Since She Met Lucian

Chapter 34 You Should Call Him Dad

"I'll come with you, Darren," Amelia calmly said, putting on a kind smile.

"Amelia?" Lucian said in surprise as he gripped her arm, shaking his head. It seemed that he didn't want her to go inside and talk to Nicholas.

Amelia knew what was on Lucian's mind so she smiled and held up the portrait in front of him. "No matter what, your parents are still elders. I don't need to be angry anymore because I got my mother's portrait back. It wouldn't be polite of me to suddenly leave especially that your father asked to talk to us," she explained.

Her face wasn't stained with tears anymore and she was beaming now. It was as if she hadn't cried at all.

"I don't want you to pretend. Let's just go home." Lucian couldn't help but notice the cracks in Amelia's smile. She wasn't as fine as she was making it out to be. He grabbed her hand in an attempt to leave already.

Amelia loosened her hand free and handed him the portrait, still smiling. "Hold this for me. I'll be back in a jiffy."

Flattered by the trust she had given him, Lucian's wrinkled eyebrows smoothened. Then he said gently, "I'll come with you."

In the time that they spent together, Lucian had gotten to know Amelia a little bit more despite their constant bickering. They were always fighting but she was still very respectful to Fannie. With that, Lucian decided to accompany her inside.

In the study, Nicholas sat at his desk, reading the paper. Upon seeing Lucian and Amelia come in, he put the paper down and asked gently, "Amelia?"

His voice was low as he spoke but there was a hint of affection in it.

She stepped forward, nodded, and said in a guilt-ridden tone, "Uncle, I'm so sorry for storming out like that a while ago." She wanted to apologize for what she had done but didn't realize that she'd made an error in how she referred to him.

Lucian frowned and pulled her sleeve. He reminded her gently, "You should call him dad."

What? Amelia quickly came to her senses and corrected herself, "Dad..."

Her tone was stiff which gave away her discomfort.

When Lucian first met her father, he sounded so natural when he first referred to him as dad. She couldn't help but be impressed at how quickly he was able to adjust. Unlike her.

"I don't deserve to be called your father just yet..." Sighing, Nicholas took a hold of his cane and tried to stand up. Immediately, Amelia reached out to try to help him.

This gesture not only surprised Nicholas but also Lucian.

"Ha-ha! Such a sweet girl!" All of a sudden, Nicholas burst into laughter. Then, he turned to his son and praised, "Looks like you have good taste."

It's... Hesitating for a moment, Amelia turned to look at Lucian. She didn't understand what Nicholas meant.

Lucian had narrowed his eyes, beaming. When he turned to look at Nicholas, he looked just as happy. She felt so silly not knowing what to do or what was even going on.

"Dad, I'm not trying to get your approval. I just want you to be happy for me." Lucian then walked over to support Nicholas, relieving Amelia of the duty.

"As long as you're happy, you have my 100% support." Nicholas smiled in satisfaction. Then he frowned and said apologetically, "Your mother's just short-tempered. Don't take it too personally."

After which, Nicholas turned his gaze to Amelia, his eyes apologetic.

"Dad, it's been getting cold these past few days and your legs are sore. You shouldn't be watching your friends do their morning exercises anymore," Lucian said in a worried tone as he helped Nicholas walk to the living room.

"I can't stay put because I know my legs and feet are too sore for me to exercise anymore. I comfort myself by watching my old friends do that. You could say that I'm living vicariously through them," Nicholas explained, a gentle smile on his face.

Amelia quietly followed behind them. Observing the father and son carefully, she was a bit surprised when she heard what Lucian said.

At first, she thought Lucian's redeeming qualities were his family background and his handsomeness but now, she was discovering that he had a tender side too. He was very caring and loving. It seems that he wasn't as cold and indifferent as he always made himself out to be.

Lucian and Nicholas continued to chat with each other, sharing a chuckle every now and then. Soon, they arrived at the gate of the mansion, Nicholas turned to Amelia and put on a tender smile. He gripped his cane as he spoke, "Amelia, you're always welcome here at the Zhan mansion."

Amelia wasn't able to respond immediately as she was momentarily stunned. When she finally collected herself, she managed a nod in response.

"Dad, she's a little nervous," Lucian explained as he pulled her into his arms.

Lucian was right—she was both nervous and worried. 'Did Nicholas just technically say that he already accepted her?' she pondered to herself. However, this didn't seem to lighten her mood instead her heart felt heavy.

After they bade goodbye to Nicholas, Amelia got in the car, clutching her mother's portrait in her arms. Lucian then leaned in to fasten her seatbelt for her. She froze when she felt his hand gently caressing her waist.

