His Mistress is His Ex-Wife
Chapter 185: Awkward Atmosphere

Chapter 185: Awkward Atmosphere

When the food they ordered had arrived, a group of musicians approached them. Lanny and Alice were both shocked when the group started to sing a song as if they were serenading one of the two ladies.

At first, Alice thought that this was Enzo’s idea. ’Is he proposing again tonight?’

Meanwhile, Lanny glanced at Alice, furrowing her eyebrows. Just like Alice, Lanny believed that Enzo prepared this surprise for Alice. She shifted her gaze back to Dmitri who was smiling from ear to ear.

’I want to punch this guy! What is he smiling about? This is not even funny. This feels so awkward!’ Lanny cursed Dmitri inwardly. She regretted joining Alice and Enzo for tonight’s dinner.

’Am I here to witness Enzo proposing to Alice? Damn! Why am I feeling discomfort in my chest?’ Lanny reflexively pressed her palm against her chest as she darted her gaze back and forth between the musicians and Alice.

When Enzo returned to their table, he saw Lanny standing up while grabbing Dmitri’s hand. They were surrounded by musicians and several pairs of eyes were on them.

"C’mon, Dmitri, we need to go. We don’t want to disturb the couple. This is their moment." Lanny uttered with slight annoyance.

But Dmitri just looked at her with an innocent smile. "Why should we leave? Don’t you want to enjoy the music?"

Lanny narrowed her eyes on Dmitri for not reading the atmosphere. "Are you dumb?" She whispered to him. "We are intruding on their privacy. Enzo is here to propose to Alice. Our presence here is not needed!"

Dmitri gazed at her with amusement. Enzo joined them, a little bit clueless.

Lanny was about to drag Dmitri with her when one member of the musicians approached her, giving her a bouquet of red roses.

Lanny and Alice were dumbfounded for a moment. They thought the guy made a mistake by giving the flower to the wrong woman.

Lanny shook her head and handed the bouquet to Alice. "Oh. Sorry. There must have been a mix-up. This bouquet of roses is for you, not for me."

Alice, still speechless, took the bouquet reluctantly, not wanting to offend Enzo, who was standing right there.

Instead of being surprised and happy, Alice’s expression grew tense and nervous. ’Damn. I’m not ready for this. But I can’t reject his proposal in front of them.’ There was no trace of joy in her eyes.

Feeling the mounting pressure, Alice suddenly snapped out of her daze and turned to Enzo. "Enzo, what is the meaning of this? I thought we were just going to have a simple dinner." Frustration was evident in her tone.

Enzo looked taken aback by her reaction, his confident demeanor faltering. "Alice, I... I–"

Before Enzo could explain, Alice spoke again with an accusing tone. "We’ve discussed this before. I told you this is not yet the right time to settle down."

"I wasn’t expecting this, Enzo. We never talked about this. A simple dinner, you said. Not... this," she added.

Lanny and Dmitri exchanged meaningful glances with one another. On the other hand, Enzo’s face fell, and he glanced around awkwardly, realizing the atmosphere had turned uncomfortable.

Sensing the growing tension, Dmitri interjected between the couple’s conversation. "Maybe we should all sit down and talk," he suggested gently. "I think there is a misunderstanding here."

Lanny frowned when Dmitri butted in, sensing he was only making the situation worse.

"Can you stop meddling in others’ business?" Lanny reprimanded him sharply.

Dmitri, however, merely smiled apologetically and scratched his face. Then, without warning, he reached out and took the bouquet of roses from Alice’s hands.

Both Alice and Lanny were taken aback, their eyes widening in surprise.

’What the hell is he trying to do? That’s so rude! Taking away Alice’s bouquet right in front of Enzo.’ Lanny was about to scold Dmitri again when he suddenly turned and offered her the bouquet.

"Actually, this is for you," Dmitri declared, his eyes warm with sincerity. "I’m the one who hired the musicians to give you a surprise."

Alice’s mouth fell open in shock, unable to process the sudden twist. Lanny’s frown deepened, her confusion clear.

"What?" Lanny finally managed to say, her voice a mix of disbelief and curiosity.

Dmitri’s smile widened. "I wanted to do something special for you, Lanny. I thought the music and flowers would be a nice surprise, but it seems there was a mix-up."

Alice’s uneasiness began to melt away, replaced by a hesitant smile. "You did all this... for Lanny? Hehe. That’s so sweet."

"Yes," Dmitri replied softly, his eyes never leaving Lanny’s face. "I wanted to show her how much she means to me and that I am serious about her."

Enzo’s face turned ashen further, clenching his fists tightly.

