Day Four…

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Aiden slowly opened his eyes and gazed at Abigail with an embarrassed smile. He eased up a little bit when he heard Abigail’s laughter. She didn’t look scary when she was laughing and smiling.

“I’m sorry… I thought you were going to punch me…” Aiden said, flashing his silly smile as he scratched the back of his head.

Abigail shook her head after tapping Aiden’s shoulder. She was in a bright mood now. Aiden’s blabbering mouth was very helpful. She would certainly stick with him to gain more information in the future.

‘This guy is easy to deal with as compared to the devil, himself. Aiden is an easy target.’ Abigail thought to herself.

Aiden was a happy-go-lucky kind of guy, with a pleasing personality, lively character, and refreshing behavior. No wonder he could easily make other women fall for his charms.

“As you have proven to me that you are one of my fans, I will tell you a secret. But don’t tell this to anyone. Understood?”

Aiden’s eyes gleamed in anticipation. He bobbed his head vigorously and said, “Yes, Ma’am!” He even raised his right hand, pressing it against his forehead as a salute to her.

“You were right! I had already broken up with my childhood sweetheart!” Abigail declared to him.

She realized that she had to make Aiden believe that she was single and available. Who knows he might put on a good word for her once he talked to Nathan?

She had to make an ally out of Nathan’s friends and get along very well with them. It was easy to gain their trust, rather than gaining Nathan’s trust. He was very aloof, reserved, and meticulous. He always puts his guard up when it comes to strangers like her.

Furthermore, to win Nathan’s affection, Abigail shouldn’t be involved with another man. So, the relationship of the real Abigail with her childhood sweetheart might affect her plan. She had to cut that relationship off as early as now. She was Phantomflake and she had nothing to do with Abigail’s real boyfriend!

Meanwhile, Aiden believed her words so easily, not suspecting that she was just lying. Abigail had no idea what the current relationship status was between the real Abigail and her boyfriend. Perhaps, they were still on good terms even before the alleged suicide happened.

‘What if… Abigail’s boyfriend also had something to do with the attempt to kill her?’ Abigail added another suspicious person to her list of culprits.

‘Did her boyfriend visit her at the hospital? I should know about his identity so that I could avoid him.’ Abigail made a mental note.

“So did he cheat on you?” Aiden’s voice snapped her back to the present. Abigail glanced at him with disbelief. Who would have thought that Engr. Aiden Wu also loved to gossip?

When she arched her eyebrows, Aiden immediately took his words back. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to open a fresh wound. Just forget what I said. Don’t worry. It’s not your loss. He doesn’t deserve you.”

“There are a lot of guys more deserving than your cheater and useless ex! Don’t waste your time thinking about him. Those cheaters and bastards deserve to suffer and die.” Aiden spoke spontaneously, not allowing Abigail to say a word.

‘Is he cursing his own self?’ Abigail fought the urge to say those words to Aiden.

“I’m here. You can use my shoulder to lean on. If you need someone to talk to, don’t hesitate to come to me. I am willing to listen,” Aiden said seriously, offering his shoulder to her.

Abigail: “…”

She could only blink her eyes in amusement as she was at a loss for words. She didn’t know whether to cry or laugh. Aiden Wu had the guts to tell that? He was known to be a womanizer… a playboy… a woman’s heartbreaker!

How could he give her such advice? He was also worse than Abigail’s ‘ex-boyfriend’.

“Come on, Abigail. You can confide your feelings with me. It will help you feel better,” Aiden spoke again, convincing her to share her feelings and thoughts with him.

“Whoa! When did you become a good listener, my friend? I was not informed.” A deep voice was heard from the back. It was followed by a husky laugh of a man.

Abigail and Aiden turned in the direction of the door and they saw another gorgeous man with a charismatic smile looking at them, his eyes gleaming with humor.

“Stephen! You are finally here!” Aiden got off from his seat and waved at his best friend. He felt so glad to see him. His backup finally arrived!

“Hi,” Stephen said suavely, raising his hand to greet Aiden and Abigail. His lips stretched out into a perfect curve, revealing his pearly white teeth.

Abigail was rendered speechless in her spot. She was just staring at the newcomer, sizing him up from top to bottom and vice versa.

The way Abigail assessed him didn’t escape Stephen’s observant eyes. He also did the same to her, maintaining his broad smile.

After scanning each other’s appearance, Abigail’s and Stephen’s eyes met. They had a staring contest for several seconds. It was Stephen who moved first, striding towards Abigail’s spot.

Stopping in front of her, Stephen extended his right hand as he introduced himself to Abigail.

“I’m Stephen Zhao, Nathan’s friend.”

This was the proper way of approaching someone for the first time, unlike Aiden who suddenly popped out of nowhere, placing his arm around somebody’s shoulder!

Abigail stood up and accepted Stephen’s hand. “I’m Abigail Scarlett, Nathan’s temporary guest in this house.”

The corners of Stephen’s lips twitched, his eyes staring at Abigail intently. Then he gave her hand a gentle squeeze. “It’s an honor to meet you, Miss Abigail.”.

Abigail felt a sudden discomfort with the way Stephen was looking at her. ‘This man… has some kind of similarity with the Devil. I should watch my actions around him.’

Meanwhile, Aiden shifted his gaze back and forth between Stephen and Abigail. He felt like his presence had been forgotten by the two.

‘Damn! Don’t tell me Abigail’s ideal man is close to Stephen? And what’s with Stephen’s expression? This is the first time I saw him looking at a woman like this!’