They ended at one of the biggest five-star restaurants in the city, and Violet got worried. She could never afford to dine here.

"Uhm… I think we should just go to a different restaurant. I didn't bring enough cash with me," she said, a little embarrassed.

"Oh, don't worry, I have a friend that works here, and he's giving us a complimentary mean," he lied.

"Are you sure?" she asked, a little apprehensive.

He nodded, "Yeah, let's go!" and she followed him into the restaurant. She was very gullible and easily believed in the goodness of people because that is how her mother brought her up. Always believing that people are inherently good.

It was just them when she was growing up, her mom and her, they didn't have a lot of money, so they opted for the money-saving deals and restaurants that charged according to their budget. She didn't have a lot of friends either, so she was not really exposed to the vileness and materialistic nature of women her age.

Gabriel was satisfied that she did not expect anything from him and that she did not look at him as somebody she could use to get ahead, but he thought she was a little too innocent and trusting. What if somebody else was in his shoes and decided to use her for his gain?

He was astonished that she made it this far in life without anything bad happening to her and nobody taking advantage of her.

That first time he saw her at the hospital, she looked so pitiful that anybody's heart would have melted. All men caved in when they were faced with a crying woman, and it seemed like he was no different. Inch by inch, she wormed her way into his heart.

In the past, he did not have a very good opinion of women, they asked too much from him and expected to be tended to all the time, which was why he just slept with them and discarded them after. He used them to release his sexual frustration. But when it came to Violet, it was enough that he could see her and be with her.

Violet ate to her heart's content, her mom's condition behind her. When her mother started getting sick, she started forgetting to eat and sleep on time. Worried about what would happen to both of them is she couldn't come up with the money. But today, she enjoyed her meal.

-=-

When Gabriel got back, Dimitri asked him to go on a business trip on behalf of him, with the events that happened recently, he couldn't leave home. He needed to establish his relationship with his family, and make sure they were protected before he could venture out and deal with their business. This time, his family came first.

After he was done with his task, Gabriel went to the club as per usual to unwind, but he found that he was not interested in hooking up with anyone tonight.

This club definitely had a lot of beautiful, sexy women, but none of them stirred his interest. One of the gorgeous, scantily clad women sat on his lap and tried to kiss him when Violet's face flashed before his eyes. He immediately pushed the woman in front of him away, feeling guilty about even entertaining the thought of bedding one of them that night.

He went back to his room and laid on the bed, thinking instead about Violet, her beautiful and innocent smile. The last few days with Violet floated through his mind, and he felt more relaxed and happier than he would have been if he had sex with that woman who tried to kiss him.

He felt an aching need to have her in his life, to let her know that she belonged to him, and only him. Nobody else was allowed to be near her and take advantage of her innocence. He wanted to be the one that cares for her and protects her.

This time away from her and the distance made him realize that he had feelings for her, the self-declared bachelor who vowed never to fall in love has inadvertently given his heart to Violet. And with this in mind, he decided that as soon as he gets back he would start pursuing her, and he won't stop until he could make her his.

He will not allow his past to ruin his present and his possible future. Maybe it was probably time he moved on and had a loving family like his brother. The thought of having a kid like Enzo made him smile.

-=-

The assignment took him out of the city for a week, and by that time he had a full-blown plan on how to capture Violet's heart, and it involved Enzo.

They were standing outside the cafe when Violet noticed them. He had promised Enzo that he was going to get him a chocolate cake, and the kid agreed. In a short period of time, he had grown very fond of his nephew because he had brought life and hope to his brother, plus the fact that he resembled Dimitri so much when he was a little boy. The only difference was that Enzo was more innocent and bubbly like his sister-in-law.

"Are you ready to get your cake," Gabriel says excitedly outside the cafe.

"Yay! Yummy cake! Yum Yum!" he jumped up and down.

"Gabriel, is this your son? He's very cute," Violet looked fondly at Enzo. He was so cute that she wanted to pick him up and smoosh him with kisses. But of course, she held back and kept her boundaries.

Gabriel was annoyed, why would she come to the conclusion that he was already married, and had a kid. She made him feel like he was too old.

"He's my nephew," he said a little too stiffly.

"What brings you guys here?" she asks.

"Well, this little guy here said he wanted to eat the chocolate cake they make in this cafe," Gabriel replied.

"Oh no, everything has already been closed up and the chocolate cake usually goes out first during the day," she remarked, "If you come tomorrow, I can save some for you."

Gabriel came late on purpose, he wanted to be there during closing time because he wanted them both to get invited to Violet's house, so she could cook for him again.