Hidden Motives

"No way..." Emilia had completely dropped the spoon in her hand with a clatter. "You and Tobias are together?"

Mimi flashed her dimpled smiles and laughed softly.

"Yes."

Emilia was clearly shocked. "Since when?"

Mimi raised her eyes and looked up. She tilted her head and gently tapped her chin as if she were thinking deeply.

"Two weeks now."

Once more, Emilia was dumbfounded, her mouth agape. Mimi only laughed softly while playing with her straw. Emilia frowned, her face somewhat twisting upon seeing the girl's relaxed demeanor.

"But isn't Tobias a little…older?"

Mimi snorted as if the girl just said something outrageous.

"Seven years apart isn't that old."

Emilia was silent. It was practically a ten-year age gap.

Ignoring the girl's troubled expression, Mimi propped her cheek on her palm and sighed. "Age is just a number anyway. As long it's two consenting adults, why should it matter? Why care what other people think about."

"Mimi…" Emilia was surprised but touched. She smiled. "If you're happy then, I'm glad."

Mimi's lips suddenly curled up into a wicked smile. "Besides, you know what they say about older men. Like a fine wine, the best improve with age. The older they get the more they learn. Especially in certain areas…"

"That's enough, no more! I get it!" Emilia's face flushed red. She covered her face in mortification.

Mimi looked at her face with an amused expression and laughed. After a few minutes, the two left the café. Once they stepped foot outside, Mimi noticed in front of the building was a familiar black car. Sure enough, not a second later, a tall figure stepped out of the back seat of the car.

The eyebrow on her face rose. "My, my, are you spying on me, Toby?"

"Just taking precautions," Tobias said, folding his arms over his chest, one hip leaning against the car door, those dark black eyes gleaming a bit of amusement.

"By following me?"

���Yes," He said candidly.

Mimi only laughed softly. Meanwhile, standing on the side, Emilia's jaw slacked in shock. She glanced back and forth between the two and pursed her lips.

Why did it seem these two had dated longer than two weeks?

"I'll drive the two of you home." Tobias shifted his dark eyes from Mimi to Emilia, who was standing behind her.

The moment his eyes landed on her, Emilia stiffened. Even though she had known Tobias for a few years now, she couldn't shake off the nerves she felt when around him. Especially now that he was dating Mimi, she felt even more on edge!

"Ah, there's no need. I have my driver waiting nearby." Emilia awkwardly smiled.

Mimi hummed in understanding. "Then return home safe!"

Emilia nodded her head and before leaving glanced back at the two to see Mimi was standing in front of Tobias, a bright and warm smile on her face. Tobias looked down at her and slowly, the coldness in his eyes dissolved. She watched the scene and couldn���t help but smile.

Despite the age gap, they both looked happy.

…

Inside the car, Mimi adjusted herself on the seat before she curled into Tobias, who was currently on his laptop.

"What are you doing on there?" She blinked her violet eyes at the screen revealing charts of data and documents.

Tobias glanced at the girl snuggling up on his side and smiled.

"Work."

"Must be tough."

There weren't any words in his reply; just a simple affirmative 'mm'. Mimi shifted her gaze back to Tobias. She studied his stern and focused expression, his eyes never moving from the screen.

Mimi couldn't place her finger on it, but something about him was different from usual. The moment he picked her up, she noticed the dark circles beneath his eyes. Not to mention, his usual tan and glowing complexion seemed a little pale.

Mimi wrapped her arm around his chest, hugging him. "You should rest. You look tired."

Tobias sighed.

"I know. I will soon." He leaned his forehead to hers. Then he whispered, "Right now there's a lot I need to handle."

Mimi looked at him and blinked. "Is there any way I can help?"

Tobias chuckled. He moved his free arm and wrapped it around her, rubbing her back gently.

"It's fine." He shifted his head slightly to kiss the top of her head.

He was speaking in a calm voice, but Mimi's heart began to throb. She was a little displeased with his words.

She pouted. "You know…We're a couple now, so it's not just you who has to take care of me. I have to take care of you too. Otherwise, my heart will hurt too."

Tobias was silent for a moment. His arm wrapped around her back tightened. Mimi lifted her face to notice his expression was stiff.

"What is it?"

"Nothing."

"Talk to me, Toby."

