he watched Elspeth run into Callum’s embrace.The girl he liked for so many years had just gotten engaged to someone else.Eric had liked her since she stood up for someone else when she was 16. However, he was timid and didn’t dare confess to her, missing out on the opportunity.After that, he met all sorts of people. Some had her nose while few had her eyes, but they all couldn’t compare to the cold, yet playful and adorable Elspeth in his dreams.It was a pity now that he thought about it. However, all that mattered was that she was happy. Elspeth didn’t notice how heartbroken Eric was as he stood behind her, but Callum saw it.His eyes were sharp as he looked at her and asked in a cold voice,
“What did you talk to him about?”Elspeth noticed the jealousy and chuckled.
“I’m back now, aren’t I? It’s nothing. He was telling me why he brought Emma over.””Oh? Just that? He was touching you, though.”Callum saw Eric patting her head. They looked too close for his comfort, and he wanted to chop his hands off.”Come on, he was being nice. Don’t be angry. You can pat me if it bothers you.”
She pouted unhappily.”Fine. Since he was doing it for you, I’ll let it go.”Callum pinched her cheeks and sighed.”That’s great.”Before they could say more, someone came over to look for Elspeth.Elspeth realized it was one of her men from the Evil Wind Sect. She became serious and asked,
“What’s wrong?”That person didn’t look too good as he lowered his voice.
“Miss Elspeth, Arthur ran away!””What? There are so many of you. How did he run away?”Elspeth wasn’t blaming them. She was just surprised. Did Arthur have magical abilities?”That’s not it. A group of people showed up out of nowhere, and they had better skills than us. They came to bring Arthur away without a fight.”He felt hopeless. If they fought, they could’ve had a chance at winning. However, the other group threw a smoke bomb and temporarily hindered their vision. It seemed like they came prepared.”It seemed like Arthur was well-prepared. It’s okay. I can go after him myself if they can’t catch him.”The forces behind Arthur were complex, and she hadn’t quite figured them out yet.”By the way, Miss Elspeth, there’s one more thing.”After making sure that Elspeth seemed okay, he slowly reported,
“Mr. Payne… is coming to Damoria tomorrow.”She was speechless.Her face went through a drastic change, and that person swallowed before leaving.Callum noticed her panic and helplessness. He asked,
“Who is Mr. Payne?”She was the founder of the Evil Wind Sect, and he wasn’t shocked when he found out about it.
After all, she was a woman of many surprises, and this wasn’t out of the ordinary.However, Mr. Payne was a man. Callum suddenly felt he had a love rival.Elspeth wiped the cold sweat on her forehead and let out a dry laugh.
“Haha. Mr. Payne…He’s a devil.”Elspeth had been tortured by Gilbert for two whole years.After all the endless training and real-life combat, she would cry if she saw him now. How could a retired special force be so vicious?”He’s coming tomorrow, huh? To look for you?”Those words were pretty normal, but they sounded weird being put together. Callum didn’t feel happy about it.”It’s fine. He’s not mean to other people.”
Elspeth laughed.
“I’ll introduce you guys.”Callum huffed coldly and replied,
“That won’t be necessary.”It was then she finally realized that he was jealous.”We have a normal relationship. He’s the trainer and I’m the trainee. Most importantly, he’s eight years older than me. I won’t fall for him.”Eight years older, huh? He must be an uncle.Elspeth rolled her eyes. If he visited tomorrow, she wouldn’t give in.
Early the next day, Elspeth was woken up by a call. She rubbed her eyes, then reached out and felt for her phone below her pillow. Then, she answered the call.Her eyes were swollen from the grogginess. It was already 10.00PM last night when she was done entertaining the guests. By the time she washed up and lay in bed, it was already past midnight.The voice coming from the other end of the line was familiar and cold. The man’s hoarse voice sounded.
