Chapter 21

Aaron watched Maite as she carefully selected a dish from the menu, her slender fingers tracing the elegant script with a practiced grace. He felt a twinge of familiarity, a ghost of the old affection he used to feel for her, but it was fleeting, a distant memory like a faded photograph.

“I’ll have the salmon,” she announced, her voice a melodic chime that still held the power to stir something within him. He couldn’t help but feel a pang of regret, a fleeting sense of longing for the days when he found her captivating, her voice a siren song that drew him in. But those days were gone.

“I’ll just have a glass of water and a dessert,” he said, his voice flat, devoid of any emotion.

Maite raised an eyebrow, her expression a mixture of surprise and annoyance. “Just water? Are you sure?” she asked, her voice laced with a hint of disappointment. “You haven’t eaten all day.”

“I’m not very hungry,” he said, his gaze fixed on the table, avoiding her questioning gaze. He didn’t want to exp