She blushed a little as she finished speaking. She knew well why her appetite had gone awry. It had happened because she missed him.

Hearing her words, Bennett stopped in his tracks, turned around and moved towards the bed. Then he sat her down at the edge of the bed.

"Is everything okay? Why do you have a bad appetite? Should we go to the hospital?"

Claudia was confused as to what he was playing at. He ought to know why she hadn't been able to eat.

She extracted herself from his hands and moved away a little. "No, I'm not sick. I just found it hard to eat for some days. It happens.”

She stared at the bed sheet as her hand ran across the surface.

“But there has to be a reason you have a bad appetite. Is it Marcia? Are you tired of what she cooks?"

Claudia shook her head in frustration, looked up at him and said, “No, this has nothing to do with the food I was offered. I don't know why, but it started on the day you left for your business trip."

Surely, he ought to understand now.

He was a smart man. He ought to have pieced the clues together already.

Nonetheless, he still looked clueless and genuinely concerned.

Claudia couldn't believe it. He still didn't get it! Swallowing hard.

She said timidly, "Well, I missed you. Just a little, not that much."

“Sorry, I didn't get you. How much did you say you missed me?"

Bennett asked with his black eyes fixated on her and a cunning smile on his face.

Seeing him smile, Claudia realized she had been led on by him.

He had understood what she meant all along but pretended not to.

She let out a tired sigh. This man was very annoying!

Didn't he ever get tired of playing tricks on her?

“Just a little. And it was just for some time. It's not like I missed you every day," Claudia replied.

Not today!

She wasn't ready to give him the satisfaction of seeing another one of his tricks work out so well on her.

“Well, I missed you a lot."

"Really? How much is that exactly?" Claudia asked in a perfect imitation of his voice.