Turning to Enzo and Alice, Dmitri added, "I’m sorry for any confusion I caused. I just wanted to make tonight special for my fiancée, but she mistook my surprise as Enzo’s surprise for Alice."

Lanny’s cheeks turned scarlet red from embarrassment. She was the one who jumped to a conclusion, thinking the bouquet of roses was for Alice, not hers.

"Let’s start to dig in!" Alice tried to change the topic. She felt relieved now since Enzo was not proposing to her tonight.

Enzo, on the other hand, was visibly affected. His earlier mood dampened further, his smile replaced by a brooding silence. He picked at his food without much interest, his appetite lost.

Instead, he reached for his glass and began to drown himself in alcohol, each sip was a futile attempt to numb the turmoil inside him. He couldn’t quite pinpoint the source of his frustration.

Was it Alice’s sharp words, which had caught him off guard and left him feeling unappreciated? Or was it a deeper, more unsettling feeling of jealousy toward Dmitri?

Seeing Dmitri’s bold and romantic gesture towards Lanny had stirred something in him, an emotion he wasn’t ready to confront.

As the dinner progressed, the atmosphere grew increasingly awkward. Alice tried to make conversation, but her attempts fell flat. She kept glancing at Enzo, noticing his distant demeanor and a pang of guilt tugged at her. She hadn’t meant to upset him, but the evening had taken such unexpected turns.

Finally, after what felt like an eternity, the dinner came to an end. As they prepared to leave, Lanny took a deep breath and turned to Enzo.

"Are you alright? You’ve drunk too much," Lanny secretly asked him, feeling worried.

Enzo just gave her a faint smile. "I’m fine. Just too tired."

Lanny nodded. But deep inside, she knew that Enzo had been hurt by Alice’s reaction earlier. It looked like Alice wasn’t ready to settle down with Enzo yet.

’I think he is sad because of Alice. Sigh. He loves her so much but she is still unwilling to tie the knot with him.’ Lanny pitied Enzo for that.

As they exited the restaurant, Enzo walked a little ahead, still lost in his thoughts, while Alice followed, unsure of how to bridge the gap that had formed.

Lanny and Dmitri trailed behind, their steps slower, as if reluctant to let the evening end on such a note.

"Why do I feel like I’m the one who ruined the couple’s mood? Are they arguing?" Dmitri innocently asked Lanny.

Lanny shot him a cold, sharp glare. "Yes. It’s your fault."

"Eh? But you were the one who assumed that the flowers were for Alice. The musician gave them to you, but you handed them over to Alice," Dmitri pointed out, highlighting Lanny’s mistake.

Lanny opened her mouth to refute, but no words came out. The realization hit her like a wave. ’Yes. It’s my fault,’ she thought, feeling a pang of guilt.

She sighed, trying to find a way to salvage the situation. "Don’t worry. Enzo is not the kind of person who will bear a grudge. The two of them will be fine tomorrow. I guess," Lanny said, though her voice lacked conviction. She cast a worried glance at the couple walking ahead of them.

Enzo and Alice were silent, the air between them thick with unspoken tension. Enzo’s shoulders were hunched, his hands shoved deep into his pockets, while Alice walked beside him, her face a mixture of frustration and regret.

Dmitri frowned, sensing Lanny’s concern. "I really didn’t mean to cause any trouble. But did you notice it as well?"

"Notice what?" Lanny asked Dmitri in confusion.

"This is purely based on my observation, don’t take this seriously, okay?" Dmitri lowered his voice, afraid that Enzo and Alice might overhear them.

"Alright. What is it? Tell me now." Lanny urged him to spill the beans.

"Alice was acting weird earlier," Dmitri whispered, his brow furrowing in thought. "If she truly loved Enzo, she wouldn’t have reacted like that. Don’t tell me this is just a one-sided love. Do you think Alice is truly in love with Enzo?"

Lanny’s mind whirled at Dmitri’s question, and she found herself puzzling over the real score between Enzo and Alice.

"Well," Lanny began slowly, choosing her words carefully, "Maybe her reaction was more about being caught off guard than anything else."

Dmitri tilted his head, considering her words. "But being caught off guard shouldn’t make someone act like they don’t care. It was almost as if she was upset by Enzo’s attention, not surprised by it."

’Maybe Alice is just like me? Afraid of commitment?’ Lanny sighed, feeling a mix of empathy and frustration.

"She could be afraid of getting hurt or losing her independence. Or maybe... maybe she just isn’t ready to commit."

Dmitri nodded slowly, his gaze drifting back to Enzo and Alice. "That makes sense, I guess."

Lanny’s heart ached for Enzo. He was a kind, genuine person who deserved to be loved wholeheartedly.