Madam Escaped Again, Sir (Lillian Hawkins and Eric Walker) novel Chapter 412

As though he sensed Sonia’s displeasure, Toby cleared his throat and lowered his gaze before lying through his teeth, “She mentioned something about an emergency at her company, and she’s probably outside taking their call now.”

“Oh.” Sonia lifted her chin in a halfhearted nod. “I see.” Fine then, I guess I shouldn’t be too hard on her if it really is about an emergency.

Now that he had successfully convinced her, he looked up and asked, “So, can I walk you over to the couch now?”

She pursed her lips and did not answer— it was her way of acceding.

He took her by the arm once more and helped her over to the sofa, whereupon he sat down and added, “By the way, it’s nearly noon and I’ve ordered lunch. Perhaps you’d like to join me for a meal?”

As proud as she was, she was about to refuse his offer when her stomach grumbled before she could even get her words out. Her hand fluttered over her stomach as blood rushed to her face. She stuttered in embarrassment, “I-I...”

Sonia couldn’t believe how her stomach had betrayed her by exposing her hunger. If I say no to him, he’ll take it personally. A tired sigh escaped her as she thought about this and lowered her pride. Then, she tucked her hair behind her ear as she replied lamely, “I guess I’ll take you up on your offer, President Fuller. Thank you.

“You don’t have to thank me; it’s only a meal,” Toby countered with mild amusement, the corner of his lips curling into a triumphant smirk.

He’d like to think that she was accepting of him in the absence of an outward rejection and this thought cheered him up to no end.

To one side, Wanda was secretly cheering him on as well, but her enthusiasm was quickly replaced by disappointment when she saw that Sonia’s sullen expression did not mirror Toby’s excitement. She could tell that Sonia’s previous feelings of affection for the man were still kept under lock and key. Don’t despair, Young Master Toby! She’ll turn around in no time if you keep this up!

Soon, someone knocked on the door to the lounge, but as Wanda made to open it, he shot her a look that stopped her in her tracks.

She withdrew the step that she had taken and remembered that she was supposed to be ‘taking a call outside’. It meant she couldn’t possibly open the door.

Presently, Toby stood up and headed for the door. “I’ll get it. I think lunch is here.”

True enough, it took him mere moments before he returned to the sofa with carrier bags loaded with containers of takeout, which he set up on the coffee table in front of Sonia.

She could pick out the various aromas and immediately knew what kind of dishes he ordered for lunch, though she had to admit she was a little bewildered by it, considering how these dishes were her favorites.

“Did you—” She spun to where Toby was next to her, and while her lips twitched, no words came out.

He was putting food on a disposable plate for her when he heard her speak. As he looked at her, he clarified, “Did you say something?”

“These dishes—”

“Are all your favorites,” he finished his sentence for her like he had read her mind. Then, he thought of something else and added, “Just to reassure you, I never ordered any of these for Tina.”

A skeptical Sonia raised a brow. “Funnily enough, I don’t believe you.”

“I know, but it’s the truth. Tina was really careful with her diet after she woke up from her coma, so I never ordered these for her. That said, I did get her the mango and all other mango dishes that they had on the menu. Sorry about that,” he elaborated in a gravelly tone.

Her eyelashes fluttered slightly. “What are you apologizing for? It’s not like I’m the only one who loves mangos; surely many around the world are fans of the tropical fruit. Besides, I don’t have the exclusive privilege to enjoy mangos either, so you can order them for whoever you want.”

“I get what you mean, but as far as I’m concerned, you have the exclusive privilege and that has never changed. It’s just that I used to view Tina as you, which was why I ordered the mangos for her only to discover that she was allergic to them.” He took the utensils and placed them in Sonia’s hands.

Sonia held the utensils for a while before she slowly asked, “I’ve been wondering for a while now—how did you even confuse Tina for me? I mean, I know that there are people who mistake others for someone whom they know, and it’s not uncommon, but to go six years without even realizing that you’ve made a mistake? That’s—”