The Pretender and The Prince novel Chapter 32

In two years of dating, the most intimate they had ever been was a kiss on the cheek.

Ondine looked down. “There are too many people here. It’s embarrassing. Maybe next time.”

Ellis’s shoulders slumped, a wounded look on his face. “You don’t like me as much as you used to, do you?”

“You’re overthinking it.”

“Does our plan to meet our parents over winter break still stand?”

“It does,” Ondine said, the lie slipping out easily.

“Then pick a date. When exactly?”

Ondine paused. “How about the fifth day of the New Year?”

A smile broke across his face. “Okay, it’s a date. I’ll make sure to get the perfect gift, so your mom will entrust you to me.”

A faint smile touched Ondine’s lips. “Okay.”

“Oh, Ellis,” she thought. “How can you say these things without laughing? You can fool me, but don’t fool yourself.”

The moment she turned away, the smile vanished from her face, replaced by an icy coldness in her eyes.

Watching her walk away, Ellis felt a strange sense of unease. He couldn’t shake the feeling that Ondine didn’t like him as much as she used to. Was she really getting tired of him? The thought sent a jolt of panic through him.

She had told him her mother was sick, and he hadn’t visited once. Meanwhile, she was working three part-time jobs for his sake, juggling that with studying for exams and caring for her mother. She must be exhausted. He needed to be more considerate. His Ondine was so tired.

A wave of guilt and heartache washed over him. He decided that as soon as exams were over, he would tell her the truth about his family, help her with her mother’s medical bills, and buy her some expensive gifts to make it up to her.

In over two years of dating, he had never given her a decent present. The thought filled him with an overwhelming sense of shame. He immediately opened WhatsApp and contacted sales associates at two luxury brands, ordering a new-season handbag and a designer coat. Only then did his guilt begin to subside.

Verify captcha to read the contentVerify