C25 'are You Afraid of Me?'

As Lydia drew nearer to the man, she could distinctly hear the steady rhythm of his breathing.

The warmth of his breath made her heart flutter with a mix of fear and panic.

In a sudden flurry of anxiety, she pushed him away and clutched her chest protectively.

"Reece... No!"

In that instant, the haunting memories of her previous life came flooding back, leaving her trembling uncontrollably.

Reece's heart skipped a beat as he took in the sight of the woman's pallid face.

This wasn't the first time he had encountered her aversion to his touch.

What could he possibly have done to instill such dread in her?

Furrowing his brow, he asked, "Are you scared of me?"

Lydia averted her gaze, her silence speaking volumes as her body remained rigid with tension.

A flicker of curiosity sparked in Reece's eyes. "Why?"

"There's... there's no reason," Lydia managed to say, taking a deep breath to banish the tormenting memories from her thoughts. She opened her hands in a gesture of candor and added with feigned assurance, "You once said you wouldn't lay a hand on a woman like me, remember? But today, your fervor was too much, and it frightened me."

The excuse was flimsy at best, but it served its purpose.

She couldn't possibly confess to Reece that the humiliation from her past life had cast a long shadow over her heart, making her too wary to come near him again.

Reece, of course, sensed the insincerity in Lydia's words, but he chose not to call her out on it.

He lightly scratched his eyebrow, his eyes crinkling with amusement as he regarded her. "Lydia, what's running through your mind? Surely you don't think I was about to do something untoward here?"

"Cough..." Wasn't it obvious?

The man's frown deepened at her defiant look. "I'm not so desperate as to be indiscriminate."

"Then what was that about just now?" Lydia asked, her eyes wide with bewilderment.

His gaze shifted to the table laden with food. "There's too much here to eat alone; it would be a waste. I thought you could help me with it."

"Just... just that?" Lydia was visibly taken aback, her skepticism clear. Could it really be that simple?

"Absolutely. But if you feel that's not enough, I'm open to adding a few more conditions. Like..."

"No, no, that's quite enough," she hastily cut him off, pulling up a stool and settling down. She grabbed a bowl of rice and hurriedly shoveled a few mouthfuls.

Engrossed in her meal, Lydia failed to notice the fleeting, attractive upturn of the man's lips across from her.

As she dined, Lydia covertly tallied the assortment of rice boxes on the table: six dishes, one soup, plus a dessert to follow—a grand total of eight courses. Indeed, it seemed somewhat extravagant for one person.

Driven by hunger, Lydia cast aside any concern for appearances and dug in heartily.

Once sated, she contentedly reclined in her chair.

It was only then that she afforded a glance at the man seated opposite her. With his well-defined hands, he delicately picked up a slice of lotus root, chewing thoughtfully before swallowing. Next, he gracefully switched to a spoon, ladling a modest amount of soup and sipping silently.

Without a point of reference, there's no sting of contrast. In that moment, she suddenly felt less feminine by comparison.

Quickly, she reached for a napkin, dabbing at her lips, now shiny with grease, and tidied up the splatters that had escaped onto her face while serving herself.

Just then, the man set down his utensils.

Lydia's gaze snapped to Reece, her face blossoming with a charming smile. "Finished eating?"

"Mhm."

"Can we proceed with our actual agenda now?" Lydia asked, eager to broach the main topic after such a long wait.

Reece pulled out his phone and dialed Loran's number. "Bring that person to my office."