The CEO's Seductive Doll-Chapter 99: Happy Hornets (again) with the Doll and the Tutor
"That’s way too cheap," Evan said, his scowl deepening upon hearing Olivia’s modest suggestion. "Are you taking me for that much of a cheapskate?"
"I didn’t take the price into consideration." Olivia said it in a matter-of-fact tone. "I just genuinely like Happy Hornets."
"Well, choose another one." Evan crossed his arms, huffing. "You’ll make me look bad."
Olivia raised an eyebrow at him. "Who the fuck are you, Eustice?"
Evan looked genuinely offended for a moment before his expression turned to someone who looked impressed.
"Aren’t you too young to make a Courage the Cowardly Dog reference?"
Olivia merely shrugged in response. Meanwhile, Eternity’s eyes shifted from Olivia to Evan, unable to understand the reference.
"But seriously," Evan said, shaking his head in disbelief at what he was about to say next. "You can choose a more expensive place to eat."
He glanced at Eternity, who gave him an approving thumbs up as if he needed coaching.
"It’s fine," Olivia insisted. "Happy Hornets is my go-to place to eat, since... Well, you know."
"We, in fact, do not know," Eternity said, speaking on Evan’s behalf, who was silent as he gave Olivia a quizzical look.
Olivia sighed before muttering under her breath. "I would say I hate the bourgeoise, but they’re even a higher level in the social class hierarchy."
Evan raised an eyebrow at her, but Olivia forced a smile in their direction and spoke.
"I’m a broke college student, remember?" She reminded them.
"You’re broke?" Evan repeated in shock. "Aren’t you the daughter of one of the most prolific painters in this country?"
Incredulous, she stared at him with wide eyes and a slightly parted mouth.
"Really?" Eternity interjected. "You never told me, Olivia."
Olivia grimaced as if this fact were physically painful to remember. 𝐟𝕣𝕖𝐞𝐰𝕖𝚋𝐧𝗼𝚟𝐞𝕝.𝗰𝐨𝐦
"There was no need to tell anybody," she explained in a tone as if she were talking about the weather. But her expression suggested otherwise. "Mama... disowned me."
Evan’s lips formed a small ’o’ and he lowered his head in awkwardness for bringing up such a sour topic for Olivia.
"It’s fine, though!" She assured them, but her voice was a pitch too high, which indicated that it was, in fact, not. "I guess she didn’t like the fact that I wanted to pursue literature rather than painting."
"I’m sorry about that, Olivia." Eternity said it with a heavy heart.
But Olivia shook her head and forced a laugh.
"I swear, it’s alright." She said it, still using the same high-pitched voice. "Anyway, is no one questioning my food tastes anymore?"
***
"Why don’t you have a car?" Olivia questioned Evan as she munched on her vegan burger. "I’ve been suppressing myself from asking that since we took a taxi to the library, but now we also took a taxi to go to Happy Hornets, and it’s really been bothering me."
They were now eating at Happy Hornets, a fast-food chain that’s known all over their country for its good yet high-cholesterol food.
The branch they were dining in was filled with patrons of different ages, so the line was rather long and the tables were filled to the brim. Thankfully, they found a table, and Evan ordered their food for them.
Pretending to be a gentleman, which he wasn’t.
"Shut up," Evan snarled as he held a piece of fries, but Eternity gave him a disapproving look. Evan cleared his throat and responded more respectfully this time. "I don’t see the need to have a car if my workplace is literally just a few blocks from my apartment."
Olivia gasped in horror, covering her mouth with her hand.
"You walk to work?!"
Evan glared at her. "Why is this so surprising to most people?"
"Because you’re a billionaire!" Olivia shouted, causing the customers at the other table to look at them curiously.
Thankfully, they didn’t seem to recognize Evan, so they immediately looked away and minded their own business when they saw him glaring daggers at them.
"...You know you’re going to get us mugged with what you’re saying out loud, right?" Evan as he turned his attention back to Olivia, giving her a disapproving look.
"Which also reminds me," Olivia exclaimed, though her voice was considerably lower this time. "You also don’t have a bodyguard hanging around with you 24/7!"
"I don’t need one," Evan huffed as he finally ate the fries.
"He has me!" Eternity interjected, grinning.
This made Evan flustered in embarrassment, while Olivia gave her a confused look. "What is that supposed to mean?"
