Dave quickly ended the call as soon as he saw Eva walking in. She immediately noticed him standing near the king-sized bed, his fist clenched tightly. He looked tense, acting strangely.
She stared at him for a moment as she sat down on the edge of the bed. Davia returned her gaze, but there was something different in his eyes—distant, conflicted.
Without saying a word, Eva lay down and pulled the bed over herself, closing her eyes. She didn't seem to care why Dave was standing there acting weird, nor did she ask. It was as if she was not in the mood to pester him like usual.
As Dave stood there, his pocket began vibrating again. The same number was calling. He hurried out of the room and answered.
"Young master, where are you?" Danny's voice came through, calm but urgent. Just give me your location, and I'll come pick you up. Your father very much wishes to speak with you."
Davia froze.
He had grown up never knowing he even had a father. Every time he asked his mother about him, she would avoid the question—as if she hadn't heard him. There was even a time she got so angry, she shouted at him never to ask again. From that moment, the dream of having a father slowly died in Dave's heart. He never brought it up again.
When his mother passed away, she took the secret with her to the grave.
But now, someone was telling him he had a father that wanted to see him.
Emotions swirled inside him. For years, he had wondered what it felt like to have a dad. Back when he was a kid in school, kids always talked about their parents—especially their fathers. Dave would sit in silence, unable to relate. He remembered how they used to call him cruel names, the worst being "fatherless boy."
Every time he heard it, it stung like a fresh wound.
And now, that long-buried dream was being awakened. Could it be true? Did he really have a father? And if so... why now?
"Hello, young Master—are you there?" Danny's voice came through the phone again.
Davia hesitated. He didn't want to reveal the location of the Lapis family—getting on their bad side was the last thing he needed.
"No... no, I can't give you my location right now," he said, glancing quickly at the time. 9:30 PM. Still on the call. He continued, trying to sound casual, "Besides, it's already too late. Let's do this—tomorrow I'll call you, and we can meet up then. Cool?"
At the other end, Danny replied in a calm, respectful voice, "Okay, young master. As you wish. I'll be expecting your call tomorrow. But if you don't... I'll be forced to find you—"
Just then, Dave heard footsteps coming from the stairs. His focus snapped away from the conversation. Eyes wide, heart quickening, he cut Danny off mid-sentence.
"Alright, yeah, yeah—bye, men," he said quickly, ending the call before Danny could say more.
After ending the call, Samantha went through the stairs. The first thing she saw was this "idiot" standing in the hallway, looking like—at least in her mind—a peasant with nothing better to do.
She walked straight up to him and stopped, fixing him with the same irritated look she had given him early this morning in the kitchen.
Dave didn't respond. He kept his head down, his cheap worn-out phone held in both hands in front of him like it was something sacred.
Then Samantha spoke, her voice sharp and dripping with disdain.
What are you doing standing here like trash? Don't you have something better to do with your hopeless life? Or were you eavesdropping again? She sneered. "I honestly don't know what use you are to this world. Eva needs to find someone with real meaning in their life, not tolerate someone like you. Ugh—just seeing you makes my skin crawl. Rubbish."
With that, she turned and walked away without looking back, her heels clicking coldly against the floor. Dave didn't mind her at all. The words she said were hurtful, but he had nothing to say—he could only watch as she walked away.
It was already late, and Dave was feeling sleepy. He went back into the master bedroom, where Eva was already fast asleep. He lay down on the floor, trying to sleep, but he couldn't get his mind off the thought of having a father. Dave couldn't wait to meet him. With thoughts swirling through his mind, he eventually drifted off to sleep.
The next morning, Dave was in the sitting room, mopping the floor, when he heard the doorbell ring.
"Ring… ring…"
He put the mop aside and walked to the door. When he opened it, he was greeted by a man standing tall, dressed in a black vintage suit that looked neatly pressed and expensive. The man held a bouquet of red flowers and appeared to be in his fifties. His hair was already turning white.
"Who are you looking for?" Dave asked curiously.
The man gave Dave a slow, judgmental look—from head to toe—as if he was a nobody.
