“Well, I'm feeling hungry too."

Noticing her evasive eyes, Bennett sensed she was fully awake now.

The memories of the previous night shadowed his gaze.

"Claudia, can you pick a tie for me?"

At his request, Claudia's fleeting hunger was forgotten.

"Of course!"

For Jace's birthdays, she'd get up early to assist him with his tie.

The first tie she'd ever fixed for him, at the tender age of eight, was left a crinkled mess.

Later, as a teenager in junior high school, she'd learned proper tie techniques from online tutorials.

And by the time of her coming-of-age ceremony, she'd mastered it.

That day, as she fixed his tie, Jace had remarked how time had flown, seeing her so grown-up.

Back then, her grasp on love wasn't firm. She casually remarked, "I'm willing to fix your tie even when I'm grown up."

Jace looked at her, predicting she'd find a man she'd delight in tying a tie for every day.

What had she said on that day?

She had said, "I'll never tie one for Anthony!"

With a playful grin, Jace responded, “Then he isn't the one you truly Like."

She once perceived this as her father's playful tease. Reflecting on it now, it felt almost fated.

She had been friends with Anthony since childhood. And she had been in a relationship with him for over three years. Yet their relationship was never this intimate.

Claudia stopped thinking about that and picked one of the ties in front of her.

The majority of Bennett's ties were of dark colors, adorned with minimalist designs. It was evident they'd complement any outfit perfectly.

Holding a tie in her hand, Claudia was about to spin around to search for Bennett. As she pivoted, she was surprised to discover that he was already standing right behind her.

A bit flustered, she said, "I've picked one for you."

She unfurled the tie and delicately reached up to place it around the collar of his shirt.

Feeling grateful for her height, Claudia thought about how tricky it would've been to fix the tie for him if she were shorter.