Raw honesty
She didn't want to acknowledge the goodness of the food at all, not when it was him who had made it.
But she couldn't deny that it was surprisingly delicious, warming her throat and comforting her tongue in a way she hadn't expected.
Despite everything, the food was undeniably good, unbelievably so.
"I'm glad you liked it. Here, have some pancakes," Alice happily cut a bite from a chocolate pancake with a knife and fork, then fed it to her.
He felt a surge of happiness knowing she appreciated his efforts. Bringing her to the penthouse might have been the best decision after all, giving them the space they needed .
He hoped Alisha would realise that he was the only one she needed in her life.
If not, he would ensure she understood, even if he had to do it forcefully.
He wouldn't let her slip away like before. Now that they were here, there was more freedom, more opportunity to do as he pleased.
Or rather, to do as he pleased with her.
Back at his house, he couldn't be as carefree due to his mother's presence and the risk of Alisha revealing everything. But here, in the penthouse, he had a chance he couldn't pass up.
"Done. I don't want to eat more," Alisha spoke, snapping Alice back from his thoughts.
"You've only had a few bites, Angel. At least have some fruits," Alice glanced at the tray, noticing it was barely half-eaten, with the fruits untouched.
He understood one thing from her behaviour – she ate very little, especially avoiding fruits and other healthy options.
But when it came to sweets, she indulged without hesitation, highlighting her indifference toward her own well-being.
"I'm all done, I don't want to eat more," Alisha scrunched her nose, feeling satisfied and unwilling to force herself to eat any further, especially when it came to fruits.
"Maybe if you have some, I can order a cake for you," Alice suggested, holding a slice of apple in front of Alisha's lips, hoping she might agree.
He didn't want to pressure her, especially when she looked so weak. It wouldn't do to appear as though he were bullying her, which he certainly wasn't. So, he opted for a compromise that would benefit both of them.
Hearing Alice's suggestion, Alisha's mouth watered at the thought of cake, her favourite treat. However, the apple slice in front of her didn't hold the same appeal.
"What if I eat one slice?" Alisha proposed.
"Then you'll get one slice of cake," Alice replied, offering a fair exchange.
"I want two slices of cake if I eat this apple slice," Alisha countered, bargaining for a sweeter deal.
Alice chuckled at Alisha's negotiation, impressed by her bargaining skills even in her weakened state.
"Two slices it is, but you have to finish the apple slice first," Alice agreed, knowing that the promise of cake would motivate Alisha to eat the fruit.
Alisha hesitated for a moment, eyeing the apple slice with reluctance. She knew she needed to eat something nutritious, but the thought of indulging in two slices of cake was too tempting to resist.
Finally, she nodded and reluctantly took a small bite of the apple slice, forcing herself to chew and swallow despite her distaste for it.
Alice watched with a satisfied smile as Alisha finished the apple slice, her determination evident despite her obvious dislike for the fruit.
"Good job, Alisha. Now, let's go order that cake," Alice said, reaching for his phone to place the order.
Alisha's eyes lit up at the prospect of cake. "I want truffle cake," she exclaimed eagerly, her voice laced with excitement.
"Whatever you demand, princess, but don't forget it's two slices. You're not getting the whole cake," Alice teased gently, a hint of amusement in his voice.
"Yes, I know. I'm only going to eat two slices. My stomach is already full," Alisha reassured him, rubbing her stomach to emphasise her point. She was determined to stick to their deal and resist the temptation to ask for more.
Alice couldn't help but smile at her antics. She looked genuinely happy, much better than before. It seemed that the prospect of cake had lifted her spirits.
As Alice placed the order for the cake, he began to eat from the tray of food that Alisha had left behind. He hadn't eaten anything while she was sleeping, so now he was feeling hungry too.
"So, what did you do during the whole week when you were away from me?" Alice inquired, taking a few bites of the pancake and relishing the taste, not necessarily because he enjoyed it, but because eating from the same spoon as Alisha somehow made it taste more amazing.
Throughout the week, Alice had kept a watchful eye on Alisha's orphanage through his assistant, hoping to glean some insight into her activities. However, he hadn't received any detailed reports since Alisha hadn't left or been seen outside the orphanage.
Frustrated by the lack of information and feeling uncomfortable with the idea of surveilling Alisha, Alice had instructed his assistant to cease monitoring her activities. He hadn't anticipated Alisha's unexpected appearance at the café, especially since he had no knowledge of her whereabouts.
Alisha glanced at him, pondering what response she should offer.
She wrestled with conflicting emotions, unsure whether to admit she had enjoyed her time away from him. On one hand, there were moments during his absence that had been pleasant, but on the other hand, there were also the haunting nightmares about him that had plagued her.
"It was... good," Alisha finally responded, opting for a vague answer to conceal her mixed feelings.
She didn't want to betray her happiness about the week spent apart from him, nor did she want to reveal the underlying sadness she felt now that he was back.
"If it was only good, then did you miss me?" Alice prodded, his curiosity evident in his voice.
"I didn't miss you, but I did have nightmares about you," Alisha confessed truthfully, unable to suppress the raw honesty of her response despite the inner turmoil it caused her.
She knew it wasn't something she should admit, but faced with his direct question, Alisha couldn't bring herself to lie. After all, he had asked first, and she couldn't deny the truth.
“Oh!”
