Faux Vows, True Desires
Chapter 117

The dining table was rectangular, and because there were so many people, they had three servings of each dish. This way, no matter where you sat, you could get a taste of your favorite dish. Usually, the Anderson family ate in silence, only speaking if the elders asked a question.

But tonight was a different story, they were allowed to chat while eating.

Stefan was busy recommending dishes to Lucinda all evening. He knew she loved shrimp, so he started by peeling a whole bowlful for her before tucking into his own food.

Seeing this, the women of the Anderson family gave their men a nudge.

And so, the men of the Anderson family donned disposable gloves, and began peeling shrimp for their wives in silence.

The women of the Anderson family were particularly happy that evening.

They were excited for Lucinda to move into Ascend Estate soon.

After dinner, Stefan took Lucinda for a stroll in the courtyard to help digest their meal.

They didn't go far.

They just walked around the main house courtyard.

Ascend Estate was huge, and all the Andersons lived there. Even the villa with the garden where Bettina lived before she got married was vacant, ready for her whenever she came back to visit.

Everyone had their own private space. As the head of the Anderson family, Stefan lived in the main house with the elders, unlike his brothers who lived in separate houses. Each villa had its own front and back yards, independent yet interconnected.

Aside from the villas, the estate had a large front and back yard as well. This meant that there was a courtyard within the courtyard, each one with its own unique landscape. Some people liked castle-like houses, so they tore down the villas and built castle-like houses. Some liked ancient architecture, so they renovated them to look antique. The main house had the largest courtyard among them all. It was a three-story building, with a large pond filled with water lilies, perfectly distributed throughout the pond.

It was stunningly beautiful.

Unfortunately, it was nighttime.

Lucinda couldn't quite see the beauty yet.

Even without getting to appreciate the water lily pond, just admiring the other sights was enough to astonish Lucinda.

It wasn't an exaggeration to say that Ascend Estate was a large garden.

This was the home that the Anderson family had built over generations. Although each generation had different tastes, none of them would destroy the scenery arranged by the previous generation. They would just add their own touches.

"Stefan."

Lucinda grabbed Stefan's hand.

"What's up?"

She suddenly gripped his hand tightly, startling Stefan.

"I'm willing to move in with you. Your house is so beautiful, I love it here."

When Stefan had suggested moving in, Lucinda hadn't answered. Now, she was giving Stefan her answer.

She wanted to move into Ascend Estate.

The environment was beautiful, the air was fresh, it was far away from the hustle and bustle of the city, and it was very quiet and peaceful.

Being here gave one a sense of tranquility.

Lucinda really liked this feeling.

Stefan lightly touched her lips, correcting her, "This is your home too, don't say 'your house' or 'my house'. My home is your home."

"I knew you would love this place. So, shall we live here long term from now on?"

Lucinda nodded in agreement.

"You don't have to refund your rent. You can go back to your rented place to rest during the day."

After all, her rented place was very close to her shop.

Lucinda nodded in agreement, "Okay, your company isn't far from my rented place either. You can come back to rest at noon as well." Stefan's eyes curved into crescents as he laughed, "Even if you don't ask me to, I would still come back to be with you."

As long as she was there, he would want to be there.

Lucinda playfully teased him.

"Let's go back to the room."

After a while, Stefan was worried that Lucinda would get tired.

"Alright."

Lucinda was indeed getting a bit tired.

The two of them leaned on each other as they headed back home.

Under the lights, their silhouettes were filled with a sense of happiness.

When they got home, the elders weren't there, and their relatives had gone back to their own homes. Their parents had already gone to ed. They tiptoed up the stairs.

Stefan's room was on the southeast corner of the second floor, it had great lighting.

Before entering his room, Stefan didn't immediately push the door open. Instead, he said to Lucinda, "Lucy, close your eyes first."

"What for?"

"Close your eyes, I have a surprise for you."

Lucinda laughed, "What surprise? You're being so secretive."

At Stefan's insistence, Lucinda closed her eyes. She listened to him unlock the door, push it open, lead her into the room, and then close the door. "Can I open my eyes now?"

"You can open them now."

Lucinda opened her eyes, still speaking, "What surprise, let me see-wow!"

The room was dark, but there were many little stars twinkling, and they even seemed to be flying. The entire room was filled with them.

"This is "

Stefan spoke calmly beside her, "This is the starry sky I promised you, does it look like a starry sky?"

He had asked Nelson to catch fireflies for him. There were over a thousand workers in the estate. If each person caught one firefly, there would be over a thousand fireflies, and the workers had caught more than just one each.

They must have caught all the fireflies in this area.

In the dark night, a large number of fireflies emitted a faint glow. Together, they really did resemble a starry sky.

Lucinda laughed.

She had only casually mentioned it, not really expecting him to create a starry sky for her.

But he actually did it.

He actually created a starry sky for her.

It was beautiful!

Tonight, the surprises he gave her were too many.

His elders were just as he said, very easy to get along with, and none of them looked down on her because of her background.

The specialties she brought from her hometown, the elders were scrambling to get them, eating the fruits she grew at home made everyone to praise them to be very delicious. The scenery at his place was absolutely stunning. She fell head over heels for his home after just a quick tour around.

And him, he remembered what he said, creating a starry night just for her.

She was overwhelmed with joy and touched beyond words.

Lucinda didn't know how to respond, so she didn't say anything. Instead, she turned to face Stefan, put her arm around his neck, and planted a kiss on him.

Seeing his wife's touching gesture, Stefan wasn't about to leave her hanging.

He immediately pulled Lucinda into his arms, one hand cradling her head. He started off with a soft and gentle kiss, which soon escalated into a passionate dance. When they finally broke apart, Lucinda was panting, leaning against Stefan's chest.

"Stefan, I had such a fantastic time tonight."

Regaining her breath, Lucinda looked up at her husband. Even in the dark, his eyes were full of love.

Lucinda's heart fluttered because of him.

She couldn't calm down anymore.

She realized, she was in love with him!

This man was just too good, and it was so easy to fall for him.

Stefan gently said, "As long as you're happy, I'm content. I want you to be happy every day."