The Prison-Made Queen novel Chapter 568

Pulling himself out of his memories, Ethan saw Leilani give him a nostalgic smile. "I didn't expect to see you either."

Ethan was one of Leilani's few friends from her youth, and Nancy had always been a deeply caring and affectionate elder figure to her. Seeing her childhood playmate after so long genuinely made her happy.

After the greetings, there was still official business to attend to.

Standing by the street, Ethan jotted down her brief statement. He closed his notepad, his gaze lingering on her. He suddenly thought back to their childhood. People might say Leilani had changed, but in some ways, she hadn't at all. Even when she was little, looking so skinny and frail, she had always managed to carry bundles of firewood taller than herself without ever complaining.

"Do you live around here?" Ethan asked.

Leilani nodded. "Yeah, I've been living in this area for a while now."

It was just a shame she had never bumped into him before.

Ethan pulled a business card from his pocket and handed it to her. "I'm with the City Police Department's Major Crimes Unit. If you ever need anything, give me a call."

Leilani took it, her fingertips lightly brushing his palm, which felt warm to the touch. She glanced down at the card: Ethan Jenkins—Detective Lieutenant, Major Crimes Unit.

She raised an eyebrow. "Moving up in the world, aren't you?"

They were the same age. To make Detective Lieutenant this young, Ethan was quite the high achiever.

Ethan chuckled softly. "Just making a living."

A shout came from the police cruisers, rushing him. Ethan glanced back, looking a bit reluctant. "I have to get back to processing the scene."

Leilani nodded. "Go ahead. I'll let you get back to work."

Ethan hesitated for a split second before asking, "Sometime soon... would you want to grab dinner together?"

Leilani smiled. "Sure."

"You were lying in that hospital for so long. Now that you're finally discharged, we have to make sure you get your strength back."

Leilani felt a bit helpless, though a surge of warmth filled her heart. Her helplessness stemmed from the fact that this was her third massive feast since leaving the hospital. First was the meal Callahan cooked himself, then the gathering with Judie and the girls, and now this...

She couldn't help but whisper to Callahan beside her, "If I keep eating like this, I'm going to put on a few pounds."

Callahan let out a low chuckle, his fingers gently squeezing her hand. "That's fine. It's better if you gain some weight. You'll be softer to hold."

Leilani was still on the lighter side, and some parts of her felt a bit too bony.

The speaker had no ulterior motive, but the listener read between the lines.

Callahan genuinely didn't mean anything suggestive by it, but given his rather shameless track record with her lately, Leilani naturally completely misinterpreted his words.