Chapter 181

Kyle froze, his fingers unconsciously twisting the hem of his sweatshirt. "I do have time..." He glanced down at his sweat-drenched T-shirt. "Mind if I change first? I reek of sweat."

"Go ahead," Evelyn nodded slightly. "Emily and I will wait here."

Kyle turned to leave with fresh clothes but paused mid-step. He glanced at the man beside Evelyn and gave an awkward half-bow. "You must be her husband? Nice to meet you. I'll be right back."

Emily smacked his back. "Wrong guess! This is Peter Harrison."

"Huh?" Kyle blinked in confusion. "But didn't you say your sister was married?"

"What does that have to do with anything?" Emily's eyes widened. "She's an independent woman now!"

Kyle hurriedly apologized. "Sorry, sis—I mean, ma'am. And... sorry, sir."

Peter offered a gentle smile. "No worries. Go change."

Kyle jogged toward the restroom, trailed by a chorus of teasing from his teammates.

"Yo Kyle, how much older is that sister of hers?"

"Shut up!" Kyle waved them off irritably.

"Don't be shy! We all heard—she's a single career woman~"

Kyle whirled around. "Keep dreaming! Emily told me her ex was some big-shot CEO. If she turned him down, what makes you think she'd look twice at you?"

"Different league," a teammate waggled his eyebrows. "Those old guys can't compete with young studs like us. Check out these abs—"

Kyle kicked him. "Get lost! One more word and I'll shut your mouth for good!"

"Hey, maybe she's into puppy-dog types! We could be brothers-in-law someday..."

This time Kyle didn't hold back, sweeping the guy's legs out from under him. Raucous laughter erupted around them.

Evelyn and Emily had barely waited five minutes when Kyle returned, freshly changed.

"Your friends aren't joining us?" Evelyn asked.

Kyle shook his head vehemently. "They're not coming." The last thing he needed was his idiot friends spouting more nonsense.

Evelyn studied the group behind him but didn't press further.

The four settled into a nearby dessert shop where Emily confidently ordered their signature treats.

Kyle perched awkwardly in the corner. "That's enough—we won't finish all that."

Peter and Evelyn each ordered an Americano.

As they waited, Evelyn cut to the chase. "Kyle, I hear you're applying to universities in the capital?"

He straightened immediately. "Yes. I've researched some second-tier schools there."

"Do your parents know about you and Emily?"

"...Not yet."

Evelyn's gaze sharpened.

Emily kicked him under the table. "He was just about to tell them!"

"Oh?" Evelyn stirred her coffee. "When exactly?"

Beads of sweat formed on Kyle's forehead. "Just... waiting for the right moment..."

"What constitutes the right moment?"

"When my parents are in a good mood..."

"They disapprove of you dating?"