Dear Ex-wife Marry Me novel (Maja) novel Chapter 1699

Felix barely touched his dinner, his mind clearly elsewhere.

Oblivious Carol didn't make the connection that he wasn't keen on sharing the meal with her.

Once the meal was over, she had no reason to stay, but she lingered, unable to bear leaving. Felix didn't say a word to keep her there.

Eventually, Carol took the initiative, "Could you walk me down to hail a cab? I'm a bit scared."

Their neighborhood was quite secluded, and though there was a bus stop right outside, at this late hour, who knew if she'd run into the kind of thugs she'd encountered before.

Just as Felix was about to nod, a clap of thunder rumbled outside, followed by a streak of lightning, and the power went out.

Darkness enveloped the room, accompanied by the storm outside.

Old houses were prone to tripping the circuit breaker. Felix fetched his phone for light, "Just sit for a bit, we'll leave when the power's back."

Carol was only too glad to stay, "Got any candles?"

Felix rummaged through a drawer and lit a few candles before starting to clear the table.

Carol grabbed his hand, "Let me clean up, you cooked, so I'll take care of the dishes."

He paused, tempted to shake her off, but refrained.

Eagerly, Carol began clearing the dishes to the kitchen, which was barely big enough for one person and pitch dark, save for the light from the living room.

Felix placed a candle by the fridge.

For Carol, it was a novel experience – washing dishes on a stormy night with a man she fancied.

A smile crept across her face, but then she accidentally knocked over a plate.

Standing at the kitchen door, Felix watched her bend down to pick up the shards and frowned.

As she reached for the pieces, another bowl slipped from the counter and shattered.

Suppressing his irritation, he said firmly, "Step out, I'll do it."

Embarrassed, Carol turned to leave but stepped on a shard, cutting her foot.

"Ouch."

In the candlelight, Felix saw the droplets of blood on the floor.

His frown deepened as he pulled her away.

Carol, unsteady from the pain, instinctively clung to his waist.

His body tensed, he blinked several times to hold back any comment.

Back in the living room, she sat on the couch as Felix lit another candle and examined her foot.

Her toes curled, cheeks flaming.

Felix replied quickly, "You don't like me that much."

Carol felt a pang of guilt; she didn't truly like him that deeply—his face was her favorite thing so far.

But tonight, watching him cook, clean, surrounded by books on finance, she felt he wouldn't always work for others.

He saw through her lack of sincerity.

Carol's heart skipped a beat, her words more earnest, "Maybe if we spend more time together, I'll grow to like you more. You never return my calls; how can we communicate? Let me bring you groceries, we save money and try dating."

She leaned in, eyes on his profile, "Plus, I'm not bad-looking. Even if you dumped me later, I wouldn't cling."

Perhaps her persistence was because she hadn't bedded him yet. Once she had, he might lose his allure. Then, even if Felix was hot and cold, it wouldn't matter; she was always casual in relationships.

And importantly, she'd admired many men but never took the next step. Except with Felix—she wanted to make it official, to stop others from coveting him.

Before Felix could respond, the power came back, and the mood vanished.

She sighed inwardly as he said, "I'll walk you down."

A polite rejection.

Carol took the bus, feeling restless. The more elusive, the more she wanted.

Little did she know, once she left, Felix threw away the dishes she'd used.