Chapter 1588


    David didn''t even wait for Donovan to try to charm him into staying; he just left.


    ric, treating Donovan like he was invisible, turned to Hertha and said, "Hertha, shall we?"


    Hertha rolled her eyes at him. She initially wanted to decline. Why on earth would she want to dine with him?


    But it turned out he was using the guise of work to have lunch with her. Donovan had mentioned that entertaining ric was her main task for the day. So, quitting wasn''t an option. She had no choice but to join him for lunch.


    "Let''s grab some barbecue," ric suggested.


    "No way, I''m craving hot pot!" Hertha wasn''t about to let him have his way. She didn''t have the slightest interest in barbecue. Nothing could beat the aroma of hot pot.


    "Alright then, hot pot it is," ric immediately agreed, surprising her.


    Hertha shot him a puzzled look. "ric, since when did you be so spineless? I decide what we eat, and you just go along with it? Aren''t you going to put up a fight?"


    "Spine doesn''t fill the stomach. I''ve even given up my title as the Falconer family''s second son; what do I need spine for?" ric said with a yful smile, teasing her.N?velDrama.Org owns all content.


    The yful light in his eyes seemed casual, but it was filled with unspoken affection. His seemingly simple words were actually a deration. He had renounced his affluent lifestyle and the engagement to Georgia, all to pursue her.


    His words, and the way he looked at her, made Hertha''s heart skip a beat. She quickly looked away, her heart racing as she said, "Hot pot then, since thepany''s paying.''


    With that, she quickened her pace. ric caught up with her in a few strides.


    At the hot pot restaurant, Hertha ate


    voraciously, ric attentively


    prepared the food, making sure Hertha''s bowl was never empty. Noticing Hertha''s hair almost


    ??? ???


    dipping into the pot, he chuckled and said, "Slow down, I won''t steal your


    food..."


    As he reached out to tuck a stray lock of hair behind her ear, Hertha abruptly pulled away, looking at him with a mix of fear and defiance. "Why are you touching my hair? You trying to embarrass me by pulling off my wig?"


    Hertha''s hair was still short, barely grown back, making her wig her shield, a semnce of dignity. If her wig were to be pulled off, she''d feel as exposed as if she were stripped naked in the street, utterly defenseless.


    A previous incident during a horseback ride, where her wig had been blown away, leaving her bald in front of ric, haunted her for nights. This fear made her dreadfully wary of ric touching her hair, fearing embarrassment.


    ric paused, hurt by her instinctual reaction of distrust and defense. Did she really see him as such a joker? Her actions silently wounded him.


    ric clenched his fist slightly,


    withdrawing his hand, and with a forced smile, he said, "There''s plenty of food, no need to cook your hair. I just wanted to keep it out of the pot. It''s not like we''re going to eat it, right?"


    Continuing to prepare the hot pot, ric yed at cool. Hertha blinked, realizing her misunderstanding. She tucked her hair behind her ear and


    edup her chopsticks to resume eating, "A heads-up would''ve been enough. I can handle it. My hair is téo precious, and I can''t afford another mishap."


    ric nodded, acknowledging her words. Hertha then ced some food into ric''s bowl. "Your turn to eat. Don''t just watch me."