Chapter - 197


    Exiting the college gates, Rick, Geoffrey, and Evelina’s grandmother meandered towards a cozy café nestled in the nearby alleyways. The warm glow of the café’s lights beckoned to them like a beacon offort, drawing them in from the chill of the evening.


    Seating themselves amidst the plush cushions of the café’s chairs, Rick and the olddy sank into their seats with a contented sigh, the soft upholstery enveloping them like a warm embrace. Geoffrey, ever the vignt protector, stood beside the olddy, a silent sentinel in the midst of the bustling café crowd.


    As they settled in, Rick’s gaze wandered around the café, taking in the serene ambiance that surrounded them. Soft jazz music drifted through the air, mingling with the rich aroma of freshly brewed coffee and the tantalizing scent of baked goods. In a corner of the café, a pair of lovebirds chirped merrily in their cage, their vibrant plumage adding a ssh of color to the cozy surroundings.


    Rick couldn’t resist a yful remark, his eyes twinkling with mischief as he nced at the olddy. "Looks like even the lovebirds are enjoying a romantic evening," he quipped, a yful grin tugging at the corners of his lips. "Perhaps they’ll inspire us to find our own ’tweet’heart."


    However, instead of the chuckle or wittyeback he anticipated, the olddy remained stoic, her brow furrowed in a frown that seemed to deepen the creases on her forehead. Rick’s attempt at humor fell t, like a deted balloon at a birthday party, leaving the atmosphere heavy with awkward silence that hung over their table like a dark cloud on a sunny day.


    Rick shifted ufortably in his seat, shooting a sheepish smile at Geoffrey, who stood by the olddy’s side like a loyal knight guarding his queen. His eyes silently pleaded for rescue from the ufortable tension that threatened to suffocate them all.


    Feeling the weight of the awkward silence pressing down on him like a lead nket, Rick decided to take matters into his own hands. With a determined nod, he motioned for the waiter to approach, the clinking of sses and murmurs of other patrons serving as a backdrop to their difort.


    The waiter, a cheerful young man with a perpetual grin stered on his face, approached their table with practiced ease. "Good evening, folks! What can I get for you tonight?" he chirped, his voice carrying the easy confidence of someone who had done this a thousand times before.


    Rick seized the opportunity to break the silence, hoping to dispel the heavy atmosphere with the simple act of ordering. "I will have some of your delicious Chinese cuisine and something that will give me some for to drink," he said, his voice tinged with forced cheerfulness as he desperately tried to inject some semnce of normalcy into their awkward encounter.


    "And the old mam..." The waiter turned towards the old matriarch, but seeing her sharp eyes on him, he suddenly felt cold in his back.


    The waiter scribbled down their choices before disappearing into the bustling crowd of the cafe. Rick and the others watched him go, the silence between them stretching taut like a rubber band.


    Feeling the weight of the tension pressing down on him, Rick couldn’t help but feel a surge of curiosity about the old man Evelina’s grandmother had been so devoted to. Leaning forward, he addressed her with a touch of bravado, hoping to inject a bit of humor into the atmosphere.


    "So... That old man down there in the dumps. Is he really your husband?" he asked, a mischievous glint in his eye. His words were delivered with a hint of cheekiness, but he couldn’t shake the feeling that the ice he was trying to melt was thicker than he’d anticipated, resistant to his attempts at humor.


    The olddy met Rick’s gaze head-on, her eyes sharp and discerning, like a hawk sizing up its prey. For a moment, it felt as though she could see straight through him, dissecting his intentions with a single nce. Then, with a barely perceptible nod, she confirmed what Rick had suspected all along, her silent affirmation hanging between them like a well-kept secret waiting to be revealed.


    Experience more content on mvl


    Rick’s eyebrows shot up in surprise at the confirmation, his mind buzzing with a flurry of questions and conjectures. But he quickly masked his astonishment with a practiced smile, hoping to maintain the facade of casual conversation.


    As Rick sat there, his mind swirled with a whirlwind of questions, each one adding anotheryer ofplexity to the already mysterious scene unfolding before him. He couldn’t help but be intrigued by the dynamic between the olddy, her husband, and the stoic butler standing by her side like a silent sentinel, his brow furrowed in silent contemtion.


