Sweet Subterfuge novel by Trina Duo novel Chapter 462

However, Larissa couldn't shake off the lingering discomfort in her heart, so she felt a subtle unease. It wasn't that she couldn't see how much Aster yearned for a father figure or grasp how much a father's presence would contribute to Aster's growth. But she couldn't move past what happened before and was paralyzed by the fear of taking that challenging first step.

…

The restaurant was packed with people, which caused delays in serving food to the table. The pizza was the first to come. It was probably hot out of the oven—the melted cheese was oozing and emitting a tempting aroma. Even Larissa, who was not particularly keen on pizza, couldn't resist her mouth from watering. Of course, Kevan picked up on this detail, as well as her fixed gaze on the pizza. He handed her the first slice.

She was taken aback by his action, so she looked up and found him calmly placing the second slice on Aster's plate.

"Come on, dig in," he encouraged Aster. "You can protect your mom only when you get taller."

"Okay!" Aster nodded vigorously. "I'm gonna eat a ton! I wanna be as tall as you! That way, no one can mess with me or Mommy!" As he spoke, he speared a slice of pizza and popped it into his mouth, only to burn his tongue.

At that moment, Larissa's sense of warmth quickly turned into amusement. She swiftly handed Aster her glass of iced water and gently scolded, "Take it slow! It won't make you grow on the spot even if you gobble up everything now!"

He chugged down the entire glass and sheepishly stuck out his tongue after.

…

…

Aster single-handedly finished nearly the entire spread on the table. Kevan and Larissa each had one slice of pizza and left the other food untouched. As they left the restaurant, Aster held Kevan's hand with his left and Larissa's with his right, bouncing and skipping with sheer joy.

However, this family-of-three dynamic made her somewhat feel embarrassed. She discreetly glanced at Kevan and found him composed without the slightest bit of unhappiness. That was when she finally eased up a little.

Suddenly, Aster piped up, "Mommy, let's go watch a movie!"