Chapter 28 - Puffyball

The butler stood more shocked than ever, looking at the daring young lady when he witnessed her kneeing Alvin. Whereas the maids who ran out hearing the breaking sound were fearing Alvin and pitying the lady. They were quite sure Alvin was going to teach a good lesson to the young lady.

One dared to make a sound, "Ssss..." The young man hissed as if he was the one who got kneed and bearing the pain.

Anya saw Alvin's face twist in pain. If not anything she knew this would work. She pushed his hand and rolled away.

Alvin placed his knees and a hand on the floor. He curled his fingers into a tight fist until his knuckles turned white as the marble floor. Closing his eyes, he gritted his teeth, enduring the discomfort. He just teased her and expected her to get flustered and listen to him. At least he got to know, he shouldn't leave her limbs free.

Anya pulled her delicate white robe back on her shoulder. Her gaze fell on the two men. The butler seemed to be in shock and clueless about what to do and the maids ran inside when her gaze brushed over them. Whereas the young man nervously smiled at her.

He was tall with a lean body. He was sporting a new limited edition of expensive brands. He was wearing jeans, plain white pullover under a fashionable blazer. His dark brown straggly hair was swept aside and pushed behind in the front, showing off his forehead. His eyes were small and sharp, and his cheekbones were sharper than the jawline. He was handsome in his way.

Anya identified him. Ean Watson, Alvin's best friend. The Watson family was another wealthy well-known family in the country. She had heard a little about Ean. When Alvin joined the Network and information security course to study, Ean had begged Alvin to change to business studies because he didn't want to study complex, ununderstandable computer codes.

Unwilling to go to a different university, Ean followed Alvin. Although he always ranted about his dislike towards computer languages as an alien language, he was good at logical skills and complex theories and algorithms.

Ean and Alvin were supposed to open a company in the software and technology field. Alvin had asked Anya to join his network security team. Fate sent her far away so she wasn't sure what the two best friends were up to. She never bothered to check about them either.

In the past, Anya had met Ean a few times but they hardly spoke as she used to drown in her laptop forgetting the whole world. Although she knew Alvin and spent a lot of time with him, she was never a part of his life. His friends, his hangout places, his lifestyle, everything was unknown, unreachable for her. He never bothered to ask her to join them either.

(Present)

Anya's hand almost reached her face but managed to move it back and tidied her hair. She didn't expect the weight loss could change her appearance to unrecognizable.

'Cling'

Her attention shifted to the sound. She noticed the butler picking the broken pieces with his bare hands. She quickly made her way to him and suggested with a hint of concern, "I guess, it's not safe to pick by your bare hands. You will be hurt."

Alvin suddenly turned behind hearing her soft voice sounding sweeter than honey, cooler than a breeze, and lighter than a feather. He couldn't believe he saved her from dying by Harper's hands, she didn't bother to put him in pain again and again while he was trying to save her from getting hurt, yet she was worried about his butler.

Ean followed his friend's line of glares as he went closer to Alvin. Sitting on his one knee, he asked in a low voice, "Why haven't you flipped the house upside down?" Enduring the pain, yet doing nothing to the culprit. Ean still found it hard to believe.

Alvin didn't bother to look at his friend. He thought for a few seconds while sitting on the floor, "Do you remember Anya? Anya Owen!!" He questioned Ean.

Ean's brows moved slightly when he thought, "Who is she?" He didn't recall knowing a lady with that name.

Alvin finally looked at Ean and lifted his brows. He never spoke about any lady with his friends or anybody, excluding one, the one he regularly met in the library and labs.

Ean recalled a girl from his memory and blurted out, "That Puffyball… She disappeared right?" His face twisted in a scowl. Ean recalled Alvin asking around in the college about her after she vanished without a word to him. He didn't feel necessary to keep an ungrateful girl in memory.

Alvin wasn't the type to gossip or talk about somebody unnecessarily. So he was curious to know why Alvin took that ungrateful Puffyball's topic out of nowhere. "Did you see her anywhere?"

Ean calls Anya - Puffyball instead of a plump or fat girl. Alvin ignored it like in the past. Hearing Ean's question, Alvin couldn't understand why this young mommy was reminding him of 'Anya' so much.

(PS: Alvin don't know that Young Mommy and Anya from their past are the same.)

His younger brother, Linus didn't send him the details on young mommy yet. She was treating him like a criminal so he doubted if she would answer his question. He didn't want to ask her by taking another girl's name.

At the same time, asking his friend will definitely make him laugh and make fun of 'Anya.' He forced himself to hold back the question that was at the tip of his tongue.

Ean waited patiently but Alvin suddenly stood up and went towards the dining hall.

Ean: "..."

'Argh… Heartless man.' His curiosity was killing him. Breathing a deep long sigh, he ambled towards them, watching his friend's strange, unseen behavior around the lady.

Alvin walked nimbly without alerting Anya, he reached her shoulder and twirled her away from the butler. Anya gasped and the earth spun once for her. Before she could stop her twirl, she felt a hand press on her shoulder and she sat on a chair at the dining table. Then a sudden loud puff spilled out of her lips when the chair tilted back leaving the weight on the rear legs of the chair. The chair turned, making her face the dining table.

"Serve lunch." She heard a commanding tone behind her as the chair rested back on four legs.

Anya: "..."

'What just happened?' She wasn't sure if she was in a shock or her mind was blown. She felt like floating… No, dancing on lightfoot.

Alvin walked to the head of the chair and sat down to her left. He was satisfied catching the glimpse of her inarticulateness. If he had asked her, he was sure she would have opposed him. Coaxing wasn't in his dictionary, being good had left his life.

Ean slowly made his way and sat opposite the young lady, on Alvin's left. He poured some fresh juice into the glass, "Hello!!" He greeted Anya. "I am Ean Watson." He introduced himself very politely and carefully. He didn't want to be a punching bag and was curious why Alvin was tolerating a young little lady.

Anya came to her senses and shot a deadly glance at Alvin for twirling her around and playing with her. Then she looked at anticipating Ean. Whereas Alvin was the most eager one waiting for her to introduce herself.

'If she is 'Anya Owen,' from my university, wouldn't she have told me already?' Alvin brushed off his thoughts and anticipated to know her name.

However, Anya stood up with the chair making a faint jarring sound, "Thank you for saving me. I need to leave." She plainly said unlike how she spoke with the butler.

Alvin's face darkened. How he wished her to like his place or perhaps him and stay back without him forcing her. However, some questions were still bugging him.

Why wasn't she asking about him? He lied the previous evening that he lives in 309 villa. Shouldn't she question him about it and the mansion? Don't people ask 'Who are you?' first before anything else?

Well, he wasn't in a hurry to know.

Inarticulate, Ean watched her leave while Alvin leisurely ate his chicken quinoa salad.

….

Anya knew her attire wasn't suitable for going outside. She didn't have a mobile to contact anybody. Yet she wasn't ready to ask for Alvin's help. The quicker she leaves from his sight and life, the better for her life.

Once she entered the hallway like a graceful lady, she rushed towards the main door of the mansion. Stepping out, she saw a huge water fountain, it didn't feel tacky, it looked classy and royal. The huge lawn was breathtaking. But she furrowed soon. She trembled when the autumn wind kissed her skin, fluttering her robe in the air.

She would embrace the biting cold rather than stay around Alvin.. Hugging herself, she walked towards the gates of the mansion.