He wasn't fond of sour tastes, yet he pushed himself to swallow it down.

Ella glanced at his expression, recognizing his flavor preferences, and suddenly felt a playful urge.

She lifted a strawberry and offered it to him. "This is a gesture from the little girl. You must finish it."

She looked at him expectantly, with traces of strawberry juice lingering on her lips, giving her a charming look.

Xavier's heart fluttered as he leaned in, instinctively wiping off the strawberry juice from her lips with a gentle touch.

"It's sweet."

Ella hadn't anticipated his action, still holding the strawberry in her hand, her cheeks flushed red.

The scent of strawberries filled the air. Despite the sour taste, it tasted unexpectedly sweet on their lips.

Xavier lightly tasted the corner of her lips before releasing her quickly.

He wasn't typically romantic, but since being with Ella, he had been learning the art of love.

His spontaneous actions earlier were purely involuntary.

Looking at him, Ella's ears turned red, and she felt her cheeks burning intensely.

She intentionally changed the subject. "Let's continue walking."

"Sure."

Xavier took her hand again, and the two proceeded in silence.

Ella's hands were slender, but calloused from her days as a special agent, a result of extensive gun handling.

Nevertheless, it didn't diminish the elegance of her hands.

As they strolled along the beach, the sound of crashing waves was soothing.

With the tide rising, waves splashed over, wetting their shoes.

The night breeze tousled Ella's long hair as she stole glances at the man beside her, her heart racing.

She had never realized she had the privilege to love someone.

And this man, he was truly exceptional!

When they grew weary, they sat by the shore.

Suddenly, fireworks illuminated the sky.

The vibrant colors bloomed in the dark night, illuminating Ella's face and accentuating her smile.

"It's so beautiful!"

She exclaimed involuntarily.

Xavier's hand tenderly held her waist, bringing her head to rest on his shoulder.

"Ella, though I'm not naturally romantic, I'll change gradually for you."

The man with gold-rimmed glasses has an unwavering determination in his eyes.

He looked into Ella's eyes, filled with deep love.

The woman before him, though arrived a bit late, was the woman he had decided to protect for the rest of his life.

"You don't need to change for me; you're fine just the way you are."

They shared common interests, and although they couldn't be together every day due to work, this kind of life already satisfied her.

The fireworks display continued, one wave after another.

Fireworks were not allowed in the capital city.

The person who could wield such power and grandeur was none other than the person in front of her.

Ella smiled and turned to the man. "Xavier, thank you..."

…

In the laboratory.

Freya woke up in the middle of the night only to find the man beside her missing.

Panicked, she searched everywhere, calling out his name.

"Bradley?"

The vast laboratory was empty, with no one but her.

She went to the main hall of the clinic, but there was no sign of anyone there either.

Just as she was about to call him, a dark figure flashed in from outside.

"Freya!"

Bradley came in carrying something.

Seeing who it was, Freya hurriedly rushed over and hugged him. "Where did you go in the middle of the night?"

"I was worried you'd wake up hungry, so I went out to buy some late-night snacks for you."

He held up a bag in front of her.

Freya pursed her lips, took a deep breath, and indeed smelled the aroma of chicken soup.

"You should have told me before going out. Don't you know I'd worry if I couldn't find you?"

After all, he had been locked in the basement last night, and though his condition was under control, the poison in his body was still a threat until it was completely removed.

Moreover, it was the middle of the night, and he suddenly disappeared. How could she not worry?

Bradley listened, then wrapped his strong arms around her, speaking in a deep voice.

"You were sleeping so soundly, I didn't want to wake you. But I left you a note."

Freya squinted and quickly pushed him away, then rushed into the laboratory.

Sure enough, there was a note.

It bore the man's sharp handwriting.

"Freya, I've gone out to buy you something to eat."

Waking up and not finding him, she panicked, completely unaware of the existence of the note.

As the saying goes, haste makes waste, and she was completely out of her wits.

"Honey, I'm sorry, I misunderstood you."

"Feeling sorry won't help. Finish your late-night snack; you've been working so hard to find the antidote. What if you exhaust yourself?"

He opened the bag and took out a bowl of warm chicken soup.

Freya asked, "Why is there only one bowl?"

"I already ate mine."

"Really?" Freya didn't believe he had eaten it because there were some stains on his pants, as if the chicken soup had spilled.

But she didn't point it out; instead, she picked up the chicken soup and took a sniff. "Wow, it smells so good. Let's eat together."

She took a bite first, then scooped up another and brought it to his lips.

Bradley looked at her beautiful face up close and took a sip of the soup.

He had gone out to buy chicken soup, worried that she would wake up and not find him, so he ran back home.

Suddenly, a dog dashed out from the roadside, causing him to accidentally spill the chicken soup. The soup splashed all over the place, dirtying his pants.

Though he had wiped them briefly with tissue, a stain still remained.

The thick chicken soup, mixed with the scent from the girl's lips, made Bradley's heart feel warm.

They ate the whole bowl of chicken soup together in no time.

It was already late at night, and the sound of fireworks outside continued.

Bradley carried Freya and they returned to Royal Garden Mansion.

The mansion was brightly lit. Frederick had left the lights on for them.

That night, the two slept soundly.

The next morning, when it was bright, Bradley was no longer by her side.

After freshening up and coming downstairs, Freya found Rosa had already prepared breakfast.

"Mr. Bradley has gone to the company. He instructed you to eat more breakfast, and he will leave work early tonight to pick you up at the clinic."

Freya sat down at the dining table, relieved to find there were no pig's trotters.

Last night, after having a late-night snack, she wasn't very hungry, so she drank a glass of milk and ate a sandwich before heading out.

There was still one ingredient missing from the prescription in her notes, and she needed to find it as soon as possible.

She drove to Culinary Crown Court.

Freya called Ella to confirm Lance's whereabouts, knowing he wasn't at the clinic today, before entering.

"Freya, Michael has been searching for your whereabouts. A few days ago, he even traced our IP address. I'm worried he'll soon track down your location."

Ella informed her as soon as she entered.