"So, Chris. Are your plans still the same about not running away?"
While eating happily, Christian paused slightly upon hearing the question from his sister. He took his time to finish his meal before finally responding.
"Sis, we're eating. Couldn't you have waited at least until we finished?"
Annabelle staring at her brother, noticed, how despite his complaint, he didn't seem as bothered by the subject as before, at least not in the same way. So, thinking that maybe he'd finally had a change of heart, she said.
"Actually, I already waited enough since I didn't say anything yesterday."
Faced with his sister's cute protest that she had already been patient enough, Christian gave her a small smile and said,
"I plan to make the decision today, and one of the choices I have in mind is running away. So, how about you wait a little longer? We'll discuss it later anyway."
Heaving an internal sigh of relief, Annabelle was about to reply when…
The sudden ringing sound of the doorbell echoed through the house.
Knowing that there was likely no one else expected to visit, and piecing together what her brother had just said about waiting some time, she felt she already knew who was at the door.
So, with a pout on her lips, she said.
"So, you plan to discuss these plans with Eva first?"
Christian, already on his feet, noticed his sister's expression and, not wanting any misunderstandings, said,
"I don't plan to discuss my plans with her."
"But depending on how this conversation goes, she might be present later when we talk about them."
Annabelle let out a small exclamation upon hearing his answer, her expression finally easing a little, and seeing that, Christian turned and went to open the door.
"...So, what did you want to talk about?"
"It's not just catching up and kissing me, right?"
Eva, who had just pulled away from Christian's arms, and sat at the side, her chest still rising and falling from the long kiss. With her face flushed, asked.
Erasing the teasing smile from his face, Christian replaced it with a serious expression and said.
"Well, I figured it's time we have that serious conversation, as we can't delay it anymore."
Eva, already prepared to tell him everything, couldn't help but feel a surge of curiosity at this moment. So, before they started, she asked.
"Did you look at everything you wanted to see and now want to confirm the facts with me? Or did you just grow tired of all the happenings and decide to ask me about everything?"
Hearing her question his abilities, Christian couldn't resist countering with a teasing smile.
"Which one do you think is the right one?"
Eva, pondering seriously, tried to take all kinds of factors into account. Considering that not much time had passed, and even if he knew hacking, it would still take time- reading through things, piecing them together, then hacking, and repeating this cycle, it seemed unlikely he had uncovered everything. Moreover, knowing he didn't have anyone helping him further leaned her thoughts toward the idea that he still didn't know much.
But, expecting some sort of surprise from the man she had finally chosen, she chose not to answer based on the logic her brain had deduced. Instead, she let the feelings running through her heart guide her response… choosing to answer "emotionally."
"You found pretty much everything?"
Eva spoke slowly, carefully, and with hesitation, knowing that her words could have consequences. If she was wrong, she might hurt his pride. But if she was right, it meant he already knew many things… things she considered shameful, moments from her depressing past she wished to leave buried, after all.
Christian was a little surprised that she evaluated him so highly and couldn't help but feel a wave of satisfaction as he confirmed her question.
"Yes, I think I found everything that could be uncovered in a short time. The rest will probably take longer, with no guarantee that it even exists."
"So, there's no point in me continuing to look on my own."
Before the surprise on Eva's face could fade after hearing his confirmation, Christian added.
"If you want to verify what I found before telling your side of the story from the beginning, that's fine with me."
"But regardless, it's time for you to tell me everything."
'As I want to decide whether or not to include you in my future plans.'
Despite all his feelings for her, Christian still had small reservations, a hint of suspicion lingering. So, he wanted to see how this conversation would unfold, to see if his heart would still lean toward her or if it would shrink back.
It wasn't about logic, though; if that were the case, he would have stopped getting involved with her from the start, knowing the social differences between them, and how much trouble she was surrounded with. So, what he would feel at the end of this conversation was what truly mattered.
Eva, looking at Christian, contemplated his casual words, wondering if he truly knew everything. She felt the urge to ask him a few questions, but in the end, she held back.
Even if it were a lie, she wanted to believe him. She also didn't want him to think any less of her.
"Should I say the long version or the short one? Like, should I summarize it?"
"There's no need for confirmation. But…"
Eva, aware that her story could be both long and short at the same time, felt that she could summarize her life in a way that one sentence could express everything.
'I was sold by my family, and I'm trying to break free from their control.'
'I don't want to be anyone's toy.'
It was simple, almost painfully so.
So, taking a breath, Eva, with her expression hardened, asked.
"Should I say the long version or the short one? Like, should I summarize it?"