Forgotten Wife My Ex-Husband Regrets It After I Left (Clara and Liam) novel Chapter 271

Sienna’s POV

As soon as we arrived at the Italian restaurant Liam had chosen, the atmosphere shifted drastically from the quiet of the library. The air inside was warm and fragrant, a blend of basil, garlic, fresh tomatoes, and toasted bread.

Large windows faced the busy city street, while the interior was filled with soft, golden-yellow light that made everything feel closer, cozier, more intimate.

Awaiter greeted us with a friendly smile and led us to a table near the window. Once we sat down, my gaze drifted outside. People passed by, cars rolled along the street, the wind stirred the leaves of small trees lining the sidewalk.

It felt as if the world was moving more slowly for me today.

“Hungry?” Liam asked as he opened the menu.

I let out a long breath. “Starving. I think I haven’t eaten anything since this morning except coffee.”

Liam only glanced at me, but I could read what was on his mind. If he’d said it out loud, I probably would’ve just shrugged.

The menu was thick and filled with photos that made my mouth water. Pasta, pizza, lasagna, bruschetta, risotto, gnocchi everything looked tempting. I studied them one by one until my eyes settled on spaghetti aglio e olio.Simple, but it always felt right.

I flipped the page slowly, as if delaying the decision, savoring this small moment for as long as I could. There was something different about sitting across from Liam like this, no big agenda, no heavy topics waiting to be discussed. Just lunch. Just two adults sharing space and time.

“Nice place,” I murmured, still staring at the menu.

Liam nodded. “I used to come here a lot, back when everything was still complicated.” He paused, then added,

“The food’s consistent. And the staff don’t rush you.”

1 smiled faintly. “That sounds like you.”

He gave a soft snort but didn’t deny it. “I learned.”

A waiter came by with water and warm bread, a small dish of olive oil set beside it. I broke off a small piece of bread, dipped it into the oil, and tasted it. The savory flavor immediately made my shoulders loosen, as if my body had finally realized it was safe to stop being tense for a moment.

“This is good,” I said reflexively.

“You haven’t seen the pasta yet,” Liam replied casually.

I let out a deep breath and settled further into the chair.

There was a sweet kind of exhaustion, not the kind that

– made me want to run away, but the kind that made me want to stay still and enjoy the moments that existed.

Liam rested his elbow on the table, his fingers tapping lightly against the wood. “You look calmer now,” he said softly, as if he didn’t want to break the mood.

I rodded. “Yeah. Strange, isn’t it? This morning I felt like | was about to explode. Now it feels like everything can be put on hold for a bit.”

“That’s not strange,” he replied. “It means you stopped punishing yourself.”

I looked at him, slightly surprised by the statement. “You thought that far?”

He smiled faintly. “I’ve seen how you’ve been carrying everything alone for too long.”