Chapter 18 LILITH I took a moment to compose myself before turning back to face Dean . Just then , the female waiter approached with a tray in hand . " You already ordered ? " I asked , surprised . " Yes , " Dean replied casually . " It's a bit warmer today - perfect weather for something cold . And since you were coming from the sun , I took the liberty of ordering in advance . " The waiter reached our table and smiled . " Here's your order . Enjoy . " She set a cup of iced Americano in front of Dean and placed a dessert before me . I blinked at the elegant , mouthwatering creation . " Affogato ? " I looked up at him . " I had a feeling you might like it , " he said . " But if not , feel free to order something else . " I shook my head and pulled it closer . " No , thank you . I'm fine with this . " Truthfully , I had a sweet tooth . But since childhood , my mom had strictly forbidden sugar in my diet . Over time , everyone around me assumed I didn't eat sweets and stopped offering them altogether . But staring at the treat in front of me now , I suddenly remembered how much I used to love 08:52 Chapter 16 sweet goodies " Thank you . " I said with a small smile , then scooped up a spoonful and placed it in my mouth The smooth richness of vanilla ice cream blended with the bold bitterness of fresh espresso , topped off with delicate chocolate shavings . It was heavenly My eyes lit up . How had I survived this long without sugar ? Another goal for my new life : taste every delicious dessert in the world . In mere minutes , I'd devoured the entire thing . As I savored the lingering flavor , I couldn't help but feel a pang of regret , feeling like it finished too fast . " Want another one ? " Dean asked , His voice startled me , like a lightning bolt in broad daylight . I ... forgot he was here . Had he seen me cat that ravenously ? My image . My dignity . Gone . All gone . I was internally screaming , but outwardly , I kept my face composed as I glanced at him . He 08:52 Chapter 18 was watching me with an indulgent smile , his chin resting on one hand . Clearing my throat , I looked away . " No. I've had enough . " " Alright . " He didn't press , but I could still feel his eyes on me . It was strange - how easily we were getting along . We had only met yesterday , yet here we were , bantering like old friends . Was it natural ? Or ... calculated ? 11 288 Arbuchare The thought sobered me . I couldn't let him lead me around just because he had a charming smile . My gaze had steadied when I looked at him again . He noticed , his brow arching slightly as he straightened up . " So , what did you want to talk about ? " Instead of answering , I said something else . me . " " I'm cashing in the wish you owe me . He shrugged . " As you wish . " I leaned forward , my tone serious . " I wish you'd tell me the real reason you helped yesterday . No vague answers this time around . No lies . " He drummed his fingers on the table . " I already told you last night . I just felt like helping at the moment . " 08:52 Chapter 18 1292 Nesuchens " That's it ? " I asked , clearly unconvinced . " You expect me to believe that ? People don't just help others for no reason , Dean . There's always a motive . Whether they admit it or not . " He sighed and looked at me , his expression suddenly more complex . " You won't trust me unless I give you the real reason , will you ? " " Yes , " I answered , my tone unwavering . " Alright , " he said at last . " There is another reason . I wanted to get under the Scotts ' skin . " He paused . " You know the history between me and their family , right ? " " Not in detail . Just the general idea ." " Well , that's it . Helping you yesterday was killing two birds with one stone , " he spread his hands out as he spoke . " Do you believe me now ? " To be honest ... I wasn't sure . Dean didn't strike me as an impulsive or careless person , who would get himself involved in muddy waters over such petty reason . There had to be more . But I also couldn't deny - my knowledge of his relationship with the Scotts was limited . " You still look skeptical , " he said , narrowing his eyes slightly . " Are you doubting me ? " I shook my head , denying it instinctively . " No. " 08:52 Chapter 18 " So you believe me ? " I hesitated . : . 11 HAVAS He caught it immediately and leaned forward , tapping his chin . " How about I draft a contract ? One that states if you ever find out I lied , I'll compensate you ? " The look in his eyes told me he was serious . " No need to go that far , " I said , somewhat shaken by the resoluteness in his gaze . " I'll believe you ... for now . The way he smiled after I said that made my heart skip , but I braced myself this time . " Thank you , fiancée . " Fiancée . That word reminded me that there was something important I needed to ask . " You're not seeing anyone , are you ? " His expression froze for a second before he shot me a look . " You think I'd help you with something like this if I were ? " " Your opinion of me is quite low . " I winced , realizing how offensive my words might have sounded . " Sorry . I didn't mean it that way . I just didn't want this to affect your personal life . His expression softened . 08:52 Chapter 18 : . 11 228 Makers " I haven't figured out a foolproof plan to escape marrying Brandon entirely , " I admitted , " But here's my idea- " " We set a clear timeframe for this pretense . That way , neither of us gets too comfortable or invested . It'll help minimize any personal impact on you too . " I hesitated , then added , " There might be times when we'll have to act convincingly in front of my family . Just so they don't suspect anything . " " What do you think ? " I asked . His face remained unreadable . Was he ... unhappy ? I doubted it had anything to do with the girlfriend question as I had apologized already . He said nothing for a long moment , then finally murmured , " I'll think about it . " After that , we stood to leave . I moved toward the counter to pay , only to be told it was already covered . I glanced at Dean . " Thank you , " I said softly . But for some reason , his expression darkened further . What now ? Seriously , people always say women are hard to read . But in my opinion , men were no better . As we exited the rooftop café , I turned to him . " I'm heading to the mall . You can go ahead . " 08:52 Chapter 18 I expected him to say goodbye and leave . Instead , he said , " I'll go with you . " I blinked . " What ? " 288 Vouchers He looked me dead in the eyes . " I said I'll go with you . Fiancé duty . " I wanted to explain that I'd be spending hours there - planning a full wardrobe overhaul - but he didn't give me the chance . He was already walking off . In the end , I had no choice but to chase after him , feeling more confused than ever . Discover our latest featured short drama reel. Watch now and enjoy the story!