Mmm... "You must be the useless son-in-law Samantha always talks about," the man said coldly. You must be called Dorm, right? "Oh—sorry I mean—Dave, Eva's husband, indeed." His voice dripped with sarcasm and insult, though Dave had no idea who this man was.
Suddenly, Samantha appeared out of nowhere, having heard the doorbell.
"Hey, Mr. Edward! "How are you?" she said warmly, giving him a big hug. As she embraced him, she shot Dave an irritated glance.
Then she snapped, "What are you doing standing here? Move it, you idiot!"
Dave felt embarrassed. Without saying a word, he picked up his mop and continued cleaning, keeping his head down.
"Come in, Edward, have a seat," Samantha said, stepping aside.
"Mm… what a loser," Edward muttered under his breath as he walked in with a smug smirk spreading across his face.
Not long after, Eva walked in and saw Edward sitting on the couch.
"Eva, you remember Edward?" Samantha said with a grin as she noticed her entering. She quickly took Eva's hand and led her over to him.
Good morning, Eva. "I got these for you," Edward said warmly, taking her hand and giving it a gentle kiss like a proper gentleman. Then he handed her the bouquet.
Dave watched from a distance. He began feeling a wave of discomfort rise in his chest. Seeing Edward hold Eva's hand and treat her so intimately stirred something in him. He and Eva had been married for three years—sure, their marriage had always been a contract, but in that time, he had developed real feelings for her. Watching Edward holding her hands like that now, he couldn't help but feel disrespected.
Eva took the bouquet from Edward, bringing the flowers to her nose and letting out a small smile. The red roses were her favorite—something Edward wouldn't have known if Samantha hadn't told him.
As it turned out, Samantha was the one who had invited Edward over behind everyone's back. She was trying to strike a marriage deal with him, knowing he had been interested in Eva for a long time. Desperate to save their struggling company, Samantha was willing to use Eva as a bargaining chip.
Edward's savior is wealthy and powerful. He has secured countless deals with Vila Enterprise, one of the biggest and richest companies in the world. That made Edward a major figure in the Lapis family's eyes—almost like a savior who could rescue them from the mountain of debt their company was drowning in.
Eva sat down, still holding the bouquet, when suddenly Samantha pulled out a stack of papers and shoved them in her face.
"Take the divorce," she snapped. "Divorce this excuse of a man you call a husband."
Eva stared at her mother in shock. "Mum… what is this?"
Edward leaned forward with a smug look on his face. "Eva, I hear your company is going through a tough time. Just agree to your mother's proposal—divorce that loser—and let's get married."
He smiled confidently. I promise to lend your company the money it needs to clear its debt. I also know your company is short on funding. I can help you land a contract with one of the biggest companies in the world—Vila Enterprise. I'm one of their biggest partners. I've made countless business deals with them over the years.
Eva was left speechless. She sat there, stunned, unable to find the right words after hearing Edward's proposal. Her heart raced, caught between disbelief and uncertainty.
Before anyone could say more, Dave, who had been standing quietly nearby, finally reached his breaking point. Unable to bear the disrespect and insult any longer, he snatched the divorce papers from Samantha's hands and tore them into pieces.
Mrs. "Samantha, you should be ashamed of yourself—for trying to marry off your daughter to a ridiculous old man like this! he shouted. "I won't stand here and take any more of this from you."
Dave didn't know the time or even why exactly he was so angry. All he knew was that something inside him had snapped. Maybe… maybe he truly did have hidden feelings for Eva.
What? "What the hell did you just do?!" Samantha snapped, her voice sharp with disbelief as she watched this nobody—this good-for-nothing loser—snatch the divorce papers from her hands and tear them to shreds.
Eva, shocked by Dave's disrespect towards her mother, stood up abruptly, her eyes blazing with anger. "Are you mad, Dave? What gives you the right to interfere?"
Before Dave could respond—Pam!—Samantha slapped him hard across the face. The sound echoed through the room.
He barely had time to react before—Pam!—Eva followed with another slap, even hotter, sharper, and more painful than her mother's.
Dave was beginning to regret tearing the paper. Everything became blurry to him—his vision clouded, his thoughts scattered—just as he received two sharp slaps across the face. The only thing he managed to see was Edward, sitting there with a smirk on his face, as if he were enjoying every moment of Dave's misery.