Chapter 1774:


    Alban watched him walk away — brisk, purposeful, barely concealing a spring in his step — and exhaled slowly. The old man looked as though he might break into a jog at any moment. His delight was entirely transparent.


    The urge to follow at a distance was there, but Alban held himself back. If the Jones family spotted him, he could ruin whatever fragile goodwill Henrik had managed to build — and potentially cost Henrik his ess to Adide as well. It wasn’t worth the risk. He sat with the difort of waiting and eventually drove out of the lot.


    By the time Alban left the parking area, Henrik was already in the elevator, riding upward.


    He held the pastry boxes with both hands and considerable care, terrified of jostling them. A crushed dessert would disappoint Adide, and that was not an oue he was prepared to ept. Among the purchases was a small cake sculpted in the shape of a pink rabbit — the kind of thing children invariably loved. He had remembered Adide mentioning rabbits the day before, and the moment he saw the cake in the shop disy, he hadn’t hesitated.


    He adjusted his grip on the bags and murmured quietly to himself, “I hope she likes it,” a smile already settled on his face.


    He made his way to the room and knocked gently.


    Gillian opened the door. The hesitation on her face was immediate and readable.


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    Despite Christina’s reassurance that the Martel family wasn’t nning any immediate move against her, the unease hadn’t loosened its hold. It probably wouldn’t for some time.


    “What brings you back, Mr. Martel?” she asked, her brow drawing together slightly.


    Her eyes dropped to the elegant bags in his hands, and aplicated mix of feelings moved through her. Those bags were from the finest pastry shop in Lionesspaw — celebrated for its quality and notorious for its prices. Most people walked past the window without going in. Adide had spoken about wanting to try their desserts more than once, particrly the pink rabbit cake, and Gillian had always quietly set the wish aside, knowing she couldn’t manage it.


    She was d Adide would get to taste them. And she was afraid of what the gesture might mean.


    “Adide mentioned yesterday that she’d been wanting to try these,” Henrik said, holding the bags forward with genuine eagerness. “So I picked up a few things. I also got the pink rabbit cake — children always seem to love it. You can give it to her when she’s ready. I wasn’tpletely sure it was her favorite, but I saw so many children light up over it that I thought it was worth a try.”


    He stood at the doorway, barely concealing his anticipation, already looking forward to the moment Adide would see what was inside.


    Gillian stood motionless in the doorway, her expression tightening in a way that had nothing to do with wee.


    Henrik, who had arrived in high spirits, felt his smile falter. His mind moved quickly, searching for what he might have done wrong. A quiet dread settled in his stomach. “Is it… is it because Adide doesn’t like any of these?” he asked, his voice careful and genuinely worried. He had chosen everything with her preferences in mind — surely at least one thing would suit her.


    “That’s not it,” Gillian said. She swallowed the ache rising in her throat and managed a faint smile, shaking her head. “She’ll love them. Please,e in.”


    She stepped aside to let him pass.


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