With only a month left, Paige wondered if there was still time to do anything. Should she tell him the truth? At the very least, she needed to let Enrico do some of the things he wanted before they waited for a miracle.
A miracle.
Would a miracle really happen?
As she walked downstairs, Paige gazed at the lavishly decorated hall of The Gustin family’s villa. Suddenly, an unspoken feeling of detachment arose within her-it all seemed so superficial.
Beau, the butler, led a group of servants to hurry out and greet Enrico. Paige didn’t follow them; instead, she curled up on the couch, making herself comfortable.
From a distance, she heard the sound of a car approaching. Soon, as voices outside called out “Young Master,” Paige looked up and saw the tall figure of the man entering her view.
He walked toward her against the light, making it hard for her to see his face clearly for a moment. Without taking off his shoes or jacket, he strode straight over to her. In a daze, Paige realized he had already reached her.
Her hair was suddenly ruffled roughly, and as Paige looked up, Enrico glanced down at her, eyes filled with a playful glint. “Staring at me so intensely-did you miss me?”
He threw his jacket behind him, and Beau quickly caught it.
“Come here, let me hold you.” Enrico sat beside her and pulled her into his arms.
Paige felt a little shy and glanced at Beau. “You all can go about your business.”
“Yes, Madam,” Beau responded, leading the servants away in an orderly fashion.
“What did you do today?” Enrico asked, his face buried in her neck, inhaling her scent deeply. The faint minty fragrance made him frown slightly. “Hmm, been eating candy instead of real food again? Do you plan on becoming a toothless old lady?”
“I didn’t eat that many,” Paige protested.
“Really? Let me check.” Enrico cupped her chin and kissed her deeply, his tongue exploring her mouth, savoring every hint of sweetness. The sugary taste mingled with the coolness of mint, tingling at the root of his tongue.
Paige, initially curled up on the sofa, felt awkward as he kissed her so passionately, unsure of what to do with her hands and feet, and could only passively respond to his kiss.
Enrico’s kissing skills had grown more refined and intense, skillfully entwining with her lips and tongue. His hands massaged her neck, relaxing her stiff posture.
It was only after a long while that Enrico finally let her go, savoring the lingering sweetness. He glanced at her, “Still think you didn’t eat too much candy?”
It seemed he’d have to limit her candy intake. He couldn’t let her indulge too much.
“…”
He was thorough with his inspection.
Worried that he might dismantle the candy house, Paige quickly leaned forward, picked up a plate of freshly washed cherries from the table, and said, “I went out to buy some cherries today. Do you want some?”
It was a simple way to explain what she had done for the day.
“You could’ve had the servants buy that. Wasn’t it tiring to go yourself?” Enrico gave her a disdainful look.
“This is the taste of everyday life. If you won’t eat it, I will.”
Paige picked up a cherry and was about to pop it into her mouth when Enrico leaned in and snatched it with his mouth, teasing her by flicking his tongue against her fingertips, sending a tingling sensation up her nerves.
He bit into the cherry, his lips stained a vivid red, looking wickedly handsome.
The taste of everyday life-he suddenly recalled the time when he had amnesia and took her grocery shopping. She had seemed so happy back then.
So this was what she meant by “everyday life”?
It’s just something she picked up from TV shows, isn’t it?
Enrico picked up another cherry, popped it into his mouth, and noticed Paige watching his strikingly handsome face, his deep greyish eyes. The truth hovered at the edge of her lips.
How was she supposed to tell him that everyone in the Davis family was destined to be tormented by the AS schizophrenia gene until death?
And that he likely only had a month left.
Sitting beside him, her fingers unconsciously curled, but suddenly, he grabbed her hand. Paige looked up at him.
“Let’s go,” Enrico said.
“Where to?” Paige blinked, confused.
“Didn’t you say you wanted a taste of everyday life?” Enrico lifted her from the sofa, standing her up. “We’re going grocery shopping, to an old town market.”
Isn’t that what happens in those TV dramas? Couples shopping and cooking together.
“…”
Paige was startled but couldn’t resist his decision, and soon, they were out of the villa.
When Beau heard they were heading to a market, he was momentarily shocked but quickly regained his composure as a butler. He quietly fetched two face masks and three reusable shopping bags. “One for seafood, one for meat, and one for vegetables.”
Paige watched as Enrico seriously listened to these trivial instructions, and suddenly she felt the urge to procrastinate.
Maybe there was no rush to tell him now after all…
…
Enrico set the GPS for the old market in the town center and drove straight there.
“Stop!” he called out as they arrived.
The moment they stepped in, they found themselves in the seafood section. Enrico’s handcrafted pointed leather shoes were immediately soaked by the puddles on the ground, while the smell of fish hung thickly in the air, too strong to ignore.
Even with his mask on, Paige could imagine how sour his expression must be.
She waited for him to suggest they leave, but instead, he glanced at her dry shoes and said, “Don’t move.”
Paige was puzzled, but then Enrico stepped back, bent down in front of her, and without a word, lifted her onto his back.
Stunned, Paige lay on his back.
Enrico’s long legs quickly carried them past the wet ground and into the bustling market.
The market was lively, with vendors shouting prices from every corner.
A stall owner smiled at them from behind her seafood stall and gave Enrico a thumbs-up. “You’re a good husband, young man.”
Somehow, that comment pleased Enrico. He strode over to the stall, still carrying Paige on his back, and stopped in front of the fresh seafood display.
Paige wrapped her arms around his neck, gazing down at the seafood. She couldn’t even remember the last time she’d shopped in a market.
Everything looked fresh-the shrimp were still jumping.
“What do you want to eat?” Enrico asked, glancing at the other stalls. Observing how people asked for prices, he cleared his throat and asked, “How much for these shrimp?”
“Which kind, young man?” The vendor smiled, gesturing toward the different types of shrimp.
Enrico, seeing Paige remain quiet, casually pointed to one. The vendor laughed and said, “That one’s a bit pricier, but it’s the best. Fifty a pound.”
“…”
Fifty?
Enrico turned and whispered in disbelief to Paige, “These people are trying to cheat me. Shrimp for only fifty, and the money I allocate to the kitchen each month could buy this whole market.”
With the level of their kitchen, forget shrimp-even the vegetables are selected leaf by leaf.
How could it not be expensive?