‘The concern on his face—it doesn’t look fake. So maybe… maybe some part of this whole act isn’t a lie. Maybe, just maybe, there’s a little truth in how he treats me.’
“You haven’t eaten yet, right? I’ll go grab something for you.”
Just as he turned to leave, he froze.
Following his line of sight, Solenne looked up—just in time to see Chesca walking toward them.
She instantly noticed the way his body tensed as Chesca’s eyes lit up in surprise.
“Rockwell? What are you doing here? Are you sick?”
The moment he saw her, Rockwell stiffened, his expression faltering with guilt.
“No… it’s nothing. My sister-in-law burned herself cooking. My brother’s not around, so I had to bring her in.”
“Oh, I see,” Chesca nodded in understanding.
Solenne watched the unease on his face—the way he scrambled to explain himself, desperate not to be misunderstood.
She gave a bitter smile and looked away.
That little flicker of warmth she felt earlier—gone.
‘How could I forget?’ Even if Rockwell had a sliver of real affection for her, the one he truly loved… was never her.
And any truth buried in his lies wasn’t worth sacrificing herself for.
“So, what about you? Why are you suddenly in the hospital?” he asked.
“I’ve been dealing with a cold. Came to get some meds. Actually, I’m headed to a welcome-back dinner a friend threw for me. Want to come?”
The way they talked—casual, familiar—it made her want to decline immediately. She didn’t belong there.She was always not accepted by his friends and felt uncomfortable every time she was with them.
But before she could say anything, Rockwell spoke first.
“Sure, let’s go. We haven’t had dinner anyway. Might as well tag along.”
Chesca smiled, looking over at her. “Perfect.”
Rockwell drove them to the venue—a private room on the second floor of an upscale restaurant.
As soon as they sat down, he pushed away the iced drinks and asked the server to bring over some warm honey water.
When it arrived, he placed it in front of Chesca and said naturally, “Don’t drink anything cold, especially if you’re catching a cold. And aren’t you about to start your period?”
His gesture drew lighthearted teasing from the people around the table.
“All these years and Rockwell is still this attentive with Chesca, huh? He even remembers her cycle—now that’s commitment!”