Chapter 27: In Love With Each Other
A shy smile spread across Jesse’s face, prompting Deborah to stifle a laugh behind her hand. “All right, all right… I’ll go fetch her now. You just wait a bit.”
Seeing that he was no longer needed, Caleb got up to leave but was stopped by Jesse. “Caleb, I know you still hold resentment toward me, but I will prove to you that I am a man worthy of Raquel’s trust.”
A sense of foreboding filled Caleb’s heart. “So?”
“Stick around and see for yourself. Raquel and I love each other. Once you see how we interact day-to-day, you’ll come to understand.”
Caleb was left speechless. He wasn’t wrong; Jesse’s antics were transparent, almost laughably so. This performance was clearly a calculated act, born of fear that Raquel might change her mind. Caleb couldn’t help but wonder who this display really was for.
“Sorry. I’m not interested,” Caleb said with icy composure, barely sparing a glance as he turned to leave.
As if on cue, Raquel entered the room. “Jesse, why is he here?” Raquel asked, her tone laced with surprise, as though Caleb’s presence was entirely unexpected.
“Raquel, I invited him. He’s been concerned about our relationship, and I wanted to put his worries to rest.”
“How do you plan to do that?”
“It’s simple,” Jesse replied, gesturing first to the fruit platter and then to himself.
Raquel’s cheeks flushed as she nudged him playfully. “Jesse, you’re so naughty.” She turned her head to look at Caleb, a fleeting glint of triumph flashing in her eyes.
Caleb had no desire to linger and witness the affectionate display between the couple. Without hesitation, he turned on his heel to leave. However, Raquel quickly moved to block the door, securing it before he could exit.
“What are you doing?” Caleb’s voice was cold. “I never knew you had a penchant for being watched.”
“Why are you demanding so much from me when you easily get together with Gianna?” Raquel took a seat next to Jesse’s bed, resting her head on his shoulder. “Jesse and I are in love. Your fleeting affair with Gianna…”
Chapter 27: In Love With Each Other
Jesse wore a slight smile on his face, but inwardly, he was seething with frustration. In their five years together, Raquel had never shown him such intimate affection. Each time he had brought up marriage, she would find an excuse to avoid the topic. Yet, she had taken the initiative to move closer to Jesse, and the reason was all too clear.
“Raquel, peel me some grapes and feed me.”
Jesse opened his mouth, and with a smile, Raquel picked up a peeled grape and popped it into his mouth. The two of them were lost in their own world, oblivious to everyone else around them. Their ostentatious display was truly laughable. Caleb, unexpectedly, found himself in no rush to leave. No matter how the world crumbled and storms raged, he remained steadfast, unshaken. This moment was too telling to let slip away.
Quietly, he raised his camera and snapped a photo while Jesse and Raquel were distracted. Raquel was focused on peeling grapes, while Jesse gazed at her with an affectionate smile. Neither of them noticed Caleb capturing their intimate moment just seconds before.
After about ten minutes, Raquel noticed Caleb’s lack of reaction, which caught her off guard. Glancing back, she was startled to see him absorbed in his phone, seemingly oblivious to her interaction with Jesse. A wave of unexplainable anger surged within her. Why was he so unaffected? She had been as close to Jesse as she could possibly get, yet he remained completely unmoved.
A smirk played on her lips as she let out a sarcastic remark. “Unlike those playboys, Jesse and I are engaged lovers. We’d never stoop to fleeting romances.”
Caleb, unbothered and detached, continued scrolling through his phone. Jesse observed Raquel’s behavior closely. Her actions revealed a lack of complete devotion to him, and a new scheme began to take shape in his mind.