Her mind was preoccupied with whether Bennett had unwrapped the gift she had given him.

Did he appreciate it?

Was her painting not good enough?

She considered her painting skills to be mediocre, since it had been five or six years since she last held a brush.

Besides, she had been in a hurry to paint it because it had taken her a long time to decide what to give Bennett.

Last week, Claudia had finished her piano practice and made her way to the study. As she entered the room, she caught sight of Bennett sitting on the sofa, engrossed in a book. The scene struck her as incredibly beautiful, and she couldn't resist the impulse to capture it. Quietly and discreetly, she snapped a photo of him with her mobile phone. It was in that moment that the idea for her gift finally crystallized in her mind.

The preparation for the gift was inadequate, and she couldn't shake off the feeling of haste.

But amidst her worries about the gift, Claudia recognized that these concerns were not the most pressing matter at hand. The paramount focus of her attention was the dinner party scheduled for the evening.

Bennett had mentioned that he would return by half past five to join her for dinner before they headed to the party together. She glanced at the time and realized that it was already 5:15 PM.

Claudia closed the lid of the piano and made her way out of the room, clutching her phone tightly in her hand.

Bennett's words echoed in Claudia's mind, reassuring her that he would indeed return at half past five.

After gulping down a glass of water, Claudia caught the sound of commotion emanating from the porch.

Her heart skipped a beat, and a surge of anticipation coursed through her veins. Instinctively, she set down the glass and hastened towards the source of the noise.

As anticipated, the door swung open, and Bennett entered, changing his shoes in the porch.

Claudia stood on the steps, her eyes fixed on him, and greeted, “Good afternoon."

Bennett looked up, loosening his tie with one hand, while the other arm encircled her waist. He leaned in, planting a kiss on her Lips before replying, "Good afternoon."

Aware of Marcia's presence nearby, Claudia blushed slightly at the public display of affection, but she couldn't bring herself to push Bennett away. Instead, she allowed herself to be held, a shy smile tugging at her lips.

Bennett, still holding Claudia, removed his tie and tenderly caressed her face. With a soft smile, he asked, "Have you been practicing the piano today?"

"I've been at it for four hours."

Raising an eyebrow, Bennett looked at her and smiled. "You've practiced for that long?"

When he left earlier, Claudia was still sound asleep, likely leaving her with no time to practice the piano in the morning. She had to prioritize her exercise routine in the afternoon instead.

“I didn't take a nap," she confessed, her voice tinged with shyness.

After lunch, she had dedicated herself to practicing the piano, starting at one o'clock in the afternoon and continuing until now.

She had only taken a brief break of just over ten minutes before Bennett's arrival.