IMDD CHAPTER 225 [SEASON 4] (Patreon)

The moment Eva stepped inside the dimly lit expanse of Devil's Den, her eyes were immediately drawn to that one spot.

She took a deep breath before finally making her way over and settling into that same seat she had occupied the night she first met him.

Her heart was still racing. She was so nervous yet filled with anticipation at the same time.

Her eyes scanned the entire place, looking for him as she waited for her drink. The place didn’t seem to have changed at all. Though she wasn’t one hundred percent certain, as she’d only been to this place once, seven years ago, she could still remember most of everything vividly.

When she couldn’t find him, Eva took another deep breath and forced herself to relax. She told herself that maybe it would be just like that night, where Gage just popped up out of nowhere after she had downed quite a few glasses of alcohol.

And so, with a forced calm and a drink in hand, she waited.

Every footstep, every sip of the alcohol, and every minute that passed heightened her anticipation. However, as the minutes stretched into what felt like hours, the chair next to her remained empty.

Her gaze swept around the room once again. She could see so many faces, but why was it that the one she so desperately hoped to see wasn’t there? He should’ve been right here by now, seated next to her!

With each passing second, hope waned and was replaced by mounting frustration. She drowned her disappointment with more drinks, letting the burn of the alcohol serve as a brief distraction from the surging pain of disappointment. But no matter how much she drank, she was not feeling any better. She couldn’t accept it. Because, god, this place had reappeared! That only meant that he was here too! That he, too, was finally back! So why? Why wasn’t he here yet? How long must she wait?

Just as despair threatened to consume her, a shadow fell across her table. Heart leaping in hope, she looked up, but her momentary elation crashed as swiftly as it had risen because the man who stood before her wasn't Gage.

The tall, handsome, and imposing figure before her was Calix DeLuca, the CEO of one of the world's most powerful corporations, and also the man with whom she had been going to dinner every two weeks for several months now.

Despite the dim lighting of the bar, his distinct features were unmistakable: raven-black hair, strikingly pale green eyes, and a build that could rival Gage's.

The sight of him somehow distracted Eva.

“Calix?” Eva’s voice, laced with disbelief and surprise, sliced through the muffled tones of background music and indistinct chatter. “What brings you to a place like this?”

Calix's response was a silent, penetrating gaze, focusing intently on the drink in her hand.

She and Calix were somewhat similar when it came to working. In fact, Eva believed that this man’s workaholism was way worse than hers. So she had always imagined Calix atop his corporate tower, a monarch overseeing his realm with a stern, unyielding gaze. She never imagined she would find this man in a bar of all places!

“Wait, are you with someone?” She peeked past him, half-expecting to spot a familiar face or perhaps a potential date for the stoic CEO. But there was no one behind him. “Hmm… could it be that you've yet to meet with her? You are, right?”

Ignoring her question, Calix took the seat next to her and signaled for a drink.

Lifting a brow at him, Eva sighed. “Don’t worry about me, Mister CEO. You know I won’t take offense if you're with another girl, even in my presence. We’re not in any relationship after all –”

“Going out with one is enough for me. I’m not in the market for more.” 

A quiet laughter escaped Eva at his somber demeanor. "Geez..." she shook her head and sighed. “You and your seriousness…”

And then the two of them drank in silence. It was always like this between them. Even when they went out, they just sat in the restaurant to eat. Apart from normal greetings, they spent almost all of their time together just quietly sitting and doing their own business.

This was the reason why, out of all the men George had introduced her to, it was only this man that Eva went out with more than once. Though he didn’t say it himself, Eva heard from Calix’s secretary that the CEO too was apparently being pestered to meet with a woman. So in the end, their meetups were convenient for both of them.