"Ignore her," Evan said, clearing his throat and causing Eternity to pout.
"I’ve been meaning to ask, Eternity," Olivia began, and she gestured at the food on the table. "You still haven’t touched your food."
"Calories," Eternity reasoned out, a sweat drop trailing down the side of her face.
"You sure?" Olivia frowned. "Thankfully, you ordered the vegan menu at Hornet’s so I could eat your share if you’re not going to eat it!"
"Go ahead!" Eternity beamed. "Let’s not waste food."
Olivia beamed back and slid Eternity’s food closer to her.
"To answer your question," Evan interjected, returning the attention back to him. "I don’t find a need for it since I’m not a well-known CEO compared to... let’s say, the CEOs of Amazoness and Gigasoft."
Olivia hummed as if giving his words some thought.
"I guess you’re right," she finally admitted in resignation. "I didn’t know who you were until Mister Freiheit invited me to apply as Eternity’s tutor. It all made sense to me, a bit too late, how powerful you were to make a university credit a tutoring job as an ’internship.’"
"I actually didn’t know that—the crediting part, I mean." Evan admitted. "That must be Freiheit’s doing. Speaking of," he added as an afterthought. "How’d you even know Freiheit? At first, I thought you were one of the many women he slept with..."
Olivia’s cheeks turned a bright shade of red as she vehemently shook her head.
Evan found her expression amusing and continued.
"... But he isn’t the type to sleep with minors, so I assumed it might be something else. Like your connection with your mother."
Hearing the word ’mother,’ Olivia’s shoulder slumped down like she was Atlas carrying the world. Eternity gave Evan another look, to which Evan spluttered incredulously.
"It’s fine, Eternity." Olivia assured, forcing another laugh. "It just makes me sad that I got this job out of nepotism and not because of my skills. Even worse," she added with much emphasis. "No one believes I can actually do the job because of my age!"
"It’s hard to be taken seriously when people consider you ’too young’ to reach where you are now." Evan said as he sipped directly on the lid of his canned soft drink. "For example, I became the CEO of RBAB when I was in my early twenties. Everyone thought Mister Royall made a mistake by making me his successor at such a young age, but well, look at the company’s rankings among the businesses in the world."
"RBAB is part of the top 10 biggest companies in the world." Olivia muttered under her breath.
"Exactly." Evan nodded, placing the soda can on the table. "If I managed to prove them wrong, then you can also do it as well, Miss Wilde."
Olivia’s gray eyes widened, and a soft gasp escaped from her lips.
"Do you mean it, Mister Holz?" She asked in a soft, bewildered voice.
Evan nodded again, offering a rare, gentle smile that was usually reserved only for Eternity.
"I sure do."
Olivia started tearing up. Little by little, more tears started streaming down her cheeks, and she wiped her eyes with the back of her hands, but it was only replaced with more tears.
"Miss Wilde!" Alarmed, Evan took a handkerchief from his pocket and handed it to Olivia.
She took it gratefully before blowing her nose on the cloth, causing Evan to make a face of disgust.
"I’m sorry," she sobbed, speaking in a nasal voice. "I get clogged nose really easily when I cry."
Evan closed his eyes, letting out a distressed sigh.
"It’s fine, Miss Wilde. Take your time."
Olivia nodded before excusing herself to go to the bathroom to calm herself down. Once she left, Eternity couldn’t help but tease him.
"I see you’re going to end up being a good father to a daughter."
Evan scowled. "What the hell is that supposed to mean?"
"Just what I said it is," Eternity said in a matter-of-fact tone. "If you ever become a father, I think you’ll spoil your daughter a lot."
He huffed, propping his arms to his chest.
"It’s not like we can make kids, Eternity."
"Aw," she gushed. "You want me to be the mother of your child?"
"Of course," Evan snorted as he unwrapped the wrapper on his burger. "Who else would be the mother of my children?"
Eternity let out a sad smile, and he didn’t need to hear what she had in mind to know what was bothering her.
She was incapable of creating children. Of course, she was. She wasn’t even a real human.
"Anyway," Eternity chirped, her tone returning to its usual energetic self. "I’m glad you actually changed—not just your treatment towards me, but your treatment of other women as well."
Evan didn’t say anything but merely continued eating his burger.
