In the dining room, the atmosphere couldn't be any more awkward. The only sound that could be heard was the occasional ever so slight clank of the silverware against the ceramic plates. It was as though both Lucy and Theodore were walking on eggshells—or sitting on eggshells. Her phone rang and she gladly answered it, speaking in a low tone.

"Hey… uhm, not tonight. I have plans tonight… okay, tomorrow night, it is."

When the call ended, she felt a gaze on her and looked up to meet it. Theodore was glaring at her as though she had just committed murder.

She had the urge to explain although her plans had nothing to do with him. "My niece wants to meet up and discuss a proposal I sent her. I'm a busy woman so… nights are the only times I can be available."

He averted his gaze without saying a word, which made her want to beat the crap out of him. Wasn't he the one who glared at her like she was doing something wrong, like she was being a bad influence to Zaria for making night plans? It was almost as if Zaria was not old enough to think on her own.

He ate a few more bites of his food before he finally looked up. "Your plans have nothing to do with me. Unless, of course, they threaten my children's safety in any way. In that case, they will have everything to do with me and I will do my best to make your life miserable."

"Thanks a lot." If eyes could literally glare daggers, he would be dead from the few seconds that she looked at him.

He actually found it amusing. "Don't look at me like I'm your enemy, Luci." He emphasised on the name. "It would be great if we could tolerate being in the same room. Amuse the kids for a while."

Her expression turned from a glare to surprise. She slapped her forehead in the next second. "It took you twenty eight years to figure out what I said. Just how dumb are you?"

"Dumb enough for you to exploit and play along for almost three decades." He snorted.

___

Twenty-eight years ago.

A few days after telling off the spoiled princess he had seen yelling at his sister, Theodore couldn't believe who he saw waiting at their doorstep in the evening when he returned from work. It was her, the pampered princess in the flesh.

She stood up from the doorstep where she had been sitting and closed in on him.

"Why would you sit there? Doesn't it hurt your butt? It's definitely not half as comfortable as the couches in your home." He glared at her. "What are you doing here anyway? Are you here to show your rich parents where I live for the convenience of finishing me off?"

Her eyes drooped and shockingly, he felt bad for firing off at her without giving her a chance to speak.

She took the chance when he was reflecting on himself. "I came to say that I'm sorry. I was in a bad mood that day…but it's not an excuse to yell at people. I'm really sorry."

"Why would you be in a bad mood when you have everything?" He was supposed to sound sarcastic but she probably didn't get it.

She lifted her head. "I had just returned from a party. Not an ordinary party but one whose invitation card probably costs more than all my family's savings."

"Wait. You…" He was surprised. Why would a rich girl say such words?

She laughed, a pained laugh. "What, did you think I was some rich heiress?"

"The clothes you were wearing looked like they cost ten thousand dollars. The ones you are wearing right now must cost a fortune too."

"Oh. Uh…" She had come up with this crap on her toes and had not thought about her outfit. "My best friend got adopted by a tycoon. She gives me her old clothes."

"Oh." He nodded. "Is she also the one who invited you to that party?"

"The one where I made a fool out of myself? Yes." Actually, not all of her words were lies. She had indeed been invited to a party by her friend and made a fool out of herself, but the latter part had a lot to do with her parents who thought the party was the best excuse to push her into the arms of men she didn't want to shake hands with.

"I'm sorry I judged you." He apologized when he thought about what she must have felt being made fun of.

"It's okay. You wouldn't have known." She looked down. "Do you hate rich people?" She had wanted to find out since the last time they met. He had yelled at her in a tone that seemed to hide a lot of pain.

"They are the bane of my existence." It was almost a growl. "You have no idea how many times we have been displaced growing up, because some aristocratic businessmen thought my neighborhood was the best spot to build their factories and whatnot."

"I'm sorry." She knew that it was not her fault but it sucked. No wonder he hated wealthy people so much.

"Why don't you come in? It's getting cold and you don't look so warm."

Accepting the invitation, she entered the house after him. He tactfully left the door open and let her sit on any of the couches. The house was small and the furniture old but clean. There were traces of a female scent and the house was styled in bright tones so she guessed that he must be living with his sister. There was only one picture on the wall—one with him and his sister. She didn't dare to ask about the parents.

He brought her a cup of tea which she thanked him for and sipped. She only wanted to apologize before but now that she interacted with him a little, she realized that the man was actually kind beneath his bitter countenance. He had probably run out of sugar when he sweetened her tea, so he opted for water instead. It was not something she usually saw—everyone around her was a pretentious asshole. She felt a little bad drinking the tea but couldn't reject his kindness either.

"What's your name anyway?" She asked in desperation to talk, to get rid of the awkwardness.

"Theodore. You can call me Theo." He spoke, sitting a little far from her. "What about you?"

Her fingers tightened around the cup. If her name left her lips, he would figure out her identity sooner than she could snap her fingers. There were rumors all over the city about her family in recent months.

Think… think.

Her grandmother's maiden name popped up.

"Roatta. Roatta is my surname. My name is Luci." She conveniently shortened her name.

"Lucy. It's a pretty name." He said.[1]

____

"What was wrong with telling me who you were from the word go? Did you have to lie?" He asked a question he had asked before, when they were married. At the time she just skirted over the question but she didn't have any reason to hide it anymore, did she?

She let out a breath. "If at the time I told you that I'm the daughter of the man who demolished your homes to build his oh-so-royal hotel, would you have continued to speak to me?"

"Are you kidding me? I would have thrown you out." He realized that he had answered his own question when she looked at him meaningfully. "Ah, fine."

He stabbed a piece of steak. "That hotel went up in flames. Did you know? It was about a year after you left Olphire."

As soon as he spoke, he realized that he had yet again asked a question whose answer he already knew. "Were you the one who did it?" He asked to confirm his hypothesis.

"The Dark Night did it." She shirked responsibility as though it didn't mean the same thing.

He called her out on her bullshit. "You are the boss of The Dark Night. I know that now." He gave her a strange look. "I just don't get it. Since we were already divorced, why did you go out of your way to avenge me?"

[1].... Luci and Lucy have the same pronunciation. Theodore thought she said Lucy when in fact she just said her name (Lucinda) halfway.