Abel was also worried, as high blood pressure could lead to a stroke.

“Dad, please don’t be angry, I really don’t have anything going on in that department,” he said.

Lewis rolled his eyes in frustration and glared at his son. “Really?”

“When have I ever lied to you?” Abel replied.

“Then what about that boy…” Lewis trailed off.

“I do like Emmett, but I treat him like a little brother. He’s really fun to be around,” Abel explained.

“Are you sure there’s nothing else going on?” Lewis asked suspiciously.

“Nope!” Abel replied.

“But you slept with him last night,” Lewis pressed.

“We didn’t do anything, and we were both fully clothed,” Abel explained.

Lewis finally breathed a sigh of relief and said, “Never mind about the car money, it’s just a small matter. But you have to promise me one thing.”

“What is it?” Abel asked.

Lewis pointed at Evelyn, “Starting today, you have to officially date Ms. Evelyn. We don’t want the upper class of Struyria to think you’re a weirdo.”

Abel didn’t respond. He didn’t think of himself as a weirdo, even though he couldn’t explain why he liked that boy. He didn’t want to date Evelyn either.

“You don’t want to kill me, do you?” Lewis’ face was starting to turn red again.

Abel remained silent, not wanting to anger his father but also not willing to compromise on his own feelings.

“I’ll let you treat Ms. Evelyn as your girlfriend,” Lewis said. “I don’t want my future daughter-in-law and the stepmother of my precious grandchildren to be a man! Can you promise me that?”

“Of course, the mother of the four kids will be a woman,” Abel said. “You don’t have to worry about that. I’ve never planned on marrying a man. It just doesn’t feel right for me.”

“That’s settled then,” said Lewis, pointing to Evelyn. “You can go for Ms. Evelyn. She’s a heiress from the Altney family, and you two even had an engagement before. It couldn’t be more perfect.”

Evelyn blushed and lowered her head in shyness at his words.

Abel stayed silent, deep in thought. He never really considered this option.

Rosaline chimed in, “You should just agree to your dad’s request and date Ms. Evelyn. You don’t want to keep his blood pressure up all the time.”

“Ah, darn it,” groaned Lewis, clutching his head. “I’ve been so confused. Maybe we should just take me to the hospital.”

“Abel,” Rosaline’s eyes were red, “as your mother, I’m begging you.”

“I’ll give it a try,” Abel said calmly, “but I can’t guarantee there will be any progress between Ms. Evelyn and me.”

“As long as you two start dating, it’s good enough,” Lewis said. “I have enough patience to wait. Evelyn is gentle and beautiful. Any man would fall in love with her, unless you’re not a man!”

Abel thought to himself, I am a man, but I won’t fall in love with her.

Ding dong, his phone beeped.

Abel swiped the screen, and it happened to be a message from Emmett.

“I’ll go change my clothes,” he said, leaving the room in a hurry.

As he walked up the stairs, he checked the message from Emmett.

“Mr. Ryker, did your parents spank your bottom?” Emmett asked.

Abel couldn’t help but smile mischievously, feeling a sudden urge to play a prank on the little guy.

So he replied, “Yeah, they spanked me, and the soles of their slippers hurt so bad.”

Emmeline, on the other end, felt a pang in her heart upon reading the message.

She knew that Abel was usually serious and reserved, not one to joke around.

As he spoke, it became apparent that he had indeed been physically disciplined. Emmeline felt a pang of sympathy for him and quickly initiated a voice call.

The ringtone echoed, and Abel darted into his bedroom, shutting the door and answering the call.

“Emmett.” A hoarse, gentle voice emanated from his phone.

“Mr. Ryker, did you get spanked? Do you want me to go and give that old man a piece of my mind?” Emmeline asked on the other end.

Abel smiled faintly. For some reason, he felt happy hearing the little guy’s voice, despite the teasing.

“I was just kidding, nobody is spanking me. I am a grown-up,” he said.

“I see,” Emmeline said, touching her chest. “You made me worried there.”

“Emmett,” Abel said, “where are you? Don’t go driving around recklessly.”

“I’m at my own villa,” Emmeline replied. “I just can’t stop worrying about Mr. Ryker.”

Abel felt a warm sensation in his chest, sensing that this little guy was truly thoughtful and caring towards him.

“That’s good,” Abel said warmly. “I’ll contact you later. Be good, okay?”