Chapter 314
Soon, the car pulled up to a refined, private dining restaurant not far away.
Nicholas had clearly made reservations in advance. The moment they arrived, a waiter guided them to their seats. It was a prime spot by the window with an excellent view.
Outside, the city lights sparkled. Inside, the lighting was soft, the atmosphere quiet and tinged with a hint of intimacy.
They had barely settled in before the dishes began to arrive. Serena looked at the spread on the table; once again, every single dish was one of her favorites.
Serena was truly starving. As soon as the food was served, she picked up her utensils and started to eat.
After one bite, Serena couldn’t help but look up at Nicholas. This man seemed to have an incredibly precise grasp of her tastes, right down to her preferred level of spiciness. Whether it was the lunch he had cooked himself or the meal at this restaurant, everything hit the mark on her palate perfectly.
“How is it?” Sensing her gaze, the man, who was naturally serving her food with the communal utensils, raised his eyebrows to look at her.
Serena’s mouth was stuffed with a large bite of meat. Hearing his question, she moved her jaw but couldn’t swallow just yet, so she simply nodded. Her cheeks were puffed out, and her clear, bright eyes sparkled under the soft light.
She looked completely different from her usual cool and collected self. It was a different kind of beauty, utterly adorable.
So adorable that he wanted to p>
Nicholas’s gaze grew heavy, his pupils dilating as he watched her with a raw, unspoken hunger. With some difficulty, he tore his gaze away, inch by inch, from her full, pink lips.
Serena didn’t notice anything unusual, her attention completely focused on the delicious feast before her. She was eating with gusto, determined to fill her stomach first.
Nicholas, however, ate very little. He simply sat beside her, expertly using the serving utensils to fill her plate. He chose the best cuts of honey-glazed pork, perfectly balanced between lean and fat. He meticulously deboned the fish, leaving only the tender white flesh. He ladled the creamy crab soup into a small bowl and let it cool to the perfect temperature. He shelled a whole bowl of shrimp, removing the heads and tails until they were perfectly clean.
When Serena swallowed a mouthful of food, she had only to shift her eyes, and Nicholas would promptly bring a glass of warm water to hers ips, letting her sip from it while he held it.
Throughout the entire meal, all Serena had to do was eat. Nicholas’s movements were so practiced and fluid, his
thoughtfulness so ingrained yet never overbearing He had a perfect sense of propriety. And besides… just looking at Nicholas’s face was an extremely pleasant experience.
Serena ate in comfort, and the tension that had been etched into her features all day finally melted away, replaced by a look of lazy contentment.
She didn’t notice the way the man’s gaze on her grew deeper and more intense p>
The night grew deep. As the car entered the suburban villa complex, its headlights swept across the quiet greenbelt.
Serena’s dark lashes trembled, and her gaze subtly flickered toward a corner
outside the car window. Her long, bright eyes narrowed slightly.
At almost the same instant, Nicholas, whose fingers were resting on his lap, tapped them twice lightly.
Their eyes met. A silent understanding passed between them.
It seemed they had some “guests p>
With perfect synchronicity, they showed no sign of alarm. As if they hadn’t noticed a thing, they got out of the car and walked into the villa.
As soon as they entered the hall, Fiona hurried over. The usually kind and gentle
expression on her face was tense, her eyes sharp and cold.
“Young Master, Miss Lancaster,” she began, her voice low.
Nathaniel, having parked the car, also walked in quickly, his expression grave. “Young Master p>