The Devil's Love

||. Chapter 22: The Past .||

Angelo tapped his pencil on the notebook he had been staring at. There had been cross, ticks and even scratches across the page. He ran his left palms in between his hair, lifting his legs to adjust them to a comfortable position. The house was rather silent since seven in the morning so he had some time to think about problems he wanted to dive into. Pressing his lips into a thin line, he flipped to another page before crossing out the name of another fancy restaurant he had picked out. Angelo felt defeated by the list as he picked up the cup of coffee and began to drink them.

"Morning Angelo," Jiang chirped from behind. "What are you looking at? Is it something I can help?" The Asian boy chuckled, settling his cup of coffee down before peaking at the notes Angelo had made. "Are you searching for a caterer for the café? I do know a few good ones if you need them."

"No, I do not need a catering service anytime now, but thanks for the offer. Now, I know who to look for when I am in desperation for one," winked Angelo playfully. "I want to bring Ansel on a date next weekend, but I am not capable of searching for a perfect environment. Everything doesn't seem to fit her liking."

Jiang chuckled. "What she wants is something very simple. She doesn't like fancy things. Restaurants are a huge no-no. You should try looking out for places like parks, gardens or somewhere near a fish pond. She loves those. She craves for something simple and everything is just hiding in plain sight." 

Angelo nodded at the answer. He had seen a few beautiful parks and gardens while searching through the internet. A small smile crept up his face as he flipped through his book, circling some of the listed names in a different colour. Knowing what he should do, he closed the book, proceeding his day by sipping the cup of coffee he held. Before he could let his thoughts drifted away, Jiang called out his name.

"I might not have the rights to say this," started Jiang, his gaze intensified on Angelo as he clasped his palms together, tightening them. "I understand you love Ansel and I have seen you proving it through your actions, but I need you to remember that if anything were to happen to her because of you, Angelo, I will not hesitate to hunt you down. She has been living with me for as long as I can remember and she is like a sister to me. I am not letting anyone hurt her, not even close to breaking her heart. If you have any intentions that way, I suggest you drop them down before things take a different turn on you. Do you understand me?"

Angelo felt shivers at the back of his neck. He never saw Jiang being so serious about anything except his job. The cheerful, humorous and friendly man seemed to have disappeared behind the curtains. Jiang was always the sunshine in the house. His laughter filled their home most of the time. Seeing how his expressions had turned in within a few minutes made him realized how much Jiang cared for Ansel, technically more than he will ever do. He did not want to mess with Jiang and deep down, Angelo personally bore no intention of harming his girlfriend. Gaining his somehow lost bravery, he licked his dried lips almost trembling in his seat and finally nodded with a strong determination of not breaking what he promised.

== xxx ==

"Finally," Ansel sighed, slumping herself down on the couch of the café with her eyes closed. "I can't believe there are so many customers today. This is even more tiring than working for Stephan before his restaurant was closed down. I'm going to need a large cup of Americano since it is mandatory for me to stay up for my homework."

Angelo chuckled by the counter, already pulling out a large chocolate cake topped with crushed nuts. He carefully sliced two of them before placing them on the plate he washed.

"Perhaps some chocolate might help ease your stress, do you want some dessert before we head back? We already put up a close sign, so we have the whole place for us now," stated Angelo as he began to grind some of the coffee grounds. "I'll add some extra fresh strawberries for you."