Facade of Love

Chapter 348 Sweet Enough?

Charlie looked lost for a moment, his apology coming out awkward and kind of adorable, a far cry from his usual icy detachment.

I was not actually mad. I was just messing with him. His confusion was too much to bear, and I let out a giggle.

He stared at me, puzzled, for a few heartbeats. I fished out a lollipop from the stash I had brought and peeled off the wrapper. “Birthdays come just once a year. You should have given me a heads–up. I had no clue what to get you, so I brought you these. Try one, they’re super sweet.”

I held the lollipop to his lips, my eyes dancing with laughter.

He hesitated, then accepted the candy with his mouth.

He was a sight to behold, with his pale skin and sharp features that softened when he smiled. As he tasted the lollipop, I asked, “Is it sweet enough?”

He mumbled a ‘yes‘, his voice fuzzy with the candy still in his mouth.

I noticed his demeanor had thawed a bit, so I rubbed my hands together and blew on them. ” It’s freezing out here. You’re not planning to make me celebrate with you in the cold, are you?” He removed the lollipop, his voice raspy. “It’s warm inside.” He reached out to maneuver his wheelchair, but I got to it first, sliding behind him to give it a push. We made our way out of the cool shade of the pavilion. Inch had been hanging around outside, and as soon as he spotted us, he strolled over to take over the wheelchair from me. He shot me a thankful look, his eyes saying ‘thanks‘ even though his lips did not move.

a small smile and kept quiet. Inside, I could not help thinking about how Inch so sincerely

villa’s main hall felt like walking into a warm hug. The chill from outside melted away in seconds.

eyeing his half–eaten lollipop instead of the

paused for a beat before asking, “Inch, have you guys

glanced at Charlie, then shook his head.

11

and they had not eaten yet. I just smiled, however, and said, “Well then, I’ll whip up something

before saying, “I’ve snacked on something. It’s Mr. Yates who hasn’t eaten yet.”

told him, “Hang tight,

with a

both Asian and Western cooking zones. It looked more like a

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had a bite to eat, and I

was gone. Now it was just Charlie, sitting prim and properly, twirling the stick of his lollipop. I set the

was the type who would savor a lollipop down to the last bit, rolling the stick around in my mouth and chewing on it until it was all bent out of shape. He was just like that, except he never actually bit the