Chapter 295 The Taste of Home

    Chapter 295 The Taste of Home

    When Sloane opened the door, she lookedpletely drained, like the life had been sucked out of her. Herplexion was pale to the point of translucence, deep shadows hung under her eyes, and her steps were unsteady.

    The beige trench coat she often wore hung loosely off her frame-she looked like she’d lost weight.

    Lucas’s heart ached at the sight of her so worn down.

    “Sloane?” he called softly.

    She looked at him with dazed, unfocused eyes that took a few seconds to sharpen. “You… why are you…”

    Before she could finish the sentence, her knees buckled. Lucas reacted in an instant, catching her by the waist and lifting her into his arms.

    Resting against him, she caught the faint, cool scent he always carried, and for the first time in days, she felt at peace.

    Lucas looked down and saw that she had fallen asleep against him. Her longshes cast delicate shadows on her pale cheeks, and her lips werepletely devoid of color.

    His chest tightened. Gently, he adjusted his hold to make her morefortable.

    He carried her into the bedroom with practiced familiarity andid her on the bed with an almost reverent tenderness!

    “Water…” Sloane murmured faintly in her sleep.

    Lucas immediately went to the kitchen to pour a ss of warm water. When he returned, he found her trying to sit up, clumsily fumbling with the buttons on her coat.

    She was so exhausted that she couldn’t even undo a single one.

    “Let me.” He set down the ss and sat on the edge of the bed, deftly unfastening her buttons and slipping the coat off her shoulders.

    Sloane looked like she might copse at any second.

    ‘Drink some water before you sleep.” He gently propped her up by the back of her neck and brought the ss to her lips.

    She sipped slowly, eyes already drifting shut.

    Seeing this, Lucas cased her back down and helped her liefortably on the bed.

    The moment shey down, she fell into a deep sleep.

    Lucas sat there for a long time, silently watching her. In the end, he simply pulled the covers over her and took a seat in the armchair beside the bed, his eyes never leaving her face.

    Outside the window, thest of the evening light faded from the city. Lucas’s phone buzzed several times

    12:13 Wed, 10 Septu

    Chapter 295 The Taste of Home

    -urgent calls from work. He silenced them all.

    Sloane was awakened by the gentle aroma of food.

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    Morning light filtered softly through the sheer curtains as she slowly opened her eyes, momentarily unsure of what time it was.

    She quietly got out of bed, her bare feet sinking into the plush carpet.

    At the kitchen doorway, she stopped.

    Lucas stood with his back to her, sleeves of his white dress shirt rolled up to the elbows, revealing well- defined forearms. In one hand he held a pan, in the other a spat, expertly stirring the vegetables inside.

    A y pot on the stove gave off the warm, savory scent of seafood congee. On the counter beside him sat a fruit tter-though the knife work left something to be desired, with apple slices cut in wildly inconsistent sizes.

    Sunlight poured through the window, casting a golden glow on his usually cool and sharp features, softening them.

    Sloane leaned against the doorframe, watching him move about the kitchen. A bittersweet warmth welled up inside her.

    This warmth-the feeling of home-was something she had dreamed of countless times.

    Three years ago, when she helped Lucas purge the toxin from his body, she had realized the truth in her

    heart.

    She didn’t know when she’d fallen for him, or what exactly had drawn her in.

    But she loved him.

    Coming back this time, she thought maybe things between them could finally move forward.

    But Ginnie’s appearance felt like a thorn wedged between them.

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