She blinked in surprise. He wanted a reward?

Her brows knitted in confusion. “What kind of reward are you asking for?”

“I want to kiss you.” Ernest leaned in slowly, stopping just before their lips touched. “Will you let me?”

Elissa’s face turned a vivid shade of red as she fidgeted with her hands, unsure of what to do.

“So, you’re not saying no? I’ll take that as a yes then.” He noticed she wasn’t pulling away.

Ernest slipped a hand behind her neck and gently pulled her closer, his other hand softly supporting her cheek as he pressed his lips to hers.

When their lips finally met, it felt as if the world around them fell away. Both of their hearts skipped a beat, as though an invisible spark had passed between them.

After spending a year growing closer, this was the first time it truly felt like their hearts had found each other.

Just then, Elissa’s stomach let out a loud rumble.

Ernest paused mid-kiss and pulled back, an amused smile lighting up his face. Elissa blinked at him, her cheeks still burning from the kiss. “Why are you laughing at me?”

“You sound hungry,” Ernest said, giving her a gentle nudge.

It took her a moment to realize what had happened, and then she grabbed her stomach, mortified. Was that really her stomach making that noise?

How humiliating!

Ernest reached for her hand. “Looks like we’ve got perfect timing. Let’s get something to eat.”

Elissa let out a low grumble. “Didn’t you already have dinner?” Fresh chapters posted on find~novel~net

“I hardly ate anything.” Ernest gave a small shake of his head, the corners of his mouth lifting. “I was too wrapped up in my own schemes to focus on food.” He offered a gentle assurance. “Let’s go. I always have a private room waiting here.”

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Of course, this was not the same one he had used earlier with Bonnie.

“I see.” Elissa gave a quiet nod and allowed him to guide her inside. Her stomach had been rumbling, and she wasted no time digging into her food, savoring every bite.

Once the plates were cleared and they stepped back into the hallway, Ernest cast her a pleased look, his voice light as he spoke. “This is great.”

A puzzled frown crossed Elissa’s face. “What do you mean?”

Ernest reached for her hand and answered, “You looked so tired after your doctor’s appointment this morning, but now you look a lot healthier. That makes me happy.”

At least then, all the hassle with Bonnie hadn’t felt pointless.

Without warning, a sharp scream echoed from farther down the hall. Both of them glanced at each other and froze.

Ahead, a private room door burst open, and Bonnie darted out, sobbing loudly while Louisa rushed after her. Louisa caught up in an instant, raining down blows as she yelled, “Trying to run off again? You think I’ll let you?”

Tears streaming down her cheeks, Bonnie pleaded, her voice trembling. “Please, Mom, don’t hit me anymore!”

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