Chapter 26

The black Mercedes was parked discreetly around the corner. Leon must have seen Kelly arriving because he opened the car door and stepped out. Standing under the streetlights, his tall figure appeared almost bathed in a glaze of light, and his sharp profile looked even more defined in the glow. Kelly’s heart skipped a beat, and she unconsciously quickened her pace.

Standing before him, she tilted her head to look up at him, her voice soft and unsteady. “Professor Butler.” In the light, her eyes looked like stars in the night sky.

Leon curved his lips into a smile. “Get in the car.”

They both got in, and Leon fastened his seatbelt. Then, remembering something, he asked, “Are you hungry?”

“No—” Kelly was about to say she wasn’t hungry, but just then, her stomach let out a loud growl.

Couldn’t her rebellious stomach show a little discretion!

Kelly’s face flushed bright red, and she stole a quick glance at Leon. He was smiling. “What do you want to eat?”

She remembered that before she left work, Senna had secretly made a small batch of popcorn chicken for the two of them to share, but she had forgotten to eat it in her rush. Now, Leon’s suggestion had triggered her appetite.

“I want popcorn chicken.” The words slipped out before she could think.

Leon immediately took out his phone. “Let me see if there’s a place nearby.”

Kelly didn’t expect him to agree so readily. “I thought you wouldn’t want me to eat that.”

Leon looked at her, surprised. “Why would you think that?”

“Popcorn chicken is junk food in your eyes, and now that I’m pregnant, it’s not good for the baby.”

He smiled. “Eating it occasionally is fine. And whether the baby is healthy or not, the odds are low that it’s because of the food. It’s mostly determined by genetics.”

Kelly didn’t expect Leon to be so open-minded. She remembered when she was a child and wanted to eat something from outside, her parents would scold her, saying that outside food was unhealthy and dirty. Her requests were often denied. It seemed like they tried to control her life in this way, making her obedient.

“I found a place nearby with great reviews. Let’s go there.” Leon’s voice pulled Kelly out of her thoughts, and she quickly agreed.

When Leon’s car pulled up outside The Sippery, Kelly’s heart leapt into her throat: she thought for a moment that Leon had found out about her secret job and had brought her to the scene of the “crime.”

“What’s wrong?” He noticed her unease.

She hesitated, studying his expression. He seemed as usual. Was she overthinking it?

“N—Nothing.”

Leon studied her for a few seconds, then dropped the matter. “Is there anything else you want to eat? Or do you want to come inside with me to order?”

Kelly quickly shook her head. “No, I’ll wait here. You go ahead.”

“Wait for me here,” Leon got out of the car, and Kelly barely had a chance to relax when she saw Gavin standing by the door, on the phone, with his gaze occasionally drifting toward her. She panicked, quickly hiding herself in the car seat.

When Leon came back and opened the door, the scene that greeted him left him stunned. Kelly was crouched down in her seat, trying to hide, and when their eyes met, she felt awkward.

“What are you doing?” Leon spoke first.

Kelly immediately felt embarrassed. She quickly made an excuse, her hand casually swiping under the seat. “I dropped something.”

“What did you drop? Get out of the car. I’ll have a look.” Leon was already moving toward her side.