The Apple of My Eye

Chapter 1787 Horror Film

The cunning Leila had it all planned. She had deliberately chosen a horror film, believing that it would

cause Charles to feel protective toward her as they watched.

When they entered the dim cinema, the crowd stirred. All eyes were on Charles, who was unaware of

the effect he had on the moviegoers. While they stared, he was trying to find a seat. Even women who

were sitting with their partners studied him. After all, he was so handsome that women couldn't help but

gawk at him.

The film started not long after Leila and Charles had found seats. From time to time, the audience

would scream, but Charles was different. Sitting there, he felt quite detached and unhappy. He became

acutely aware that he felt very differently when he was with Sheryl. Leila, on the other hand, seemed to

be quite excited. She would shriek, now and then, frightened by a scary scene.

"Aaaahhh!!" Leila screamed. She tugged on the sleeve of Charles' shirt and buried her face in his

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Charles was annoyed by Leila's boldness. However, since they were in a public place, he refrained

from pushing her away. After all, he was still a gentleman, and he didn't want to embarrass her.

Leila had been right in her choice of film. As she had expected, it was indeed quite frightening, and the

plot was genuinely thrilling. In the two hours that it played, she never left the comfort of Charles' arm.

After this intimate couple of hours with Leila, Charles felt vaguely uncomfortable. As soon as the movie

ended, he shook his arm free of Leila, pushing her in the process. Then, he stood up and began

walking out with the rest of the moviegoers.

Caught off guard, Leila felt like she had just woken up from a dream, which she hadn't wanted to end.

She forced an awkward smile and scrambled to her feet. Then, she followed Charles out of the cinema.

"How did you like the film, Charles? I heard it's the best one of the recent releases," Leila said, trying to

make conversation.

Charles nodded slightly and grunted. He didn't even make eye contact. He then quickened his step,

ready to head back to the hotel.

His lack of interest deeply disheartened Leila. She had always believed she would be able to change

how he felt about her, but when would that time come?

He had agreed to the schedule she had proposed for the day, but he was obviously unhappy doing so.

While they were together, Leila could feel how distant he was. He wasn't behaving the way he should,

when in a relationship. Somehow, she knew he was only spending time with her for Melissa's sake.

"It was fine. Let's go back," Charles responded curtly.

The weather in Malaysia was lovely. Everywhere they looked, the comforting breeze seemed to play

with the trees and with people's hair. Leila, however, wasn't amused. The cold expression on Charles'

face had rendered her unable to enjoy the beautiful scenery. Hurt, she stopped walking. Meanwhile,

her companion hadn't noticed, and he was steadily walking farther and farther away. She couldn't help

but feel more and more upset the farther he got.

When Charles finally realized that Leila was no longer with him, he turned around to check on her. She

felt a spark of hope when she saw his face. She walked toward him, closing the gap between them.

"I'm starving. Shall we get something to eat?"

Leila asked, looking at Charles with pleading eyes. She rubbed her belly as well, completing her

portrayal of a hungry person.

Charles had no choice but to agree.

Soon, they came upon a nearby Western restaurant. Immediately, they went in.

"What are you having?"

Charles asked, his eyes glued to the menu.

"Beefsteak," Leila replied with a smile after a cursory look at the same menu.

"Okay," Charles nodded.

He called the waiter over and told him their order. After the waiter left, there was an awkward silence

again.

Several times, Leila had wanted to come up with a topic and make conversation. However, whenever

she looked at his cold eyes, she was rendered speechless.

Thankfully, the service was quick, and Leila didn't have to feel so embarrassed for long.

That was until Leila realized she had another problem. She set her utensils down on the table. As

Charles ate, he noticed that Leila wasn't eating at all. He looked at her oddly but didn't say anything.

"Charles, could you help me?" Leila finally asked. She was pouting.

Charles was confused. He continued to chew as he waited for an explanation.

Leila continued, "My arm is still injured. It slipped my mind, and I stupidly ordered the beefsteak. Could

you help me cut it into pieces, Charles?"

He stared at her intently. This woman was pushing him to his limit.

"Well...never mind. I'll ask the waiter to replace the dish instead," Leila interrupted his thoughts. She

had tried her best to connect with him, but, intimidated by his gaze, she decided to give up.

"Forget it. Just be more mindful in the future," Charles replied.

He put down his own knife and fork, reached across the table to grab Leila's plate, and sat back down.

He diligently cut the meat into pieces, putting his reluctance aside.

After this, he pushed the plate back toward her.

Leila felt frustrated upon seeing the clearly displeased expression on his face, but she decided not to

show it. She focused on her food instead. When she finally bit into a chunk that Charles had sliced, she

thought it had become even more savory than before.

They finished their meals quickly, which meant that Leila had no more excuses to spend some time

alone with Charles. After paying, they immediately made their way back to the hotel.

"Charles, let's pay Aunt Melissa a visit, okay?" Leila asked the minute they arrived.

"Fine," Charles said.

He had intended to visit Melissa himself when they returned. However, now that Leila had proposed to

do the same thing, he thought they could go together.

Charles knocked softly on Melissa's door. In a heartbeat, the door opened.

"You're back!"

Melissa exclaimed with joy when she saw Charles and Leila at her door. She invited them in, a bright

smile plastered on her face.

She then took Leila's hand and held it as though she was holding her daughter's hand. They eagerly

floated into the living room of the suite and sat on the sofa. Charles silently followed.

Melissa was looking healthier today. She appeared to be in the pink, and when she spoke, she

sounded so full of life. Charles was relieved. When he looked at his mother, he forgot most of the

inconveniences he had endured today.

"Mom, how are you feeling now?" he asked. Even though Melissa seemed to be well enough, he

couldn't help but worry about her.

Seeing Charles' worried face, Melissa smiled and shook her head. "I'm fine. See? I'm as strong as a

horse!"

She then stood up from the sofa and twirled in front of Charles to assure him that she was healthy

enough.

"Okay, okay. Stop it, Mom. You may be feeling better, but you're still a patient," Charles reminded her.

He didn't want her to do things that were too risky.

The three of them talked for a few minutes. When Charles spoke, he only addressed Melissa. It was as

if Leila wasn't there at all. After he had made sure that his mother was recovering, he took his leave.

Leila stayed.

As soon as he was gone, Melissa moved closer to Leila, wearing a meaningful smile. "Tell me. How

was your day with Charles?" she prodded.

Leila blushed upon hearing the question. The look of love and tenderness showed clearly on her face

as she thought about Charles.

"Aunt Melissa, he bought me this."

Leila took out the sapphire necklace and shyly showed it to Melissa. She had butterflies in her stomach

the whole time.

Melissa stared in awe at the necklace. She knew that Charles had never before sent a gift to a woman,

except for Sheryl. Leila was the only other woman he had given a gift to. She knew it—Charles found

Leila special.

Melissa couldn't help but smile at the thought. "Leila, it's great!"

Leila found Melissa's delight encouraging. 'What if Charles has indeed changed his mind about us?'

she thought as she took a look at the progress she had made. Suddenly, she realized something.

There were red flags she couldn't just ignore. She sighed and said, "Aunt Melissa, something is off. I

feel like Charles didn't give this to me because he wanted to. He's hiding something."