    The air around the table seemed to crackle with tension, like electricity waiting to be unleashed. Unspoken questions hung heavy in the air, swirling around them like a thick fog, obscuring the truth thaty just beneath the surface.


    Rick’s curiosity burned like a fire in his chest, urging him to unravel the enigma before him. His gaze lingered on Geoffrey, the butler, whose stern expression only added to the intrigue of the moment. There was a silent exchange between them, a wordless conversation that spoke volumes about the bond they shared.


    Unable to resist the pull of his curiosity any longer, Rick knew he had to dig deeper into the mysteries surrounding Geoffrey and the olddy. There was a story here, waiting to be uncovered, and he was dying to find it.


    "So, spill the beans," with a hint of mischief dancing in his voice, Rick turned his attention towards the olddy, his eyes gleaming with curiosity. "And what’s the deal with Geoffrey?" he inquired, unable to suppress his eagerness to uncover the truth.


    The olddy, seemingly unfazed by Rick’s probing, arched an eyebrow in amusement at his persistence. "What about him?" she responded casually, her tone betraying nothing.


    Refusing to be deterred, Rick leaned in closer, a yful smirk ying on his lips. "Oh,e on," he teased, his eyes alight with yful determination. "I can sense there’s more to the story. What’s the connection between you two?" His words wereced with a yful challenge, daring the olddy to reveal the secrets hidden beneath their seemingly innocuous interactions.


    A mischievous twinkle danced in the olddy’s eyes as she pondered Rick’s astute observation. She was impressed by his keen perception, though she kept her thoughts veiled behind a cryptic smile. Meanwhile, Geoffrey stood nearby, his demeanor unchanged, yet a subtle flicker of something peculiar passed through his gaze.


    Rick, eager for the olddy’s response, found himself growing increasingly impatient as the moments ticked by. His anticipation only heightened as he awaited her next words, the suspense thickening with each passing second.


    As Rick’s inquiry hung in the air, Geoffrey’s temper red, unable to contain his frustration any longer. With a swift movement, his hand closed around Rick’s cor, fury zing in his eyes. Despite Geoffrey’s outburst, Rick remained surprisinglyposed, a smirk ying at the corner of his lips, a hint of amusement dancing in his eyes.


    "Whoa there, tiger!" Rick quipped, his toneced with sarcasm and a hint of amusement. "No need to go all Hulk on me. Just trying to have a friendly chat here, no need for the strong-arm tactics." His words, delivered with a casual nonchnce, were not meant to defuse the tension, though a yful spark lingered in his eyes.


    Geoffrey’s grip tightened around Rick’s cor, his frustration simmering just beneath the surface. With each word, his anger threatened to spill over, his voice dripping with contempt.


    "You fancy yourself quite the detective, huh?" Geoffrey sneered, his breath hot against Rick’s face, his wordsced with venom. "But let me tell you something, buddy. You don’t know jack, and you never will."


    Rick’s smirk widened into a full-fledged grin as he watched Geoffrey’s fury escte. Leaning back casually, he seemed to relish the verbal jousting match unfolding before him. "Oh, Geoffrey, my friend, you underestimate me," Rick teased, his voice dripping with confidence and a touch of mischief, "But I know more than you give me credit for, Geoffrey," Rick taunted, his tone cool and collected.


    "And it seems like you’ve got something to hide. You know what they say about thieves, right? Always hiding in the shadows, afraid to face the light."


    Geoffrey’s anger surged like a tidal wave, his attempts to contain it growing increasingly futile. His fists clenched at his sides, knuckles white with the strain of his emotions. But Rick, ever the provocateur, seemed unfazed by the mounting tension, his demeanor almost taunting in its calmness.


    The tension between them increased, each word exchanged like a verbal spar, like a newly emerging world war. Despite Geoffrey’s boiling anger, Rick remained cool and sarcastic, which affected Geoffrey the most.


    *****


    [A/N: Why not check out my new story? Just go to my profile]