Gael's Naughty Angel: A Mafia Prince Romance

As the hour passed by, Angela had loosened up a little. She guarded herself when she first came inside the private dining room, seeing this man for the first time. Although she was still upset because of what her father did, she went through the whole dinner without giving Vincent any more of a hard time.

Leaving the room, he suggested going for a walk around the block, in which she didn't mind at all. At almost nine in the evening, Mayne City was still crowded. Cars filled the streets, and the sidewalk was bustling with people going about their way. It was a little hot during the day, but it was now windy.

"I heard you just came back from a trip," Vincent began.

Nodding, Angela glanced at him and answered, "Ah… Yeah, I just got home last night actually."

"Where did you go?"

"Hillberry Isle. Have you been there?"

He shook his head and made a small smile. "No, but I heard amazing things about the place. What was your favorite when you went there?"

Favorite, huh… Angela thought about it for a second. She had been on the island for five days and there were a lot of things that happened when she went there. Everything was just beautiful—the beach, the people. However, she never really thought about what thing she most liked in Hillberry. 'Maybe because it's not a thing, Anj,' she said in her thoughts.

Noticing him glancing her way, she cleared her throat and blurted the first thing that came to her mind, "Iced Cappuccino."

Vincent arched a brow, surprised at her answer. One would expect to hear them say that it's the beach, the sand, the food, or whatever. But a drink? Especially one that can be bought anywhere? It's unexpected.

But not for her. Oh, who was she kidding? Gael bought her that drink. Of course, she would love it. And it was the perfect drink while sitting outside a cafe, watching people at the beach, and playing this or that. God, what was she thinking? Why would her mind always go back to that person? It's been a whole day!

"I mean… The beach is amazing. And the food is great too. If you visit someday, you should try the barbecue at the food stalls. They're delicious," she added.

"I'll take your word for it."

Howls and cheers caught their attention, and Vincent nodded at the crowd nearby. "You wanna check that out?"

Angela was also curious, so they headed towards it and realized that there was a street performance. Rails boxed the area, allowing the entertainers to move around their space. The audience bopped to the music that the young woman played with her violin in the tune of Dance Monkey by Tones and I. Three exhibition dancers danced along with her music, making the whole performance delightful.

Making their way to the railing, Angela stood to Vincent's right as they watched. A smile ghosted her lips as she admired the way the dancers enthrall everyone with their moves. Just then, a strong hand pulled her to the side, and she was pressed against a hard chest.

"What—" She looked up and saw Vincent glaring at the men next to her. She didn't realize their presence, and if he hadn't gotten her out of the way, they would have hit her with their heavy cameras. "Watch it," he said under gritted teeth. The men apologized and moved further away from them. 

"Thanks," she said as she stepped back.

He instantly let go of her, and then he removed his suit jacket. "Here. You're cold," he said before placing it over her shoulders.

Angela offered him a timid smile. He was a gentleman, that was for sure—she could give him that. But wasn't that a given for dates?

They continued to watch the performance for a few more minutes before they walked back to the restaurant.

Vincent insisted on giving her a ride home, and because she thought that he wasn't bad at all, she agreed. Their date gave her an eye-opener—well, more like a reminder. That it was fun and nice. She went on dates like this before, but it had been so many months since the last one—before Gael—before the latter insisted that it was a date.

See? Whatever she was thinking of, everything led back to that man. What was wrong with her? She was on a date with Vincent, but she couldn't stop thinking about someone else.

The ride was quiet, apart from the occasional small talk. And before they knew it, they reached the Su Mansion.

"Thank you for coming to dinner," said Vincent as he helped her out of the car.

"No... thank you. I had a lovely time," replied Angela.

His blue eyes stared at her, and for a second, she thought her heart skipped a beat. Vincent was indeed attractive. He had these manly features that women would go crazy for. But was she one of them?

In the next second, he leaned towards her, and she knew that he was aiming for her lips.

Angela swiftly took off the suit jacket and handed it to him. "I don't kiss on first dates, Mr. Stone," she said with a playful smile. "I don't know you enough."

Liar. 'You kissed, Gael, though?' her inner self called her out. She did three years ago—she did even more than a kiss and that wasn't even a date—and also kissed him a few nights ago on their 'first date'.

Vincent let out a chuckle as he received his jacket from her. "Is that it? Or is it because you already have someone?"

When she snapped her head towards him, her eyes grew wide as though questioning him what he meant. And so he added, "You've been checking out your phone the whole night. So it's either that or I'm a really bad company that you couldn't wait for time to pass. And I'm confident it's not the latter."

Oh, shoot. Was she that obvious, or was he that observant? She couldn't tell. And she also agreed that he wasn't a bad company at all. In fact, Vincent was a stunning man.

"I…" Angela didn't know what to say.

"Don't worry about it." He smiled. "I'm already leaving tonight anyway."

"Where are you headed to?"

"Going back to California," he answered, digging his hands into his pockets. "I've already finished what I came here for. I love Mayne City, but I'm getting homesick after staying here for two months."

Folding her hands in front of her stomach, she tilted her head in curiosity. "If you were leaving, why did you go on a date with me? I mean… Let's say, and this is just hypothetical, what if the date went well and we decided we liked each other. And you were going to leave—where does that leave me?"

A smile flitted across his face, and his gorgeous teeth made him look even more handsome under the light of the lamp. "I can't believe I'm saying this on a first date, but I actually like you. You're smart and challenging—two things I happen to be very fond of. I'm usually certain when a woman likes me back, but I can't figure you out. So I'll just leave it for you to decide." He handed her his calling card. "If you call me, then I'll know what you've decided."

Angela looked at the card before reluctantly receiving it. "Why are you doing this? Is it because my father asked you to?"

"The dinner was a favor to your father. He told me about his 'little plan' and asked if I could meet you. I had spare time, so I agreed," he answered casually.

Her brows scrunched up. "So, what? Was this like a pop quiz before the exams?"

Vincent's shoulders shook as he laughed. "Your father doesn't understand why you aren't trying to settle down yet. He just thinks you haven't met a good man."

"And you think you're the 'good man'?"

"Ms. Su, there aren't only 'good' or 'bad' in this world." Reaching for her hand, he placed a soft kiss at the back of it and flashed her a crooked, charming smile. "It was lovely meeting you, Angela Su. Sweet dreams."

Angela watched as he got in his Mercedes, and he waved as he drove off. And that was the end of her date with Vincent Stone—a man she did not expect to admire.

She let off a long, tired sigh, unsure of what made her exhausted. Was it the fact that she lacked sleep? Or was it something else?

Checking the time on her phone, Angela scoffed when she saw that it was thirty minutes past ten in the evening already—and there was not a single text or call from Gael. What a damn liar.