Filed to story: Unmasking the Billionaire: Don’t Mess with the Ex (Victoria & Carter) Book PDF Free
“If this isn’t your scene, we can pick somewhere else,” Victoria offered.
“It’s fine. I’m not picky,” Eugene said, unbuckling his seatbelt and stepping out.
“There’s a whole street of food stalls ahead, but we’ll need to walk a few blocks. Hope you don’t mind stretching your legs.”
“Not at all,” Eugene replied, every bit the gentleman.
Victoria noticed how calm he seemed, not showing any discomfort. She smiled and led the way. Honestly, she’d brought him here partly to see how he’d handle it, half-expecting him to back out.
But surprisingly, he seemed genuinely interested.
As they started walking, Eugene’s phone rang. It was Bruce.
“Mr. Rosewood, there are too many people here. If anything happens, the security team – “
Eugene hung up before Bruce could finish and caught up with Victoria.
Walking side by side toward the food street, they attracted plenty of attention.
Eugene looked absolutely perfect, and every girl they passed couldn’t help staring.
“He’s so handsome!”
“Gorgeous. Is he some kind of celebrity?”
“I wish I had a boyfriend like that.”
Victoria was too focused on finding that old shop she remembered to notice any of it.
Soon they reached their destination – a small family-run place hidden in a narrow alley, famous for its local snacks. The place was packed with people.
Victoria led Eugene inside and found a small table in the corner. She motioned for him to sit while she went to order all their signature dishes.
When she returned, she saw Eugene sitting at the tiny table, his long legs looking quite cramped underneath.
She wondered if he might be upset. If he realized she’d brought him here partly to mess with him, would he still want to invest?
If she’d known he was planning to invest, she probably should have booked a nice restaurant to thank him properly.
“Don’t mind the simple setup; the food’s the real deal. They’ve been at this for 30 years,” Victoria said, sitting down and handing Eugene a set of tableware. “I ate here before. It really left an impression.” She realized it had been years now.
“If you’re recommending it, I’m sure it’s good,” Eugene said, accepting the utensils.
“You two lovebirds look new around here! First time here?” The boss lady came over with a tray of snacks and even gave them a free dessert.
“Ma’am, we’re actually – “
Victoria started to explain they weren’t a couple, but Eugene reached for the tray first.
“Thank you. We appreciate it.”
The boss lady was clearly pleased with his manners. “Just let me know if you want more of anything!”
“We will,” Eugene replied.
The boss lady left smiling. Victoria decided there was no need to explain further. She looked at the table now filled with snacks and desserts and urged, “Go ahead, try it! Let’s see if 30 years of experience lives up to the hype!”
“Alright.”
Eugene picked up his fork and started tasting everything.
Victoria watched him eat without any hesitation or disgust – in fact, he seemed to be genuinely enjoying himself. She found herself feeling a new respect for Eugene.
It seemed like this big shot was more down-to-earth than he let on. He could handle simple street food after all.
She hadn’t held back on the order, making sure to include all the traditional dishes, even the pungent local classics. Truth be told, most high-society types would have made a run for it by now.
To her surprise, the high-profile Eugene appeared to be genuinely enjoying these dishes.
Well, he was actually pretty down-to-earth!
“Give this a try too – it’s delicious.” Victoria used her fork to serve some food onto Eugene’s plate.
Eugene looked down at what she’d put on his plate. He paused for a beat, then lifted his gaze to meet hers.
Noticing his hesitation, Victoria stopped. “You don’t care for smoked pork belly?”
“It’s alright,” Eugene responded quietly. He picked up the piece of smoked pork belly she’d just given him and ate it without further comment.
“Did you see that guy in the corner? He’s so handsome!”
“He’s so tall and has that celebrity look. I’ve never seen anyone that good-looking before.”
“I kind of want to go ask his name…”
Just behind Victoria, a group of young women who appeared to be students were huddled together, whispering excitedly.
Though Victoria could hear every word clearly, she chose to ignore them. Eugene, meanwhile, seemed completely focused on the various snacks covering their table.
When they’d both eaten their fill, Victoria stood to settle the bill. After all, she’d insisted this meal was her treat.
She also asked the shop owner to package some desserts to take home for Robert. After paying and turning around, she saw one of the whispering girls had approached their table and was speaking to Eugene.
Eugene remained perfectly calm and offered a brief reply. Then the girl immediately looked crestfallen – she turned and hurried away. When she rejoined her friends, they crowded around her, and it appeared she’d shed tears.
Watching the scene unfold, Victoria couldn’t help her curiosity. What could Eugene possibly have said to reduce the girl to tears?
She gathered her belongings and walked over to him. Seeing her approach, he rose to his feet.
“Ready to go?”
“Yep.” She nodded and led the way out.
Eugene followed close behind. As they exited the snack bar, Victoria thought she could hear the group of girls muttering complaints.
“She got so lucky!”
Lucky?
Who was lucky?
Puzzled, Victoria glanced at the man walking beside her. “What did that girl want from you? What did you say? She looked really upset!”
“Nothing important. She asked for my phone number. I declined,” Eugene replied.
Hearing this, Victoria simply said, “Oh.” She supposed it was typical for someone like Eugene to refuse such requests.