“Elspeth.”The woman woke with a start. She sat up on the bed, and the sunlight from the window coincidentally shone in her eyes. She hastily covered her eyes as she said,
“Are you back, Gilbert?””Hm, I thought I told them to inform you yesterday. Are you still in bed right now? Are you slacking off because I haven’t trained you in a while?”Gilbert’s voice was low and crisp, and it sounded especially nice in the morning when he was still half-asleep.”Of course not! How could I possibly slack off? I woke up at 5.00AM and went for a jog, then went home for a nap. I never slack off.”Elspeth lied, her eyes darting around as she did so.When she saw that the quartz clock on the milky white wall showed noon, her face turned pale.”That’s quite a long nap you took.”Gilbert couldn’t be bothered to expose her. He was pulling his luggage behind him while he walked, and the wheels were rumbling on the ground.”Where are you now? Shall I go fetch you?”
Elspeth propped her phone between her ear and shoulder as she began rummaging through her closet.
“Or just tell me your location, and I’ll go find you.”When Gilbert heard the crashing noises on the other end of the line, he knew that Elspeth was probably bustling about again. He couldn’t help but let out a chuckle.
“It’s okay, you don’t have to come and get me. I’m already at the rented house.””What?”
Elspeth was slightly stunned.
“It’s not like you’re lacking money; why would you stay at a rented house?”As they spoke, Gilbert had already arrived at a slightly worn-down residential building. He proceeded to open the door with a key. It wasn’t a huge room, but other than the thin layer of dust, it looked clean and tidy.”Before I was 18, I stubbornly moved out and started working. This is the very house I lived in back then, but sadly…”
Gilbert narrowed his eyes as he began to reminisce.
“Sadly, my parents passed away after that, and I never came back.”Elspeth knew this incident had always bothered him, so she didn’t say much about it as she changed the topic.
“Well, Harper and I will visit you tonight after 6.00PM. Let’s get some drinks.”Gilbert put down his backpack and sat on the couch, propping his feet up.
“Oh, what’s this? Is Mr. Winthrop willing to let his fianc?e go out for drinks with someone else in the middle of the night?””You’re not a man, anyway. What’s more, Harper is totally out of the question.”Elspeth laughed, then instantly realized she had said something wrong as she covered her mouth.”Fine, quit the nonsense. I’m going to shower. Carry on with whatever you’re supposed to do.”
Gilbert had always been a decisive person, and he hung up pretty quickly.Elspeth was slightly bewildered as she sat on the pile of clothes.Her heart was a mess.Just then, someone knocked on her door. The sound was very light and based on its frequency, it sounded like Callum’s habitual knock.Elspeth opened the door to see Callum standing in front of her. His lips were pursed, and there was a dull light in his eyes.”Are you going out tonight?”Elspeth opened her mouth, but she couldn’t say anything.By the looks of it, Callum must have heard their conversation and misunderstood something.
“Yes, I’m going out tonight to celebrate Gilbert’s return.”This matter was as normal as could be, but Elspeth saw a look of disappointment flitting across his eyes.”What’s the matter?”
Elspeth asked carefully.Callum’s shoulders drooped as he shook his head and said,
“Nothing. Go ahead. Don’t come back too late.”Elspeth gulped.
“You’re not jealous, are you?””No.”
