Chapter 17
The dishes at The Starlight Table were served quickly-or rather, since the restaurant was only hosting them that evening, the meals Hansen had ordered for Shea were served one after another without delay.
Shea soon realized that every dish Hansen had chosen happened to be exactly what she liked.
After all, she was quite picky about food.
“How did you know what I like?” Shea asked, unable to hide her curiosity as she looked at Hansen.
“What? Are all the dishes I ordered your favorites? Looks like we really are on the same wavelength,” Hansen said with a teasing smile.
Hearing his playful words, Shea’s face immediately flushed red. She quickly reasoned that it must just be a coincidence.
Maybe Hansen simply shared the same taste in food as she did.
However, as Shea lowered her gaze, she didn’t notice Hansen watching her with a deep, meaningful look.
The private room fell silent for a moment.
Feeling a little awkward while eating, Shea cleared her throat and spoke first. “Come to think of it, we don’t really know much about each other.”
They were married and shared an intimate bond, yet they remained strangers in so many ways.
Shea knew almost nothing about Hansen, and he probably felt the same about her.
“My situation… you can probably guess,” Shea said softly while eating.
“I was switched at birth and raised by the Carrington family. My adoptive parents felt that I’d stolen Aria’s life, so they’ve never really liked me.”
She smiled wryly at herself. “So now I’m almost like an orphan. I have no parents, only myself…”
“No, you’re not alone,” Hansen said. He gently reached out and stroked her hair, smiling warmly at her. “Now you have me.”
Meeting Hansen’s tender gaze, Shea felt a warm rush in her chest, and her heartbeat quickened uncontrollably.
She truly felt lucky to have met a man like Hansen at her wedding.
Clearing her throat, she said, “By the way, I still don’t know what you do for work.”
Hansen lifted his cup and took a small sip, thinking for a few seconds before answering. “I’m… sort of half a department staff.”
Shea wondered, “Why only half a department staff?”
After a moment’s thought, she figured it was probably pride. Being a man, he was likely too embarrassed to admit he wasn’t even an official member of the department.
“That’s good.” Shen said with a smile.
Shea paused for a moment, choosing her words carefully before continuing. “Since we’re married now, we’re in this together. I’ll take responsibility for our home too. The household expenses shouldn’t fall entirely on you.”
Hansen caught the meaning behind her words and couldn’t help but smile, finding Shea utterly
adorable.
E
“My salary isn’t as low as you think. Supporting a family won’t be a problem,” he said with a hint of helplessness.
Shea heard his words but sensed that his pride as a man was at play.
“Yes, that’s true. We’re just ordinary people, and we don’t spend extravagantly. We only use a little each month, and it’s more than enough to cover everything,” Shea said with a smile, careful not to hurt Hansen’s pride.
“Even if we have kids in the future, it shouldn’t be a problem..”
As soon as the words left her mouth, Shea realized what she had said. Her face flushed, and her voice faltered.
When she looked up, she met Hansen’s eyes again. There was a hint of warmth in his gaze-warm enough to make her face burn even more.
“Oh my god! What am I even saying? We just got married, and I’m already talking about having kids? Would he think I’m desperate or something?” she thought, panicking silently.
She feared that trying to explain herself would make things even more awkward.
Shea felt a little awkward and cleared her throat, quickly changing the topic. “By the way, I remember you mentioned you have a daughter. How old is she?”
“She just turned five,” Hansen said, his expression softening as he spoke about his daughter.
“She’s very well-behaved and mature for her age. If you meet her, I’m sure you’ll like her. But… she was born with a congenital illness, so her health isn’t very good.”
At this point, the smile on Hansen’s face faded slightly. “Every time she goes to the hospital for check-ups, even though it clearly hurts, she always endures it.”
He let out a quiet sigh, his eyes full of unspoken worry and tenderness.
Hearing him, Shea’s expression froze, and she couldn’t help but picture a five-year-old girl lying pale on a hospital bed in her mind.
She felt a pang of heartache.
She hadn’t expected Hansen’s daughter to be in such a condition.
that he was in such a hurry to get married.
Thinking this, Shea reached out and took Hansen’s hand.
Hansen looked at her in slight surprise.
“Since we’re married, your daughter is my daughter too,” Shea said sincerely. “Don’t worry, I’ll treat her like she’s my own.”
Seeing Shea so earnest, Hansen couldn’t help but smile.
He leaned in slightly toward Shea and said softly, “I’m sure you’ll be a wonderful mother.”
He gently tucked a stray lock of hair behind her ear as he spoke.
Even though his words and actions were completely natural, Shea couldn’t help but blush. Her heart raced. Whenever he got close, it felt like her pulse spun out of control.
After finishing their meal, Shea and Hansen rested for a moment before getting ready to leave.
The Starlight Table lived up to its reputation as a high-end dining spot-the prices were undeniably steep, but the food was absolutely exquisite.
Shea, who usually controlled her portions carefully, couldn’t help but eat until she was full.
Not long after they stepped out of the private room, Hansen’s phone rang. He excused himself and went to the nearby lounge to take the call.
“I can’t believe I got this lucky…”
Shea watched Hansen’s back as he walked away, her thoughts beginning to wander.
It felt like she had just pulled a once-in-a-lifetime rare card from a collectible pack, or opened a mystery box and found the hidden edition.
Although Hansen’s income wasn’t high, with his looks, build, and character, he was absolutely a top-tier man.
A man like this was truly rare and difficult to come across.
“Thinking about it, I really hit the jackpot…”
Lost in her thoughts, Shea couldn’t help but smile.
A sudden, mocking chuckle sounded behind her, snapping her back to reality.
She frowned.
She turned around and saw Lance standing there with a dark expression, looking at her coldly.
Shea rolled her eyes.
“What’s so funny?” she snapped.
She couldn’t believe she had run into this jerk-her mood had been so good just moments ago.
“Shea, I saw everything. Are you going to deny it?” Lance demanded angrily, glaring at her.
Shea blinked in confusion.
She thought, “Are you kidding me? What am I even denying?”
“How can you be so… flirtatious?” Lance said, pointing toward the direction Hansen had left.
“We’ve only been apart for a short time, and you’re already swooning over another man!”
Shea just rolled her eyes, thinking he must be out of his mind. “Do you have a bad memory?”
She sneered. “Wasn’t I clear enough yesterday?”
“Stop it!” Lance said, growing agitated as he grabbed Shea’s hand.
“I know you’re angry, but can you calm down? How long are you going to make a scene?”
Lance gripped Shea’s hand so tightly that pain shot through her wrist. She yanked her hand free with all her strength, her expression flashing with anger.
Rubbing her slightly reddened wrist, she snapped, “Are you out of your mind? I already told you I’m married. We have nothing to do with each other! Who’s causing a scene here?”
Seeing Shea rub her wrist, Lance felt a pang of regret. He had really overreacted and held her hand too tightly.
But what Shea said…
“You still say you’re not making a scene?” Lance said, his expression tense.
“I know I upset you yesterday, but it wasn’t on purpose! I was just held up by some things and couldn’t make it to the venue on time, but I never said I wouldn’t marry you!” he added.
As he spoke, he stepped forward slightly. “We can still have our wedding. There’s no need to blow things out of proportion. This is embarrassing for both our families.”
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