Chapter 8: Salted Caramel

The lunchbox kept the food warm. Henry Jefferson settled Giselle Lambert onto his lap, offering her a bite of steak with his fork. Giselle instinctively resisted at first, but the sight of his lips curving into a slight smile, signaling his good spirits, made her relent and eat quietly. After their meal, Giselle fetched another lunchbox and slid it towards Henry, announcing, “I made you a dessert for after the meal.” Surprise flickered in Henry’s eyes, his expression subtly shifting as he opened the lunchbox at a leisurely pace. Inside, a caramel pudding, enticingly colored, beckoned appetizingly. He spooned up a bite; the pudding dissolved instantly in his mouth, yet his brow furrowed. “Is it not to your liking?” Giselle inquired, her gaze fixed on him. Henry downed a large gulp of water, nodded, and said, “It’s delicious.” “Then you should have it all,” she said, fighting back a smile yet sounding utterly serious. “Alright.” With a complex emotion, Henry stared at the puddi