At Augustine’s place...
Augustine pulled into the parking area and turned to Anne with a smile, his heart pounding with anticipation. "Now, it’s ti for my reward," he said, a teasing glint in his eyes.
Anne’s stomach fluttered at his aningful gaze. She instinctively clutched her skirt on her thighs, suddenly realizing the weight of her earlier promise.
In her excitent, she had agreed to give him anything he wanted without much thought. But now, nervousness crept in—she had no idea what he was about to ask.
"I..."
Ring-Ring-Ring...
The sudden ringing of Augustine’s phone interrupted the mont. He glanced at the screen and saw Gustave’s na. Without hesitation, he answered.
"What’s the update?" he asked, his expression turning serious.
"Paul has been transferred to another hospital, and his treatnt has already begun," Gustave inford him.
"That’s good." Augustine’s gaze flickered back to Anne, his expression softening. "We’ll talk later," he said before ending the call and slipping his phone into his coat pocket.
"Your father has been successfully transferred to another hospital. The best dical team will be taking care of him. He will wake up soon. Don’t worry about the expenses—I’ll handle it."
Anne’s eyes shimred with unshed tears. "Thank you. But how did you manage to arrange everything so quickly?"
"I’m more capable than you think," he replied cryptically.
Anne realized Augustine was no ordinary man. His appointnt as CEO of Starlite Corp. wasn’t a re stroke of luck—he clearly had strong ties to the Sphere Group. After spending years abroad, he had returned with an air of mystery, making her all the more curious about him.
"Are you done staring at ?" he teased.
Anne quickly averted her gaze, her cheeks flushing with embarrassnt.
Leaning in close, Augustine murmured huskily, "I want my reward now."
His deep voice and the warmth of his breath against her skin sent shivers down her spine. Heat rose to her face as she stamred, "I-I’ll cook dinner for you."
Without waiting for his response, she hurriedly pushed the car door open and dashed inside the house as if escaping him.
Augustine chuckled, running a hand through his hair. "You can’t run from tonight," he murmured with excitent and determination. Stepping out of the car, he followed her inside.
Augustine found Anne standing in the kitchen, her hand pressed against her chest, lost in thought. He tilted his head slightly, curious about what was running through her mind.
Anne, on the other hand, struggled to steady her racing heart. She hadn’t expected Augustine to claim his reward so soon. The knowing glint in his eyes earlier had hinted at sothing entirely different.
Was he expecting to spend the night with her?
The re thought sent a flutter through her stomach. mories of their kiss earlier that morning resurfaced, leaving a tingling sensation on her lips. She instinctively touched them, her nerves buzzing.
How long could she avoid this? Sooner or later, he would ask for more. Could she refuse him?
Though she had started trusting him, she still hesitated to take their relationship to the next level.
"Ahem..." Augustine cleared his throat, pulling her back to reality. "Need help?"
Anne jumped slightly, spinning around to find him standing close—too close—his hands tucked casually in his pockets, amusent flickering in his eyes.
"I can handle it," she said quickly, pulling out a packet of pasta from the pantry.
Augustine smirked. "At least let help. I did earn this al, didn’t I?"
Anne sighed, deciding not to argue. "Fine," she relented. "You can chop the vegetables."
Rolling up his sleeves with exaggerated enthusiasm, he grinned. "At your service."
Anne set a cutting board before him and handed him a knife along with bell peppers, tomatoes, garlic, and onions. With surprising skill, he began chopping the ingredients.
anwhile, she set a pot of water to boil, adding a pinch of salt before dropping it in the pasta. As the water bubbled, she sautéed the garlic in olive oil, the rich aroma filling the kitchen.
"You’re actually good at this," she noted, glancing at his neatly diced vegetables.
"Told you," he replied smugly, handing her the chopped peppers and tomatoes.
Anne tossed them into the pan, stirring gently. As the vegetables sizzled, she reached up to grab a jar of marinara sauce from the top shelf. But it was just out of reach.
Before she could try again, Augustine moved in behind her, stretching his arm up. She froze, suddenly hyperaware of his presence, her head turning slightly to et his gaze.
His lips curved into a small smile as he took the jar, his fingers brushing hers. "Here," he said, unscrewing the lid effortlessly and handing it to her.
Anne swallowed hard and stepped back. "Um...why don’t you go freshen up? Dinner will be ready soon."
But Augustine wasn’t ready to leave just yet. "Let help with dessert first."
Ignoring her attempt to dismiss him, he opened the fridge and retrieved a box of fresh strawberries. Then, from the pantry, he took a bar of rich dark chocolate.
"You know how to make dessert?" she asked, surprised.
Augustine smirked. "I know many things."
Intrigued, Anne stole a few glances at him as she stirred the vegetables.
He unwrapped the chocolate and broke it into small pieces, tossing them into a heatproof bowl. Placing it over a pot of simring water, he stirred with slow, deliberate movents, the chocolate lting into a glossy, velvety texture.
"Here, try this," he said, dipping a strawberry into the warm chocolate and holding it up to her lips.
Anne hesitated, her gaze flickering from the fruit to Augustine’s expectant expression. Slowly, she leaned in and took a bite. The burst of sweet strawberry mixed with the smooth, rich chocolate lted on her tongue, making her lips curve into a pleased smile.
"This is... really good," she murmured, unaware of the tiny smudge of chocolate left on the corner of her mouth.
Augustine’s eyes darkened as he watched her. He had the overwhelming urge to lean in and kiss it away. Instead, he pointed at her face. "You have so chocolate right there."
"Where?" Anne raised a hand, wiping her lips with her thumb, only to smudge the chocolate onto her fingertip. "Oops..." She turned to wash her hands, but Augustine caught her wrist, pulling her closer.
Her heart pounded as she looked up at him. She stood frozen, waiting, anticipation thick in the air.
Without breaking eye contact, Augustine brought her finger to his lips and slowly licked off the chocolate.
Anne shivered, trying to pull away, but he held her firmly in place. His breathing slowed, his gaze dropping to her lips. The desire in his eyes was unmistakable.
Before either of them could think twice, Augustine dipped his head, his lips seeking hers.
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