Chapter 341

She spoke up without looking, “If you have something to report, just say it.”

Lucas said nothing.

After a few more seconds of silence, Aurora finally looked up, puzzled. To her surprise, it was Lucas standing there.

“You? What are you doing here?” she asked, visibly caught off guard.

Lucas noticed the weariness on her face, and a twinge of concern stirred in his chest. “I came to check on you. You’ve been so busy lately you’ve barely had time to eat, so I brought you something.”

As he spoke, he smiled softly and lifted the bag he’d been holding. “Here. I made this for you.”

Aurora’s gaze landed on the insulated container in his hand, and a quiet warmth spread through her chest. She hadn’t expected this kind of attentiveness from him. Somehow, this man managed to notice things others never did. She was genuinely touched.

As much as she hated to admit it, Lucas could be even more thoughtful than her own mother sometimes. After everything they’d been through, her view of him had started to shift.

Lucas walked over to the table, unbothered, and began laying out the food. One dish after another, until the table was practically full. Seeing the spread, something softened in her heart. She couldn’t help but speak. “You don’t have to do this next time.”

Lucas paused, fork in hand. “You don’t like it?” Aurora shook her head. “I’m just worried it’s too much trouble for you.”

At that, his expression shifted. “It’s not. I can handle it.” “Come on, eat while it’s hot,” he urged, his voice warm and inviting.

There wasn’t the slightest hint of what had just gone down in the underground garage. He looked completely at ease, as though he hadn’t just personally handled a man who dared to threaten her.

Aurora slid into the seat beside Lucas without thinking much of it. No sooner had she sat down than Lucas started piling food into her bowl – dish after dish, one scoop after another.

She hadn’t even managed two bites before the contents had already formed a small mountain. She gave him a helpless look. “You don’t have to fuss over me like this. I can take care of myself.” She tried to reason with him, but Lucas ignored her entirely, stubborn as ever. “I know you’ve been stressed lately. You haven’t been eating properly. Just eat more, alright?”

His lips pressed into a thin line as he studied her face – the way her jaw had sharpened slightly over the past few days. He felt it like a stone in his chest. They’d both been so busy recently they barely had time to see each other, let alone sit down for a proper meal together.

Watching him move around her with such quiet attentiveness, Aurora felt a rare flicker of guilt. “Lucas… thank you,” she murmured. She was grateful that he was always putting up with her and never once walking away.

The moment those words left her mouth, the spoon in Lucas’s hand slipped into the bowl with a soft clink. He turned to her, clearly caught off guard, his expression laced with mild exasperation. “I’ve told you that we’re closer than anyone. You don’t need to thank me. Saying that just makes it feel like there’s distance between us.”

Aurora pressed her lips together, momentarily overwhelmed by the sight of him – this calm, beautiful man quietly knocking the wind out of her. In the end, she nodded without another word. Truth be told, her heart was full. It was a burden, but the sweet kind.

How could she keep pushing him away when he treated her with such unrelenting care? Even her mother hadn’t noticed that she’d barely eaten over the last couple of days. Some days, she hadn’t eaten at all.