Jessicas eye twitched . Selenes excuse about buying soy sauce and bumping into an old classmate was obviously a lie ! Holding her phone , Jessica turned to look at the Charles seated there . From his demeanor , he didnt seem like he was planning to leave anytime soon . Tentatively , she asked , Mr. Hensley , would you like to stay for dinner tonight ? Sure . Charles , with his usual aloof expression , answered without hesitation . Jessica was taken aback . She had only been being polite ; how could he agree so quickly ? Then … make yourself comfortable . Ill get started on dinner . Since she had extended the invitation , she had no choice but to prepare dinner . Mommy , Ill help you , Arthur said , rushing to her side . Jessica patted his head . You entertain our guest . Ill have dinner ready soon . Just call me if you need anything . Arthur replied in a mature tone . Charles watched the interaction between mother and son , suddenly curious about how they had managed to get by all these years . How much had they struggled ? It didnt take Jessica long to prepare a simple dinner three dishes and a soup . Normally , she only cooked for herself , Arthur , and Selene , so the amount was modest . She hadnt expected Charles to show up . Jessica brought the food to the table and invited Charles to sit As she looked at the modest spread , she felt a bit embarrassed . Uh … Its not much . I hope you dont mind . Charles said nothing and took his seat . Arthur , however , seemed content . Mommy , tonight we have such a big plate of roasted pork . Its more than enough . Charles glanced at the little boy , noting his thin arms and legs . Had the times been so tough that he hadnt had enough to cat ? Then plate . Thank you I eat more , Charles said , placing a generous portion of roasted pork on Arthurs should eat you , but I can serve myself . You dont need to be so formal with me , Arthur responded , helping himself to a couple more pieces . Hensley , please , help yourself . Dont worry about him , Jessica said , handing him a bowl of rice . Charles nodded slightly and began to eat . After taking a bite of the dishes , Jessica asked cautiously , Does it taste alright ? Its edible . Charless response was terse Jessicas eye twitched again . What kind of answer was that ? Given that he was born with a silver spoon . likely having gourmet meals prepared by professiona chefs , it was already a compliment that he was willing to eat her cooking . She didnt expect him to sing praises . After dinner , a heavy rainstorm began , complete with thunder and lightning . It didnt seem like i would stop anytime soon . Jessica glanced at Charles , who was playing chess with Arthur . The rain was pouring , but she couldnt let him stay overnight . It wouldnt be polite to chase him out in the rain , though . As she was mulling over what to do , Charless phone rang . He answered briefly and hung up shortly after . He turned to her , Flint is waiting with the car downstairs . Ill be heading off Jessica let out an inward sigh of relief . She looked out the window , then said , Its mining pretty hard . Let me walk you out . She had an umbrella with her . Charless gaze deepened slightly . Charles , we havent finished this game , Arthur called out . Leave it as is . Well continue the next time I come , Charles replied . Tll definitely win next time ! The little boy , still sore about losing earlier , declared Charless mouth curved slightly . Ill be waiting Jessica overheard their conversation as she fetched the umbrella . She thought to herself , is he planning on coming back ? She went down with him in the elevator . The car was parked outside the complex . As they stepped outside , she opened the umbrella to shield them from the rain . Charles was so tall that she had to lift the umbrella high . His large hand reached over and took the umbrella from her . Ill do it . With the umbrella , they were quite close , and Jessicas heart started to race . She didnt dare look up at him . Walking together into the rain , the umbrella wasnt quite big enough . Reluctant to get too close , Jessicas shoulder started getting wet . Noticing this , Charles frowned slightly and extended his arm , pulling her closer to him . Jessica found herself suddenly against his chest . He spoke in a low , smooth voice , Stay close , dont get wet . Im not responsible if you get sick . With that , he walked confidently , holding her close . Jessica , in his embrace , felt stiff and only managed to move with his steps . Against his broad chest , she could hear his steady heartbeat and smell his clean , masculine scent . The warmth from his body enveloped her . His hand , firm yet gentle , rested on her waist through the thin fabric , causing her skin to heat up . The warmth spread to her cheeks , making her face feel hot . What is happening to me ? Jessica didnt realize how they got to the car . Flint held an umbrella by the car , opened the door . and waited for Charles . Jessica felt a bit annoyed . Of course Flint would have a spare umbrella . She didnt need to walk him down .