"Why do I need to know? It's obviously someone you had feelings for..."

The moment she uttered those words, Claudia realized there was no way to take them back.

She experienced a mix of sadness and embarrassment. She tried to remind herself not to dwell on the past, understanding that everyone had similar experiences.

But now, she had become a creature of emotions, overwhelmed by her feelings and unable to be rational at all.

She just felt very upset.

The mere thought that Bennett had gone to the lengths of shelling crabs for another woman implied deep affection.

The more she thought about it, the more uncomfortable she felt, and her eyes were even wet.

"My mom was really fond of crabs."

"How does that relate to you helping with the crabs?"

Claudia was stunned and realized that she had misunderstood.

Now, the upset had faded, leaving only embarrassment behind.

She wanted to bury her face in the dish before her.

It was so embarrassing!

She couldn't muster the courage to look Bennett in the eye.

"You really don't want to eat crabs anymore?" Bennett placed the rejected plate of crab meat back before her.

Claudia responded, "Yes, I do."

With a smile, Bennett urged, “Enjoy it while it's warm."

“Okay, I will."

She picked up the plate of crab and the spoon, starting to eat again.

While eating, she stole a glance at the man sitting across from her, meeting his deep-set eyes. Embarrassed, Claudia quickly looked away.

Bennett stayed quiet about their recent exchange, merely reclining in his chair and observing her reddened ears. But when his mind replayed Claudia's words about Xavier, the sparkle in his eyes dimmed significantly.

It appeared someone was bold enough to covet his woman.

The crab was delicious.

Bennett had only peeled two crabs for Claudia, and she didn't have a big appetite and stopped eating after the two crabs.