Chapter 472:

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“I do not think I can eat anything here.” Her voice remained steady.

Connor shifted slightly. He did not ask why. Instead, he closed the menu in his hands, placed it on the table, and gave her his full attention.

“I got my period. My stomach is bothering me,” Joslyn said plainly, without trying to soften the words. “Most of the dishes here are cold or raw. If I force myself to eat them, it will only make the cramps worse.”

Connor’s expression tightened at once. His eyes swept over her face in a quick, careful glance, and when he spoke again, his voice carried obvious regret. “I am sorry. This was my oversight. Do you want to go home and rest?”

“It’s not your fault. My cycle has never been regular.” Joslyn shook her head. After a brief pause, the faintest smile returned to her lips.

“I do not want to go home. I know a place near Dafson University, about ten minutes from here. It only serves a few simple dishes, but everything tastes wonderful. The noodles are handmade, and I used to eat there often when I was in school.”

She looked at him, her tone softening slightly. “Do you want to come with me? It will not be quiet like this place, and there will not be anything refined on the menu. It’s just a small hole-in-the-wall.”

Connor did not hesitate. He turned to the waiting server. “I apologize. We will not be dining here tonight. Please charge the full bill.”

The server lowered his head politely. “Of course, sir.”

𝗙𝗼𝗹𝘭ow 𝘂𝗌 𝗼𝘯 𝗀a𝗹n𝗼𝘃𝘦𝘭𝗌.c𝘰𝗺

Connor stood and looked back at her. “Can you walk? If the cramps are bad, I could carry…”

He stopped before finishing. With only one arm usable, carrying her was obviously not realistic.

“I am fine. I can walk.” Joslyn rose from her seat, slipped back into her coat, and wrapped her scarf snugly around her neck.

She reached for his right hand and pulled him along. “Let’s go. At this hour, there is probably still a line outside. The sooner we get there, the sooner we can eat.”

When they stepped out of the private room, the server who had brought them in was already waiting near the door. With a polite smile, he informed them that the bill had already been taken care of.

Inside the car, warmth spread from the heater and filled the quiet space. Joslyn leaned back in her seat, her eyes following the familiar streets drifting past the window. Ever since she had gone abroad with Brandon after graduation, she had not returned to this area for years.

The dull ache in her abdomen still lingered, pulsing faintly from time to time, yet her thoughts had already slipped far away.

Rosa’s was hidden at the mouth of a narrow alley behind Dafson University. The eatery was so small that even five tables were enough to make the place feel crowded.

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