He grunted and shifted a little in his seat. Upon a closer look, she noticed the slightest hint of red behind his ears.

"These feelings…I've never felt them before…" He didn't complete his sentence and simply looked at her with his dark eyes.

His gaze never wavered, but she didn't need to see his expression to know his feelings. It was all new to her too.

She laughed softly and snuggled up closer to his warm, firm body.

"It's the first for me too." She looked up at him and flashed her dimple smiles. "Thank you for loving me and allowing me to experience such warm feelings, Tobias."

The man's dark and heated eyes looked at her with such intensity she felt he would swallow her alive. In the next second, he set his laptop down on the car floor and wrapped both arms strongly around her back. He pressed their chests tightly together so that they could feel the heartbeats of each other with their entire body.

The warmth coming from the body in his arms made him feel emotional. She felt his lips press against her head.

"I should be the one saying that…" His voice was hot and husky with a hint of restraint as he squeezed her tightly in his arms.

Mimi smiled. She leaned her head on his shoulder and enjoyed the sound of his beating heart against hers. She closed her eyes, engulfing in the sweet warmth.

...

The doorbell's melodic ring cut into the living room of the small but moderate apartment. Sitting in her rocking chair, Grace raised her head from her book and furrowed her brows.

"Who could that be?" She muttered to herself while standing up from her seat.

"If it's one of those salesmen again, tell them we're not interested unless it's food. Then maybe we can give some to Mimi when she stops by again." Glen her husband said from the sofa, his eyes focused on the television.

"Glen." Grace turned to her husband with a disapproving glare. "I swear you're becoming more and more like that girl by the day."

She heard her husband chuckle in amusement behind her. She smiled and walked to the door. The moment she opened it, she was stunned. The man standing before her had on a white shirt, black suit pants, and a very idle and noble attitude.

"Can I help you?" Grace frowned slightly.

The young man's brown eyes landed on her, his gaze dull. She had never seen someone with such little emotion before.

"Excuse me for disturbing you. However, do you happen to know if a pair of young siblings live here?" His lips curled into a smile, but it didn't quite seem to match his eyes.

"A pair of young siblings?" Grace's brows furrowed together. "I don't believe so. Are they friends of yours?"

The young man didn't hesitate to respond, "Yes."

"Then do you know what they look like?"

He had been silent for a while before he responded in a monotone voice, "Their brother and sister, both seventeen. The brother has green eyes, short brown hair, and small stature. Same for the sister."

Had he said a glutton, slightly perverted nature, and violet eyes, Grace would have assumed he was describing Mimi.

However, considering it was a pair of siblings, she knew that was not the case. Grace took in his descriptions and carefully thought. Looking back at the young man with the stoic expression, she showed a helpless expression.

"I'm afraid no one of those descriptions lives here."

His lips tightened into a thin line. "Then does anyone within that age group live here?"

"I don't think so. But if you're still having trouble, I can ask the neighbors to help find your friends." Suddenly thinking of something, Grace's eyes lit up. "Ah, wait a moment there is someone—"

Before Grace could finish her words, she felt a hand on her shoulder. Turning around, she was surprised to see her husband Glen standing behind her. He looked at the young man standing before their door and scratched the back of his neck with a light-hearted smile.

"Pardon my wife. She can be a bit of a blabbermouth sometimes. Whenever someone needs help, she can't help but join in. Ah, but no one of those descriptions lives here. It's just a bunch of old folks mostly."

The young man looked at the elderly couple with narrowed eyes. After a few seconds, he nodded his head in thanks and left. Glen peeked around the corner before going back inside.

"What was that about?" Grace looked at her husband with a frown.

Glen scratched the back of his head and sighed heavily. "Did you not see how he was fishing for information?"

"Fishing for…what are you talking about?"

Glen sighed once more. "While I don't mind you being kind toward others, you need to be more cautious. And what man his age would be friends with seventeen-year-olds? We don't know what his motives are. If you told him about Mimi, would he not go to talk to her?"

At that moment, his wife's eyes widened. It wasn't until he said those words that Grace realized she could have placed unnecessary trouble on Mimi. The poor girl had enough on her plate already.

"Oh my. I'm sorry, I didn't…"

"It's fine, it's fine." Her husband carefreely waved his hands and walked back to his couch. "Just be careful next time."

Grace nodded her head and glanced at the door with an anxious gaze.