How can I not be jealous?Still, Callum didn’t say those words and smiled at her instead.After bidding goodbye, he turned around and went back to the corridor, then leaned against the wall.The notifications on his phone were ringing non- stop. With great effort, he took out his phone and watched as photos were being sent to him. His heart sank.In the photos, Elspeth and Gilbert seemed quite intimate with each other. They visited the amusement park, went on the merry-go-round, had dumplings, and even shared an ice cream.Toward the end, he received a photo of a yellowed love letter with exquisite handwriting.The letter was signed ‘Elspeth’.As Callum looked at those photos, his heart seemed to have constricted, and he couldn’t breathe.The photo transfer was finally complete, and Arthur’s name blinked on the screen.’Callum, you probably don’t know that Elspeth liked someone when she was overseas, right?”Yup, that man is her mentor. They spent their happiest times together, and they looked so sweet.”See, Elspeth isn’t completely ignorant about love. That love letter was written so well that even I found it blinding.”Callum, has Elspeth ever treated you like that?’Arthur’s messages came to a stop, and that was the last message in the chatroom.Callum lowered his gaze, his long eyelashes quivering.’You have no right to discuss our private matters.’After Callum sent the message, he locked his phone.The door to Elspeth’s room was already shut, and a wall separated the two.Callum stared at it for a while, then sighed deeply and walked away.In the bedroom, Elspeth only felt confused.Callum’s behavior today was too odd. In the past, even if he were jealous, he would force her to apologize and surrender, so why did he look so hurt just now?She took out her phone, typed out a string of words, then deleted them again.Never mind. She would ask him when he opened up about it.She picked a white belted dress and put it on. Her collarbone was exposed, and the dress also enhanced her perfect figure.After applying some light makeup, she tied her hair and gathered her things, then went out.Elspeth made a call to Harper, but she didn’t expect Harper to know about Gilbert’s return before she did. Harper had even gone to pick up Gilbert at the airport, and he teased Elspeth for oversleeping and missing the flight.Elspeth couldn’t stand all the nagging, so she hastily hung up and called up Lisa instead.”Lisa, Gilbert just came back today. Let’s have a gathering at Luna Bar.”Lisa nodded and said yes. Elspeth was about to hang up when a weird voice sounded from the other end of the line.The voice was quite familiar. It sounded like… Blake!”Lisa, why are you still with Blake?”Lisa creased her pretty eyebrows while Blake dragged her to the claw machine. She felt a headache coming on as she said,
“Elspeth, I can’t explain this to you right now. I’ll tell you when we meet up tonight.”What could it be that Lisa couldn’t explain in a few sentences?Elspeth was speechless.After hanging up, Elspeth drove the sports car she named Night Elf and headed right to Luna Bar.When she arrived, someone seemed to be causing a ruckus at the entrance of Luna Bar. Elspeth turned off the engine and got out of the car. At a glance, she could spot Gilbert standing out among the crowd.
Gilbert was almost six feet tall, and his muscles were well-defined. Paired with his dashing eyes, he was truly an attractive man, and he formed a stark contrast to the short men around him. But now, more importantly, a group of people stood next to him, and they looked like they were looking for trouble.Elspeth didn’t approach them. She stood at the back of the crowd, silently watching the drama unfold. She wanted to know how Gilbert would deal with those people.”How many times did I f*cking tell you? Apologize! What are you, deaf?”Gilbert glanced at him coldly.
“How are you worthy of my apology?””Hah, am I not worthy? Don’t you know who I am? I’m the owner of this territory. Anyone who offends me will be punished, no exceptions!”The man was wearing a large gold chain, and his clothes were luxurious and gaudy. He had a dark patch on the right side of his eye, tarnishing his already unremarkable face.”Wow, that’s amazing.”Gilbert flicked his wrist.
