65 Chapter 65: Donst leave marks! Are you crazy?! (1/2)

Laurice panicked. ”What did you say?” Blurting out the words all of a sudden in straight japanese. She diverted her gaze and shot Hiro Mitsui an inquisitive look.

Hiro flinched by her sudden reaction but asked her again the second time, also speaking in japanese.

”Are you m-married?” He said and then cleared his throat right after.

”Is h-he your husband and your c-child?” Hiro added and replied in a mumble. He almost choke in his own words. He looked really interested but somehow afraid to know the answers. As for the reasons why, he also was not quite sure himself.

”What? What made you say that?” Laurice replied abruptly followed by an awkward chuckle. Her voice was a bit high pitched than her normal range. She pondered for a second and then mentally scolded herself for her stupidity the next.

How can the man not be suspicious?

A kid had just addressed her rather intimately. While a grown man was treating her just the same. They pretty much portray a picture of a complete family of three.

”No, no, no, no.” Laurice said in repetition. Her eyes flew wide opened. She even answered by waving off her hand back and forth in denial. She could not be misunderstood. Especially not by him. Not by someone she personally know in the industry. Quite specifically, an investor and client for that matter. If news about this encounter was to spread and leaked out in public, then she was not afraid of the implications it might cause her but to 'that family' instead.

Laurice tried explaining the matter in hysterics, totally losing all composure. Hiro Mitsui attentively listened to her incessant chatter. Her reaction maybe a bit off but he undoubtedly believed her words. Well, he was relieved nonetheless. But he was still shocked that Laurice was acting weirdly anxious about it like it's too much of a big deal.

'What was she really afraid of?'

...

In the end, Laurice tried to convince the man by clearing her relationships with the two person and told him instead while putting emphasis on her words, ”Mr. Mitsui, i mean ... Hiro. It's really not what you think. It just so happened that the child is attached to me.” Pausing a bit, she swept the silent man beside her a sidelong glance and continued, ”So is the man, i guess.”

Her lips were still quivering from speaking so much when a firm hand was suddenly gently rubbing her from behind. Her body relaxed gradually by the man's touch. But she was still a bit anxious to look at him at the moment.

However, she really wanted to know what kind of expression he is making right now. Does he even understand japanese? Will he get upset by what she had just said about him?

Her worries started piling up once again.

”I understand, Laurice. No need to worry.” Hiro Mitsui replied in english this time, dropping the honorifics as well. He held her gaze for a brief moment and then smiled genuinely in content. It was not his style to gossip and create hype so the woman should be rest assured.

He then tried to bid Laurice goodbye afterwards. Before he left, his eyes fell towards the man beside Laurice and saw something in his sharp eyes. He was momentarily dazed by his expression. No, he was more like ... petrified.

Hiro Mitsui swallowed a lump on his throat and said, ”I'll be on my way then, Laurice. Glad to meet you again. I'll contact you regarding the engagement.” He offered a handshake towards her as usual like how any of their other conversations in the past ended but oddly enough, he felt the air around him grew colder in an instant. He felt the chill was coming from a certain fellow near him. He unhesitatingly retracted his hand back and coughed awkwardly warding off the alarming feeling.

”Ah, let me introduced you two first atleast.” Laurice felt relieved by the sudden turnout of events that she did not mind exposing the man's identity.

Hiro Mitsui was startled by her words.

'No, thank you!' He almost blurted out.

With the way the other man's behaving, he's worried that the relationship between him and Laurice is more than what it appears to be on the surface and only Laurice wasn't aware of it herself yet. In his eyes though, he can tell that the man himself was in love with Laurice! And the way he was glaring at him at the moment with his cold front, was making him tremble in fear. It seems he's no ordinary man after all.

...

Laurice tilted her head up to ask for Sid's permission and was greeted by his usual cool expression. Her brows raised in anticipation.

Reading between the lines, Sid reluctantly faced the foreigner. He wasn't faking any of his emotions. With a deep low voice he introduced himself, offering a handshake in his own behalf.

”Sid Walsh.”

Hiro Mitsui was tempted to shove his hands away but he did not want to be rude. He accepted his offer and gave his name as well.

”Hiro Mitsui.”

The man's grip tightened a bit. Hiro concealed the frown that almost broke out from his face. The man named Sid Walsh does not seem like intentionally doing it, but Hiro felt the man was crashing his bones from the handshake alone. His strength was just too much for him to handle. He seemed upset about just everything. It was written all over his face. Also when Laurice wasn't looking, the man's gaze turned sharper towards him.

Hiro Mitsui winced from the sharp pain. Instantaneously, Sid loosened his grip and then released his hand mercifully.

Mercy? There was no mercy. Hero sneered in his thoughts.