Dressing to impress, I finally admitted to myself that I cared about what Ernest thought of me., After washing my hands and coming back to the dining area, Ernest immediately moved to help me, but I dodged his offer, feigning toughness.

"I'm fine.

", He didn't insist, just followed me to the table. Besides the dishes he mentioned earlier, there was also a refreshing salad, and a fruit platter added to the spread. Everything looked mouth-watering.

"Ernest, your sister must be really lucky,

" I said, aiming to acknowledge his efforts in the kitchen., He remained silent. Remembering his sister's heart condition, a bold idea crossed my mind.

"Where's your family from? I mean, where does your sister live?

", He gave me a wary look but didn't respond., Chewing on my spoon, I teased,

"You're being cautious around me too? Afraid I might go there and harm her?

",

"Sunnyside, just a small town below Galaxy Harbor,

" Ernest finally shared, detailing more than I expected., Nodding, I mentioned,

"I got a few days off from work because my boss felt sorry for me.

",

"Oh,

" he replied, his tone nonchalant., Ernest was remarkably stable emotionally, hardly ever showing signs of disturbance. He truly was not your average Joe., Thinking about my days off led me to wonder about my mysterious boss.

"Why do you think my boss is so nice to me? I've just started, haven't really achieved anything significant.

", This reminded me of Conrad trying to do business under disguise and getting outright rejected by my boss., Honestly, if it wasn't for my boss' intervention, I might have taken up that deal with Conrad's company. They were quite reputable, and collaborating with them seemed profitable. After all, it's foolish to turn down money without a good reason., But my boss chose to be that fool, pushing away a lucrative opportunity.,

"Hmm?

" Ernest grumbled his response as if talking cost him money., I leaned forward, accustomed to his terseness,

"Do you think my boss is showing me these little favors because he's got a crush on me?

", Ernest took a sip of his soup before responding,

"Could be.

",

"What?

" It was my turn to feign confusion., His gaze fixed on my face.

"You've got the appeal.

", I couldn't help but laugh... Was this his way of complimenting me?,

"So, you being nice to me, wanting to date me, is it also because of this 'appeal'?

" I asked casually., Ernest's jaw tightened.

"Partly, but not entirely.

",

"Oh? And what else? We barely knew each other,

" I reminded him of our initial meeting, which was more of a setup than a chance encounter. Ernest looked at me, and I was waiting for his answer. Yet, ultimately, his eyes fell to my bowl.

"You done with that?

" he asked., There was just some soup left. I wasn't one to waste food, especially when it was this delicious.,

"No,

" I replied, scooping up the remaining soup., As Ernest got up to clear his place, I remarked,

"Aren't you going to eat the rest? Might as well clean it up, including the kitchen. I don't like mess.

", He acknowledged with a hum and then headed to the kitchen. I finished my soup and brought my dishes over to him., Handing them over, I mentioned,

"You can take the leftovers too. I'm planning a trip.

", He paused his washing for a moment but didn't inquire further, simply responding,

"Okay.

" His concise agreement felt like a lump in my throat, unswallowed food clogging my chest. Feeling uncomfortable, I walked towards the door, instructing,

"Lock up when you leave.

" After that, I retreated to my bedroom, pulling out my phone to book a ticket for a journey far away., Search the website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.