Chapter 15
The breakfast Archer had brought was exactly the right portion size for Aria–not too much, not too little, but just right.
As the small table and partition were cleared away, Aria glanced outside at the traffic. They must be nearing Harbour Hospital. When the car stopped in the special parking area at the hospital, Aria noticed the paper bag Archer handed her. The tan–colored bag with printed lettering looked very familiar. As she caught the rich scent of milk and chestnut, her eyes brightened.
“Is this… the Mont Blanc cake from that shop near my high school?”
Aria recognized the packaging immediately.
It had the same packaging during her high school years–slightly vintage yet understated. It was just Mont Blanc cake, but the shop owner had always appreciated these little touches of ceremony.
“It’s from that shop,” Archer casually mentioned. “I passed by this morning. Those who studied in that area all have strong memories of this place, so I brought one.”
The driver nearly lost his grip on the steering wheel.
What did he mean “passed by“? How could they have “passed by”?
As the driver, didn’t he know their route? They had deliberately gone out of their way to get there!
The driver’s internal protests were completely inaudible to Aria.
“But don’t they usually open later? I thought they only started serving around noon,” Aria asked.
She took the bag. The cake was still warm, clearly fresh from the oven not long ago.
“They opened early today.”
Archer’s explanation was concise.
Hearing this, the driver’s face turned red from holding back his reaction.
Was it simply that they opened early today? Wasn’t it that Mr. Duncan had called them early in the morning and paid a premium to have them make a special batch of Mont Blanc cake?
Fine, if Mr. Duncan wanted to say they opened early, that wasn’t wrong–they just opened early because he paid them to.
“Too bad I’ve already had breakfast, otherwise I could have had a piece.”
Aria looked genuinely regretful.
Archer made no comment on this.
He knew how disciplined Aria was. Her breakfast, lunch, and dinner were always nutritionally balanced. If she ate a few pieces of
1/2
cake, she might try to eliminate those calories by skipping a meal. But skipping breakfast wasn’t good for her health, which is why he had presented the cake after she had eaten a proper breakfast.
“James likes their cake too. Can I bring it to him?”
If Aria had bought it herself, she would have made the decision directly, but since Archer had brought it for her, she felt she should ask for his opinion.
“You don’t need to ask me about such small matters. If you like it, I can bring you more next time.”
Now Aria’s eyes curved with genuine happiness.
“Thank you, Mr. Duncan.”
She was so easy to please.
For her, sometimes a million–dollar custom gown or ten–million–dollar jewelry couldn’t compare to a sweet Mont Blanc cake.
After all these years, she hadn’t changed at all in this regard.
At Harbour Hospital.
Larry was genuinely anxious as he carried Lucy, rushing into the hospital. He had already called his assistant on the way to arrange pre–registration.
Suddenly, he glimpsed a slender figure, so familiar that the sight made his eyes ache.
He stared for a few seconds, confirming it was Aria.
Anger surged within him. No longer in a hurry to get Lucy’s fever treated, he carried her and stormed over, shouting, “Aria, stop right there.”
Hearing that familiar voice, Aria paused briefly. When she turned around, she faced Larry’s furious expression.
He seemed truly angry–brows furrowed, breathing rapid. At that moment, his eyes seemed to carry a hint of red, as if his rage
had reached an extreme.
