[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":10},["ShallowReactive",2],{"viewer-data-260322F482CA-375":3},{"id":4,"number":5,"name":6,"content":7,"isLocked":8,"price":9,"hasRead":8},375,27,"Chapter 27: The Cartoon Apron","\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">Arianna struggled to keep her heart rate steady, her voice a mere whisper, \"What did you say?\"\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">Maxwell chuckled, his fingertips tapping rhythmically against the headrest behind her. \"Is this seat position comfortable? Do you need me to adjust it forward?\"\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">Arianna finally snapped out of her daze, testing the distance to the steering wheel. \"It’s fine.\"\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">\"Are you sure? No more adjustments?\"\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">Why did his tone sound almost... disappointed?\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">\"I’m sure,\" Arianna replied.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">\"Alright then.\"\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">Maxwell smiled, retracting the hand he’d kept braced beside her. He stood up straight, his hands tucked lazily into his pockets as he leaned against the roof of the car. With his height advantage, he stared at her, unblinking.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">The blush still clung to her cheeks, a soft, powder-pink hue like the lingering glow of a sunset. She was striking, almost breathtaking. Her eyes were clear and bright, pools of liquid light that seemed to mirror the stars.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">His gaze drifted lower.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">Her lips, soft and slightly parted, resembled delicate peach blossoms under moonlight. They were a sight of pure temptation—earnest, inviting, and agonizingly easy to desire.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">Arianna felt it. She felt the weight of his eyes—warm, heavy, and completely unmasked.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">The underground garage was dead silent, not a single car passing through. In that pressurized, enclosed space, the intensity of his focus was suffocating. Arianna’s heart hammered against her ribs, and the air between them grew thick and heavy, vibrating with an unspoken tension.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">She was desperate to say something, anything, to shatter the suffocating atmosphere.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">But before she could speak, Maxwell interrupted. \"Arianna, get out of the car. We need to head back to the house.\"\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">His tone had shifted, suddenly grave.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">Arianna didn't understand the sudden change, glancing around nervously. \"Huh? What’s wrong?\"\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">Maxwell reached in, taking her hand to pull her out, his touch still characteristically gentle. \"Just listen to me. Hurry.\"\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">...\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">Maxwell took the lead, moving with long, rapid strides. He was still wearing that ridiculous cartoon apron, a jarringly comedic sight against his otherwise sharp silhouette. Only the tension in his back betrayed a flicker of panic.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">\"Arianna, I’m heading back. You take your time,\" he called out.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">Arianna broke into a light jog to keep up, her mind a blur of confusion. \"What is going on? Why are you rushing so much?\"\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">Maxwell fell silent for a moment. \"I forgot to turn off the stove. I left dinner on the heat.\"\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">Arianna: \"??!!\"\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">She didn't even have time to register the shock of \"Maxwell King actually cooks.\" As for the cartoon apron? She just assumed it was some strange prank or a whim.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">She sprinted. As she hit the steps, Maxwell caught up to her, reaching out to steady her gait. Even while running, his breathing remained unnervingly composed. \"I’ll get there first and kill the flame. Don’t run, you’ll trip.\"\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">Before the words had even finished leaving his lips, he took off, clearing the stairs three or four at a time. He reached the landing in a heartbeat.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">Arianna eventually ran out of steam. She stopped, hunching over with her hands on her knees, gasping for air as she watched his retreating back.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">Years later, the memory of that day would still make her laugh—the sight of his expensive white shirt billowing in the wind, his tailored trousers clinging to his lean, athletic build, all while that ridiculous cartoon apron fluttered behind him like a mismatched cape.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">Whenever she teased him about it, Maxwell would pretend to be menacing, pinning her against the bed. \"Arianna, what are you laughing at? You want to try that again?\"\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">It usually ended with Arianna fleeing to the bathroom, her waist aching, while Maxwell stood outside the door, sheepishly apologizing.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">But Arianna couldn't see the future. Right now, she was simply panicked.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">After catching her breath for a dozen seconds, she hurried toward the villa. She found Maxwell waiting at the entrance. He looked cool, collected, and entirely at ease. He had run too fast, leaving his dark hair slightly disheveled, but otherwise, he was perfection. His breathing was even, and he leaned casually against the doorframe, a bottle of water in his hand.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">Arianna leaned against the wall, panting. \"Did you turn it off?\"\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">\"I did.\"\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">\"Is everything okay?\"\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">\"It’s fine,\" Maxwell said, though his expression seemed slightly forced. \"The beef is just a little overcooked.\"\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">\"As long as the kitchen didn't burn down, that’s all that matters.\"\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">Maxwell smirked, a faint sound of agreement escaping him. He twisted the cap off the water bottle and handed it to her. \"Drink up. You’re parched.\"\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">Arianna took it, gulping down several mouthfuls.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">Maxwell watched her, his eyes dark and unreadable. As she drank, her cheeks flushed, and her lips glistened with a light sheen of water. He forced himself to look away, his Adam’s apple bobbing with an involuntary swallow.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">He took the bottle back from her, tilted his head, and drained the rest.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">The cold water slid down his throat, momentarily dulling the heat rising in his blood. Arianna was stunned by the sight, frozen in place. She watched, wide-eyed, as Maxwell’s lips pressed firmly against the exact spot where hers had been moments before.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">It was an indirect kiss, perfect and deliberate.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">When he looked up and caught her expression of utter disbelief, he laughed. \"What’s wrong?\"\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">Arianna hesitated, her face burning. \"That water... I just drank from that.\"\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">Maxwell looked at her, his expression entirely candid. \"I know.\"\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">He tightened the cap and stared at her, looking entirely pleased with himself. \"You don't mind, do you?\"\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">\"I think I should be the one asking you that,\" Arianna stammered, her face turning crimson. \"You're the one who just drank from it...\"\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">\"I don't mind at all,\" Maxwell murmured, reaching out to brush a stray lock of hair from her face. His voice was low, vibrating with a hidden, pleasant heat. \"Between a married couple, we don't have to be so formal.\"\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">Arianna: \"...\"\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">Why did he keep bringing up the \"married couple\" thing at every opportunity?\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">Evening descended. The sun dipped below the horizon, painting the clouds in shades of bruised orange and deep violet. The world turned into a vivid, sweeping oil painting. Along the villa’s wrought-iron fence, a blanket of climbing roses had overtaken the wall, their heavy, sweet scent clinging to the air.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">The petals were a lush, layered pink, a celebration of color against the fading light. Maxwell leaned against the villa’s single open gate, showing no intention of actually going inside. His long, elegant fingers dangled the empty water bottle, catching the final, dying rays of the sun.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">Arianna looked at him, confused. \"Aren't you going back inside?\"\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">\"Wait a moment,\" Maxwell said.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">Wait for what?\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">Before she could ask, he checked his watch. \"Almost time.\"\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">He tilted his head toward her, his lips curving into a smile. \"Care to wait with me?\"\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">Arianna nodded, breathless. \"Okay.\"\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">They stood there in the silence—one watching the watch, the other watching the blooming roses.\u003C/p>",false,0,1774272905774]