Tamed by the Bad Boy Next Door

A Small World

Mr. Torres was just relieved that she was taking the disappointment well. After telling his daughter to study hard and not let herself get too distracted, he ended the call.

A time later, the two were heading out of the campus to go to a restaurant. Ainsley’s dad informed her that the person he wanted to introduce was already waiting there for them.

“So where did you guys meet?” Ainsley interrogated, her manner gossipy. This wasn’t the first time her dad was dating someone after splitting with her mom, but it was the first time Ainsley was getting introduced to one. It must be getting serious between them.

Mr. Torres could guess what his daughter was thinking and immediately clarified, “It’s not quite what you think. We met through a mutual acquaintance and clicked because we had a lot in common.” He gave Ainsley a mysterious and somewhat worried look before adding, “And I’m talking a lot.”

Not understanding what he meant, Ainsley just hummed doubtfully and decided she’d see for herself whether or not it “wasn’t what she thought.”

But when they got to the restaurant and entered, she found that she really didn’t know what to make of the situation.

The middle-aged but youthful-looking woman who waved them over wasn’t alone at her table. Seated across her was a man who had his back to the approaching father and daughter. It wasn’t until Ainsley and her dad were reaching them that this man turned, revealing himself to be someone Ainsley was vaguely familiar with.

As she frowned at the young man, trying to place him, Sebastian Martell likewise stared at her face before hissing in surprise, “You.”

When she heard his chilly voice, Ainsley’s memory was finally jogged.

This was the rude and bad-tempered guy who was friends with two of her crushes—the same one she had bumped into earlier today.

What was he doing here?

Unknown to her, Seb was asking himself the exact same thing.

Seeing the deep knot on her son’s forehead, his mother hastily called his attention.

“You already know Ainsley, Sebastian?” she said in a pleasant tone, which hid how nervous she felt. She knew her son, after all. That expression of his didn’t bode well for this meeting.

Her fears were confirmed when Seb replied, “No,” while Ainsley quickly denied at the same time, “Don’t know him.”

The two older adults met each others’ eyes and shared a strained smile.

“Then introductions are in order,” said Mr. Torres in a gentle but upbeat voice. At his cue, the mother and son pair also stood. He placed a hand on Ainsley’s shoulder, hoping that the slight pressure he exerted would successfully convey the message: she must behave. “This is my daughter, Ainsley. Ainsley, I’d like you to meet Sibyll.”

Taking her dad’s message to heart, Ainsley put her best foot forward. “It’s a pleasure to meet you, Sibyll,” she greeted with a charming smile. “You have a very pretty name—it really goes well with how gorgeous you are.”

Her flattery proved to be a huge hit because Sibyll melted. “Why, thank you, dear. You are as lovely as your name as well.” She placed a hand on Seb’s lower back and said, “This is my son, Sebastian.”

Ainsley smiled at him with exaggerated cheerfulness. “Hey, Sebastian~”

Seb’s face was carefully blank as he looked at her. “Hey,” he said briefly.

Sibyll made up for her son’s lack of enthusiasm by letting out a tinkling laugh. “My son is a man of few words.” She turned to him with a faintly pleading expression and said, “Sebastian, dear, this is George Torres. Won’t you say hi?”

Seb held back a sigh and met the older man’s eyes. “Hello, Sir.”

Mr. Torres smiled at him kindly as he extended a hand. “Just call me George.”

After the men shook hands, Sibyll breathed in relief. She looked at Ainsley and said, “Won’t you sit beside me, dear?”

The party of four got seated and placed their orders soon after. While waiting for their food to arrive, they continued to exchange pleasantries, with the adults mostly carrying the conversation.

The younger people were seated across from each other and were both determinedly focused on pretending the other didn’t exist.

What the hell was going on?

It’s fine if their parents were dating each other—Seb didn’t really care because he was sure this relationship wouldn’t last either. But why did he have to be here too?

No, before that—why must That Girl, out of all people, happen to be the daughter of the guy his mother was currently dating? Was the world really that small?

All of a sudden, Mr. Torres—or George—called his attention.

“I heard from your mother, Sebastian,” he said. “You’re thinking about moving out of the dorms?”

Seb glanced at Sibyll and nodded. “Yes. The freshmen this year are far too noisy. I can’t study well with them around.”

“Hmm?” Ainsley interjected absently. With her chin on her hand, she looked relaxed and not-all-that-interested as she finally looked at Seb. “You saying you weren’t like that as a freshman?”

The guy narrowed his eyes at her. “No,” he answered with forced calmness. “I wasn’t.”

“Uh-huh,” Ainsley said as she looked away dismissively. “Sure.”

That was the first time she had really focused on Sebastian’s face. She couldn’t deny that the guy didn’t just have pretty looks—he was downright handsome.

So why hadn’t Ainsley noticed him before?

It was probably because of the cold and brooding air he constantly carried around him. When looking for potential crushes, it wasn’t actually just their faces that Ainsley considered. She was looking out for those who exuded gentleness and charm too.

And this guy was entirely devoid of those qualities.

Unnoticed by either, their parents once again shared a look, their expressions complicated.

Before Seb could lose control and start a fight, his mother cut in. “Anyway,” she said, her attitude determinedly pleasant. “George happens to own an apartment complex near your university.” She turned to Ainsley with a smile. “I believe that’s also where you’re staying, dear?”

Not liking where this seemed to be going, Ainsley returned a shaky smile while clearing her throat. “Y… yes, that’s correct.” She looked towards George, who was diagonally across the table, with her eyes clearly questioning, “Daddy?”

The man pretended not to see it and turned to the younger man beside him.

“That apartment has a studio unit that’s still vacant,” he said. “If you want it, it’s yours.”

At the moment, Seb didn’t care about anything else and was simply attracted by the offer.

He looked at his mother and asked, “Is it okay, Mom?”

“Yes,” she answered, nodding happily. “That’s actually why we’ve set up this meeting. I just happened to mention it to George and he kindly made this offer.”

George met the woman’s twinkling eyes and laughed self-consciously. “It’s nothing,” he replied. “I had my reasons for keeping that unit vacant, but knowing how hard it would be for Sebastian to look for an apartment now, it only makes sense that I do you guys this favor. If you accept it, you’ll actually be doing me a favor too.”

Both mother and son assumed that George meant they’d help increase his profits. They promptly accepted his offer, leaving Ainsley pouting at the side.

That vacant unit her dad was talking about—it was the one right next to hers.