“Come at me, then. Are you guys fighting solo, or is everyone going to attack at the same time?””Hmph! You’ll regret this!”The man spat as he glared viciously at Gilbert. Then, he commanded the people around him in a harsh voice,
“Get him! Beat this man to death, or else!”Fearing the consequences, the lackeys rushed forward with their bare hands.In just two seconds, Gilbert broke one of the men’s arms with great ease. When the other two heard the crisp cracking noise, they paused in their tracks.Gilbert pulled out a tissue from his pocket and wiped his hands, then tossed the tissue in disgust onto the man, who now had a dislocated arm.”Is that all?”He was fast!The people around them shared this exact sentiment.They were watching the fight up front, so they could see better. The people behind them couldn’t even catch what was going on and only heard a wail that reached the skies.”Who… Who exactly are you?”The rich man at the front widened his eyes as he staggered backward in fear. Fortunately, the two lackeys behind him reached out and caught him in time.”Who am I? That’s Mr. Payne for you.”Elspeth couldn’t bear it any longer. Gilbert was successfully showing off, but she didn’t want him to keep messing around.As such, she parted the crowd and stood in front of everyone.This was Gilbert’s first time seeing Elspeth after his return. Seeing her exquisite features and collected aura, Gilbert frowned. The white dress was wasted on her.Black dresses suited her better, for she was like Venus shining in the night.Elspeth glanced at the group, then said calmly,
“Luna Bar does not welcome troublemakers. Please leave immediately.”The people looked at Gilbert, who was standing nearby in an upright posture. They grinned while saying mockingly,
“You’re getting chased out too!”Gilbert was unaffected. Instead, Elspeth glared at the person coldly and said,
“He is my customer. You’re no match for him.”To be honest, if Gilbert hadn’t insisted on feigning meekness, she would have exposed Gilbert’s identity right then and there so that everyone would know he was the big bad wolf!But now, she could only maintain appearances for Gilbert.”That’s enough, let’s not stoop to his level.”Gilbert spoke calmly, then turned around and went up the steps to head inside.The man behind them widened his eyes so much that his eyeballs might fall out at any second. What did he mean by that? Who is stooping to whose level now?!The man was pissed, but this was Elspeth’s territory, and he knew how cruel Elspeth could be. He couldn’t do anything but run away with his men.Damn it! I’ll make them pay for this! Elspeth watched him leave, then held in a laugh as she followed Gilbert up the steps.After pushing open the clear glass door, Gilbert was greeted with the brilliant sight of drinks, lights, and riches. Despite that, he frowned.”This is so boring.””Sir, you have to remember that this is Chars. If you get too wild, you’ll be sent to jail.”Elspeth chuckled, then skillfully ordered his favorite drink, Angel’s Kiss.”I stopped drinking that forever ago. Give me some whiskey.”Elspeth rolled her eyes.
“Lame.”The two took their drinks to a VIP seat. They had just taken their seats when Harper came over.”Wow, you rushed here the day after your engagement banquet. Looks like Gilbert is still important to you, eh?”As soon as he said that, Harper instantly realized he had said something wrong. He awkwardly picked up the drink on the table and downed it.After he finished it, he met Elspeth’s calm gaze.
“That was my drink.”Pfft-Harper almost spat the drink out.”Anyway, I came back to settle some matters, so I probably won’t stay here for long.”
Gilbert fiddled with the mechanical watch on his wrist, a dark look in his eyes.Elspeth was intrigued.
“What is it? Tell me.””I’m investigating the cause of my parents’ death.”His words instantly sparked a light in Elspeth’s eyes.
“That’s great! I’m also investigating my mother’s whereabouts. Gilbert, why don’t you help me investigate as well?”Gilbert made a gesture with his mouth, forcing Elspeth to shrink back.He said,
“In your dreams.””Come on, Elspeth, your mother’s matters aren’t urgent. At least the last incident proves that your mother is still alive and well, and she can still communicate with you. As for why she didn’t meet you in person, she must have had her reasons for doing so. I think you should be able to see that.”Elspeth rubbed her fingers against the wine glass, then nodded.It was true that she could understand the situation, and that was why she wasn’t rushing to dispatch everyone to look for her mother.If the engagement gift was an opportunity, then she was waiting for the next one.”Let’s deal with Gilbert’s matters first. By the way, Gilbert, there’s something I’ve been meaning to ask you. Are you actually from the regular Payne Family in Damoria or the Payne Family in Blaydal?”If it were the former, then Gilbert probably didn’t have to come here in person.Just as expected, Gilbert simply blinked as he replied,
“The Payne Family of Blaydal.””Why didn’t you tell me?”