"Can you drive?" Lucian asked matter-of-factly, sitting up straight.

It took a while before she was able to fully process his question.

Thinking she was still feeling nervous, he teased, "Are you scared because my father accepts you now?"

"I... I am not!" she cried defensively, her face flushing.

"Amelia, you're the first ever woman I took home to meet my parents." He suddenly became serious.

Amelia pretended to be confused and asked, "What does that mean?" He'd been with so many other women. She found it hard to believe that none of them was good enough for him to take home and meet his parents. Maybe, he did that to protect them.

Upon thinking of this, she turned to glare at him.

Lucian seemed to understand why Amelia was glaring at him. He raised the corners of his mouth, looked at Amelia with burning eyes, and said in a very serious tone, "Silly woman, what should I say for you to understand what I mean?"

Lucian suddenly stopped the car and leaned over to her, a breathtaking smile on his face. Overwhelmed, she moved so that her back was completely pressing against her seat, safely putting

some distance between them.

"Lucian, please don't..." Her face was flushing like a fresh bouquet of roses on a Valentine's day.

Now more than ever, she looked charming. Stroking Amelia's face gently, he spoke, his voice low and seductive, "You've aroused my desire."

Oh my God! What... Such sweet words!

Amelia's face turned red. She could feel her heartbeat pulsing in her ears. Her heart racing and her chest tightening were all proof that this was all real and she wasn't just imagining this.

Was he out of his mind? How could he say something like that! She was going crazy!

"But I can wait. I'll wait until you fall in love with me and then..." Lucian lowered his head and covered his lips with hers. Amelia felt her insides explode. This kiss was hypnotic.

Her heart was racing, feeling as if she was floating and this was all just a dream.

Amelia closed her eyes tightly, wanting to be present at this moment. There was a voice inside of her telling her to just follow her heart but there was also a part of her that refused to believe this was all happening. He couldn't be serious... Or was he?

Hesitant, she fixed her eyes on him.

She couldn't deny that over the time they'd spent together, she had indeed developed a crush on him but she didn't think that anything could happen since their marriage was just a fake.

"Let's go home." She quickly turned her head.

"All right," Lucian answered with a gentle smile. Before he looked away, Amelia's heart fluttered at his faint scent that still lingered under her nose.

She thought they were going to end up having dinner at the mansion before things had gone awry.

Lucian pulled over in front of a Western restaurant that seemed like the type of place only rich people could afford. He turned to Amelia and said, "Let's eat."

Amelia looked up and found that the restaurant was still open. Suddenly, she felt her stomach grumble. They haven't had dinner after all.

She nodded her head obediently. Her heart was still racing from the emotionally charged moment that they had just shared. She felt like she was still floating.

When she walked inside, she suddenly remembered that before they left the Zhan mansion, Lucian had asked her if she could drive. Turning towards him, she said simply, "Yes, I can drive."

Lucian seemed taken aback at first but he quickly recovered with a smile.

When they arrived at their table, they sat across from each other which allowed Lucian to stare at Amelia. 'She's so adorable,' he thought to himself.

This was Amelia's first time eating in a Western restaurant. Everything seemed so strange and foreign which made her feel a bit nervous.

The waiter handed the menu to her. She took the menu, hands trembling, and glanced at it, quickly realizing that everything was so expensive.

"You order." She slid over the menu to Lucian.

It seemed that Lucian noticed the embarrassment on her face. He slightly curved his lips and took the menu. He then ordered a ton of dishes. It was obvious that he was a regular at this restaurant. Then he asked, "What kind of drinks do you like?"

While all the dishes that Lucian ordered were completely new to her, she tried her best to remember them all.

He kept asking her what food she wanted. He asked her what kind of soup, main course, side dish, dessert, and fruit she liked. And now he was asking what she wanted to drink. Could they really finish all the food they were ordering? It seems like they were ordering for an entire army!

She suddenly asked, "Aren't we going to order soup? Let's just order soup." Published by Nôv'elD/rama.Org.

Lucian seemed briefly astonished before resuming to his nonchalant self. Smiling, he said nicely to the waiter, "That's all for now."

The rich sure did have a lot of rituals when eating dinner. They had a towel to wash their hands with and they also had a napkin to wipe their hands with.

Amelia pursed her lips as she listened to Lucian. At that moment, all Lucian could think was how adorable she looked.

"What's wrong?" Lucian noticed that Amelia was pouting, seemingly in dissatisfaction.

Amelia looked around, her eyes bright, and said casually, "Nothing..."