Justin Battleson had already convinced himself that Charlotte Thompson was Sophie Allen, feeling it was something one couldn’t fake.
If she wouldn’t admit it, he’d bide his time.
Justin didn’t know why she’d changed her identity, why she’d vanished without a trace.
He wasn’t insistent on exposing her; he just wanted to take things slow.
For some reason, Charlotte felt that Justin had some sort of interest in Sophie.
Otherwise, why would he be so determined to find her?
Then, she would use this subtle interest to get close to him.
She had to figure out whether it was Evelyn Curtis who intentionally let her play into Justin’s hands, or if he had taken a fancy to her and suggested it to Evelyn.
In any case, she had to understand the specifics of what happened back then, she couldn’t be deceived for no reason.
The hardships she’d endured, surely they weren’t for naught?
Looking at Charlotte lost in thought, Justin spoke, "If you insist you don’t know her, let’s forget it and eat."
As his words fell, he calmly averted his gaze, not wishing to pressure her.
The atmosphere between them was eerily strange, causing the attending waitstaff to glance their way.
The private room was quiet. Once their conversation ended, not a word was spoken, with only the sounds of clashing ceramic dishware to fill the silence.
Still immersed in her thoughts, Charlotte mechanically filled her mouth with food, unable to taste anything.
The dishes she used to think were unappetizing no longer bothered her, and the dishes that Sophie liked, which Justin had ordered, didn’t seem appetizing either.
Unknowingly, sauce smeared on the corner of Charlotte’s mouth, yet she continued stirring her rice bowl.
Stuffing grains of rice into her mouth, her bowl was emptied without her notice, yet she continued stirring.
Watching this, Justin involuntarily furrowed his brows.
He then put down his chopsticks, pulled out a napkin, and extended it towards her mouth.
The moment Charlotte felt his warm fingers against her, she was jolted back to reality, instinctively recoiling.
Her eyes widened, looking at Justin warily.
As though she was looking at a wolf.
"You’ve got a bit of sauce on your mouth." Justin’s tone was matter-of-fact, as though he was doing something quite ordinary.
He couldn’t help but treat her well, as it gave him a faint sense of regaining what he had lost.
Realizing she was overreacting, Charlotte gave an awkward smile and took the tissue from him.
"Thank you, I can manage." With that, she wiped the sauce off her mouth.
The atmosphere that had just eased became tense once more.
Charlotte felt her heartbeat quicken, as if it was going to burst out of her chest.
She couldn’t bear this stifling atmosphere for even a moment longer. Follow current novᴇls on novel·fire.net
Indeed, what she couldn’t overcome five years ago, she still couldn’t now.
"I’m going to the restroom." Leaving these words behind, Charlotte hastily left the room.
By a stroke of bad luck, she emerged just as a waiter was delivering food and she nearly collided with him. Justin saw and stood up out of concern.
The waiter continuously apologized for his clumsiness, but Charlotte, understanding it wasn’t his fault, didn’t mind.
She fled to the restroom, leaning against the wall to calm her racing heart.
Out of breath, she noticed her pale face had grown flushed at some point.
Realizing this only made her more agitated, she hurriedly cupped some water from the sink and splashed it onto her face.
The cold water provided some relief, she leaned tiredly against the counter, looking at her disheveled reflection in the mirror.
Strands of her hair, wet from the water, clung to her face, and the heat in her cheeks had cooled.
Her emotions were still in turmoil, she got the impression that Justin was intentionally flirting with her, otherwise, why would he do what he did.
But in reality, she had no idea that Justin hadn’t intended to flirt.
His previous action was simply an impulsive act.