Chapter 3

"But Levi said his heart only belongs to me now. I'm sorry, Vicky, but I can't give him back to you."

Victoria used to think her sister was innocent and adorable. Now she could see Kelsey for what she was: a manipulative little schemer hiding behind a sweet, innocent act.

Victoria lowered her eyes and pretended to look troubled. "It's true, I can't let go of Levi. We were together for two years, after all. So you'd better keep a close eye on him. I might steal him back any time."

"Vicky, you..." Kelsey's face flushed red with anger, but Victoria had already gotten up and strolled back to her room.

…

Saturday.

Unable to hold out against her mother's endless wheedling, Victoria finally agreed to the blind date.

She arrived at the agreed-upon restaurant and took a seat by the window.

Five minutes later, a potbellied, middle-aged man of average height with thinning hair walked over, pulled out the chair across from her, and sat down.

His gaze swept over her from head to toe, openly appraising. He couldn't help thinking that the woman had fair skin, delicate features, bright eyes, and a dazzling smile, and she radiated youthful energy.

'Wow. She's way prettier in person than in her photos.'

All his previous blind dates had sent heavily filtered catfish photos.

"You must be Ms. Larsen?" The man grinned so widely that the fat on his face squeezed his eyes into slits.

Victoria forced a stiff smile. "No, you've got the wrong person."

So this was the blind date her mother had described as successful, "smart up top," mature, and steady?

Turned out "smart up top" meant the gleaming bald patch on his crown.

And "mature and steady" referred to his age.

Seeing the disdain in her eyes, Larry Owen didn't get angry.

He called the waiter over, ordered several house specialties, and launched into a self-introduction as if they were old friends.

"Ms. Larsen, I'm forty-two this year. I've got a car and a house, and I own several auto repair shops in a chain."

Then he started bragging nonstop about how he'd built his business.

A thick gold chain gleamed garishly around his neck, flaunting his wealth.

When his mouth went dry from talking, he paused to drink a glass of water, then summed it up. "Long story short, Ms. Larsen, if you're with me, I guarantee you'll never want for anything for the rest of your life.

"Sure, I'm a little older, but that makes me mature and stable.

"Sure, I'm divorced with a kid, but the kid doesn't live with me.

"You're still young. We can have our own kids. Then you won't have to work so hard. You can just stay home and look after the kids, and I'll support you."

His gaze crawled lecherously over her from top to bottom. "Ms. Larsen, I'm very satisfied with your figure and your looks, and your parents are very satisfied with me. What do you think?"

Larry dangled his BMW key like a trophy, confidently waiting for her answer.

Victoria suppressed the urge to get up and leave and said calmly, "I'm sorry, Mr. Owen, but we're not a good fit..."

Larry's hand froze mid-dangle, and his face began to sour. "Let me be blunt. You're almost thirty. A woman your age who's still picky will end up with nobody."

Just then, a man stormed over furiously.

He grabbed Victoria's hand and said anxiously, "Vicky, what are you doing?"

At the sight of the man who'd suddenly charged over, a wave of disgust rose in Victoria. She shook off his hand and said coldly, "I'm on a blind date. Can't you see?"

Levi pointed in disbelief at the middle-aged man across from her. "You can't seriously be going on a blind date with some short, fat, middle-aged new-money type just to spite me!"

Victoria looked up at the ex-boyfriend she'd dated for two years, her voice icy. "Levi, who I go on a blind date with is none of your business. You're about to become my brother-in-law. Aren't you overstepping?

"Also, as far as I'm concerned, Mr. Owen here is far better than a scumbag like you who can't stop eyeing someone else's plate while his own is still full."

At her accusation, embarrassment and guilt crept over Levi's face.

But right now, he couldn't stand the idea of Victoria going on a blind date with another man. He couldn't bear to imagine her with someone else.

He took a deep breath and said patiently, "Vicky, come home with me first, and we'll talk it over properly, okay?"

Their commotion was loud, and the other diners were sneaking glances, eager for gossip.

From the snippets they overheard, everyone quickly pieced it together: while dating the older sister, this man had cheated on her with her younger sister.

Now the older sister was out on a blind date, and the scumbag's possessiveness was flaring up?

Did he think he could have them both? Wow.

Everyone cast contemptuous looks at Levi.

Elsewhere in the restaurant, a man with a cool, aloof expression and an air of nobility also glanced over indifferently.

The moment his gaze landed on the woman's face, his pupils contracted, and his eyes locked onto her.

Complicated emotions churned in his eyes, and his chest rose and fell slightly with agitation.

She looked so much like her!

Her delicate brows and eyes, her small, straight nose, those clear, lively eyes... all of it was exactly like Rose Axel as a child.

She even had the same mole beneath her left eye.

Looking at her face, Jax could even remember the little girl chasing after him and begging him for candy in her sweet, silly way.

But he knew that wasn't her. Because after that fire, it was ten-year-old Jax who had carried her lifeless body out with his own hands...

Faced with Levi's pestering, Victoria quietly took out her phone and texted Kelsey: [Keep your man on a leash. He's crashing my blind date.]

The next second, Levi's phone rang.

He saw it was Kelsey calling, hesitated for a moment, then picked up. "Sup, Kels?"

On the other end, Kelsey sounded like she was in pain. "Levi, I think I twisted my ankle... Ow... it hurts so much. Can you come right now?"

Her voice was weak and helpless.

With Kelsey, Levi always felt needed and depended on. He immediately asked, "Where are you right now?"

"I'm at the school track..."

"Okay, I'm on my way right now."

Levi hung up and said to Victoria, "Kels twisted her ankle. I'm going to go check on her. Don't let that old guy con you!"

That trick again.

Victoria snorted dismissively, her voice laced with sarcasm. "Tsk. Kelsey really is your true love."

Levi got a little angry. "Vicky, Kels is your sister. She twisted her ankle, and as her big sister, you're not the least bit worried?"

Victoria rolled her eyes. "Haven't you noticed? Every time you and I went on a date alone, she'd have a stomachache or a headache, one excuse after another to call you away. Do you think I should be worried?"

She'd been too easygoing before and had never taken it seriously. Looking back now, their affair had been written all over everything.

Levi instinctively denied it. "Impossible. Kels would never lie..."

How could such an innocent, kindhearted girl like Kels ever lie?