Part 32

The car had just entered the parking area behind Antony's parents' house, and as he stepped out, he noticed Flavia sitting with Abigail and another teenage girl he didn't recognize. The three girls seemed engrossed in conversation but paused as soon as they saw Antony.

"Good afternoon, girls," Antony tried to sound as friendly as possible.

"Good afternoon, Uncle," Abigail and the other girl replied.

"You're home early this afternoon," Abigail commented, a remark that felt like a jab to Antony's ears. He had always hidden behind the excuse of "working late" to avoid his daughter.

"My workload wasn't too heavy today," Antony answered honestly.

There was no way he could tell them that he had initially intended to use the girls as an excuse to spend more time with Claire, which unfortunately he couldn't do since Claire had plans with another man. Even if Claire didn't have plans with Yudhis, Antony doubted she would want to go home with him, especially since she had her own car and had shown no interest in him whatsoever.

"This is the first time we're meeting," Antony said to the small girl who was now looking at him nervously.

Flavia nodded. "This is Haisley. She's our new friend. She and her family just moved to Kansas," Flavia replied enthusiastically.

"Haisley Smith," the girl introduced herself politely.

"I hope you all can become good friends," Antony said, receiving nods from the three girls. "I'm going inside now, but if you need anything, don't hesitate to ask me," he added, and once again, the three teenagers nodded in response.

Antony really wanted to call Abigail and ask her who Yudhis was to Claire. However, not wanting to raise Abigail's suspicions, he held back, even though his curiosity was gnawing at him and giving him a headache. He reassured himself that he would find an opportunity to speak privately with Claire's closest niece.

"Are you all staying over tonight?" he asked after finishing his shower and changing clothes, noticing the three girls who had moved from the backyard to the TV room.

"Abigail will stay over, but Haisley hasn't made a decision yet," Flavia replied to her father.

"Why don't you just stay here and keep Flavia company? I can call your parents to ask for permission. Or if needed, I can drive you home to ask for permission in person," Antony offered, prompting the three girls to exchange glances.

"But my house is quite far from here," Haisley replied hesitantly.

"Where do you live?" Antony asked again. Haisley provided an address, and Antony smiled upon hearing it. His plan became increasingly easier after learning that Haisley's home was not far from Claire's Korean restaurant.

"What if we have dinner out tonight? After dinner, we can discuss whether Haisley will be staying over or not. If Haisley decides to stay and her parents permit it, we can go to her house to pick up her clothes and school books. But if she can't stay, we can still drive her home," Antony suggested, which was met with enthusiastic nods from the three girls.

Antony tried to come up with a reason that would lead the three girls to choose Claire's restaurant for dinner without raising any suspicions. Luckily, his tactic worked, and soon they were seated in Claire's restaurant, ready to order.

"What's your aunt's name who works here? Yudhis?" Antony started the conversation, glancing around the restaurant.

"Yes. What about Uncle Yudhis?" Abigail also looked around.

"Has he been working here for a long time?" Antony asked again, curious.

Abigail furrowed her brow as if trying to recall. "As far as I know, Aunt C has worked with Uncle Yudhis since this place opened. Why are you asking?"

"I'm just curious. Does he have a special relationship with Claire?" Antony jumped straight to the point, which made Abigail narrow her eyes at him suspiciously.

"Why do you want to know?" Abigail continued to squint at him, and for some reason, her stare made Antony feel awkward.

"Am I not allowed to ask?" Antony felt genuinely flustered now.

"Are you jealous?" Abigail blurted out unexpectedly. Antony fumbled, glancing between Abigail and his daughter, while the two girls chuckled teasingly.

"What are you all talking about?" Haisley asked, feeling left out because she didn't understand Abigail's remarks about Antony.

"We're discussing Abigail's aunt. Her name is Claire, or we call her Aunt C. It's a pity you haven't met her yet; I'm sure if you saw her, you'd like her just as much as I do," Flavia explained at length, which startled Antony.

"So your dad is jealous of Abigail's aunt?" Haisley asked innocently, causing Antony's eyes to widen in disbelief.

"Yes," Abigail replied easily. "My aunt is definitely someone to be jealous of because she's a beautiful girl, just like me." She continued to praise herself, making Flavia and Haisley roll their eyes while Antony chuckled at the comment.

"Aunt C is beautiful, and she's also kind," Flavia nodded in agreement. "But she's prettier than Abigail." This remark made Abigail shoot her a glare.

"Are you sure you want to say that about me?" Abigail challenged.

"If you don't praise me, I won't help you make Aunt C your mom," Abigail added, which left Antony in shock.

"What do you mean?" Antony asked, looking at Abigail, who was now looking away, aware that she had misspoken.

"What are you girls discussing behind my back?" Antony pressed, urging them to repeat their statements.

"I-it was... umm..." Flavia stammered, feeling guilty under her father's gaze.

"Flavia asked me first to help her set you up with Aunt C," Abigail suddenly said, causing Flavia to pinch her thigh hard.

"I'm sorry," Flavia mumbled softly, feeling guilty.

"Does Claire know about this?" Antony ignored his daughter's apology. Abigail and Flavia both nodded. "What did she say?"

"Aunt C said for Flavia to stop hoping she could become her mom. Aunt C explained that what we want doesn't always come true. She also said that Flavia needs to accept the reality that the one who might become her stepmother is Miss Moore, not her."

"Why did she say that?"

"Because..." Abigail replied slowly, "we saw you on a date with Miss Moore at the mall last Sunday."

Antony shot a questioning glance at his daughter. Could it be true? Did Flavia really see him and Anastasia together last Sunday? But it wasn't a date; it was an accidental meeting for business purposes.

"Sweetheart, Anastasia and I don't have any relationship at all. We were never really dating, and our meeting last Sunday was purely accidental. I had to go to the mall to fulfill Granny's duty as the agency manager while Anastasia came to meet a friend who was auditioning for one of the movies your grandmother is producing. Plus, it wasn't just me there; Uncle Duncan was with us too. You know Uncle Duncan, right?" Antony mentioned his assistant in Manhattan, and Flavia nodded. Of course, she knew Duncan Thomas; not only did he work for her father, but he also collaborated with her uncle.

"So, you and Miss Moore really don't have anything going on?" Abigail asked, curious. Antony nodded in agreement. "Did you hear that, Flavia?" Abigail glanced at her friend with a teasing tone. "Now you can sleep soundly knowing that she's not on your list of potential stepmothers." Abigail continued, still teasing. "Flavia told me that she doesn't want a stepmother like Miss Moore. She wants a stepmother like Aunt C."

"Same here," Antony replied reflexively.

Abigail and Flavia stared at him, mouths agape, before bursting into laughter. "So you're really serious about wanting to be with my aunt?" Abigail asked without any shame. Antony shot her a nervous wink.

"Look, my dad really wants her. We're on the same page," Flavia exclaimed happily. "So you can help us get Aunt C, right?" Flavia pleaded eagerly.

Abigail looked back and forth between Flavia and Antony. "I could help you. But, of course, it won't be free because making Aunt C like your dad isn't easy," Abigail responded with a faux grown-up attitude.

"Anything you want, as long as it's reasonable, I'll give it to you," Antony replied sincerely.

"Okay, then. I'll think about what I want. But I can't promise that your dad and Aunt C will succeed completely, Via. Remember what Aunt C said: destiny is set by God," Abigail said to her friend, who nodded in understanding.

"Alright," Abigail turned back to Antony. "Tell me what you want to know about my aunt. I promise I'll tell you all her secrets."

Antony immediately leaned forward, looking serious. "First of all, what's the real relationship between Claire and Yudhis?"