Ch 20 - Cousins at War

"Really?" Alex caught a hint of something else within Karen's eyes whenever she looked at him.

"I wouldn't lie to you. I promise. Cross my heart and hope to die." She sketched a cross over her heart.

"Hmm…" He watched her closely. "But you already know my identity, so I guess I'm not suitable for you." He could tell that she was up to something, so it was better to stay away from her as much as possible.

Except Karen wasn't willing to give up such a wonderful opportunity. No matter how hard he tried to get away, she was determined to capture him.

"Mr Ambrose, to be perfectly honest, there's another reason why I'm so anxious to find a boyfriend right now." She stepped a little closer. "My family are pressuring me to get married to a man called Robert, but I don't like him at all. If I'm already dating someone, they'll leave me alone. Please, Mr Ambrose, help me."

When Karen had entered the coffee shop, she'd been thinking about how to get Robert to notice her, but now that she knew Alex was much richer, her plan had changed.

Seeing the hesitation on Alex's face, she managed to squeeze out a few tears. With a delicate sniff, she said, "Mr Ambrose, I have no other choice, and I know you are a nice person, so please help me." Her voice broke with a small sob.

Karen seemed genuine. She was also very beautiful, and her tears made Alex feel sorry for her.

His heart softened, and he agreed. "Oh, okay. I'll do it."

"Thank you, Mr Ambrose." She smiled through her tears.

"But I have one condition," he said. "I don't want anyone to know my identity, and that includes Zara."

He needed to stay anonymous. If everyone knew who he was, it would cause too many problems.

"That's fine." She didn't hesitate.

Truthfully, she had no intention of telling Zara. Her cousin loved rich people, and if she found out Alex was wealthy, she would want him for herself. And since she went to the same university as Alex, she had an advantage over Karen.

And Karen wasn't prepared to tolerate any rivals for Alex's attention, not even her cousin.

She felt a little smug. Her cousin was spending time around a rich person and didn't even know it. Zara believed Alex was a loser!

They went back to their seats, where Zara was waiting for them.

"You jerk. I told you to go and find the waiter. What took you so long?" Zara scowled at Alex.

"Zara, don't be rude!" Karen glared at her and then turned to Alex with a smile. "Here, sit down. These cakes look delicious. Why don't you try one?" She slid a cupcake onto his plate.

"And now you're serving him?" Zara laughed as she teased her.

Of course, she didn't know why Karen was treating Alex so well. No doubt, she assumed Karen was still trying to trick him.

Zara glanced at her with a mischievous smile.

They began to eat their cakes and sipped their drinks. Zara didn't think much of Alex, so she didn't want him to get too comfortable.

When Karen saw her expression, she started to worry. Zara has no idea what she's doing, she thought. She's provoking someone who has enough wealth to last her ten lifetimes. Does that sound like someone she should shout at?

Zara was playing with fire, and if she made Alex angry, she'd regret it.

When she'd finished eating, Zara wiped her mouth with a napkin and asked, "Alex, what do you think of my cousin?"

"She's nice," he said simply.

Karen felt a surge of triumph. If Alex liked her, then she'd have a much better chance with him.

"Idiot, my cousin is beautiful. And you're lucky to be her boyfriend." Zara laughed contemptuously. Although her cousin was only using Alex, he would benefit from being her boyfriend for a few days. "Surely you've noticed that my cousin is attractive. To be perfectly blunt, she's completely out of your league. You do know that, don't you?" she asked haughtily.

When she finished speaking, she glanced at Karen. By talking up her cousin and pointing out how far above Alex she was, Zara was making it easier for her to get rid of him later. I'm sure she'll thank me for this, she thought.

But Karen didn't feel grateful at all. Instead, she fought the urge to hit Zara.

Alex was not inferior to her. It was quite the opposite! And Zara was going to ruin her plan.

Even if Karen didn't manage to marry Alex and was only ever his lover, she would still be happy.

"Zara, don't talk nonsense," she snapped.

Zara didn't understand why Karen was glowering at her. She'd thought her cousin wanted her to make fun of Alex.

"My cousin is in love with you," Zara teased. "So, you need to listen to her and not talk back. If she wants something from you, then just do it and don't argue, okay?" She continued to demand more from him.

Karen scowled.

"Although you and my cousin are dating," Zara continued, "that doesn't mean you can do anything you want. You have to treat her with respect. Don't even try to hold her hand, let alone anything else."

Zara felt she needed to make things clear. Alex was a loser who hadn't been with many beautiful women, and since he believed this relationship was real, he might try to make a move on her cousin. If that happened, her cousin might get hurt.

The blood rushed to Karen's head as she listened to Zara speak. That kind of remark was inappropriate, and Zara seemed to have abandoned the plan. Karen was getting angrier and angrier.

If I can't even hold his hand, then how am I supposed to develop a relationship with him? she thought. She couldn't wait to get close to Alex, and Zara seemed to be intentionally causing trouble.

"That's enough, Zara. Knock it off," she said, her tone unpleasant." I'm looking for a boyfriend, not a servant. What's wrong with that?"

Zara didn't realize that Karen was angry, so she kept talking. "You might be my cousin's boyfriend, but you still have to give her space and the right to do whatever she likes."

"What do you mean?" Alex asked.

"You are a bit dim, so I'd better spell it out," Zara said. "While my cousin is dating you, she can still ask out any man she's interested in. She can even hold hands with other men and hug them, and kiss them, and you can't say anything. Even if you later break up, you still have to agree she's free to do what she wants."

Zara spelt out the terms of the relationship. At some point, her cousin would go on a date with Robert, so Alex needed to be prepared.

"So, I'm in a relationship with your cousin, but I can't touch her at all," Alex said, narrowing his eyes, "while other men can hug and even kiss her. And even if I see her doing it, I can't say anything."

"You finally get it. That's exactly what I meant." Zara grinned.

Alex's mouth hung open. "But—"

Karen's temper boiled over, and she slapped Zara's face.

Every single person in the coffee shop was staring at them. And Karen flushed in embarrassment.

She simply hadn't been able to take any more of Zara's nonsense. When she'd heard her cousin humiliating Alex, implying that he was inferior, she hadn't been able to hold back any longer.