To the Love of My Life

Chapter 799: Chapter 799: The Most Romantic Proposal (29)
 

Howard Coleman’s decision to return home was an unexpected and delightful surprise for Madeleine. In her excitement, she took the initiative to ask if he wanted a late-night meal, which was quite out of character.

Madeleine instinctively tightened her grip on the plate in her hand as she stared at Howard, waiting for his response. After he remained silent for a while, a hint of disappointment emerged in her heart. She lowered her gaze, forced a smile, and went into the kitchen.

As Madeleine was placing the plate on the table, Howard followed her gracefully. He pulled out a chair, sat down, and casually grabbed a pastry with his fingers, putting it into his mouth.@@novelbin@@

Madeleine was completely caught off-guard by Howard’s presence in the kitchen. As she watched Howard finish the pastry before reaching for a second one, she hurriedly grabbed a pair of chopsticks and handed them to him.

Howard thanked her, his voice muffled by the food in his mouth. The words were unclear, but he did not appear as cold as usual: “Thank you.”

Although it was just two words, Madeleine’s heart was filled with joy. How long had it been since Howard had spoken to her so calmly?

Efficiently, Madeleine brought the rest of the late-night meal out from the insulated box and placed it in front of Howard.

Perhaps due to her excitement, Madeleine remained standing by his side, watching him eat without sitting down herself.

Howard picked up a steamed dumpling with his chopsticks and, upon noticing Madeleine still standing there, raised an eyebrow and gestured to the empty seat next to him: “Aren’t you going to eat?”

“Huh?” Madeleine stared at Howard in disbelief, her eyes wide. After a moment, she seemed to understand what he was saying and quickly nodded, pulling out a chair and sitting down.

Her movements were slightly rushed, and she accidentally bumped her leg against the chair in her haste, but the excitement and joy in her heart allowed her to completely ignore the pain.

After sitting down, Madeleine and Howard ate in silence without any exchange of words.

Having finished eating, Howard put down his chopsticks, stood up, and prepared to leave. He gently nudged the chair aside and glanced at Madeleine, asking, “Tomorrow is Monday, right?”

“Mm-hmm,” Madeleine hurriedly swallowed her food. “Yes, it’s Monday.”

“Oh,” Howard uttered, but said nothing more. After standing there for a moment, he tilted his chin and said, “I’m going to take a shower.”

He then walked out of the dining room.

It was only after Howard left that Madeleine finally realized she’d been clutching her chopsticks tightly the entire time. Her palm throbbed from the pressure, and she relieved her grip. Finally acknowledging that this wasn’t a dream, a hint of a smile tugged at the corner of her lips, and her heart swelled with satisfaction.

Even though their conversation was bland, it felt like a monumental breakthrough for her. For the past six months, she and Howard hadn’t spoken as much as they did tonight.

Moreover, whenever Howard used to look at her, it was always with disgust. He had never seemed as peaceful and serene as he was tonight.

After tidying up the dining table, Madeleine returned to the master bedroom. Howard had already come out of the shower and was sitting shirtless on the sofa, holding a tube of ointment that was prescribed by the hospital.