Billionaire's Hidden Princess by Alegna Ciee (romance novel chinese novels TXT) 📗

Chapter Thirty-Eight: A Gift

After their intense make-out session inside the office, the couple finally moves on to their original plan for that afternoon.

Livius took Leticia outside and rode to a certain shopping district that’s not that far from his workplace. It’s a street filled with various business establishments, ranging from quick service restaurants to small boutiques.

It took them almost half an hour to reach wherever Livius was planning to show Leticia. They arrive at this two-story building which seems to be a newly-opened café that sells a variety of sweets, confectioneries, light meals, and beverages.

What surprises her to a certain degree is the fact that the café is named after her.

“How wonderful... I didn’t know that there’s a cute café here that shares the same name as mine,” she mused out loud while staring at the banner outside of the shop.

“That’s because I just finished all the preparations this week after three months of planning…” he trailed off out of nowhere, making her turn to look at him in surprise.

“This café is for you, princess.”

With a gentle smile gracing his features, Livius returns her flabbergasted look with a fond and sweet one. Leticia finds herself gaping in flummox for the next seconds to come, still processing his words in her head.

“I-It’s… for me?” she blurted out in disbelief to which he simply nodded in reply.

“It’s all yours, princess. We met at a café near the university, right? I thought of this present with that in mind…” he replied before holding her hand all of the sudden.

“Now, why don’t we go in? Take a look inside, princess.”

With that, Livius proceeded to lead Leticia inside. There, they find that the first floor is already packed with people even though it just opened this morning.

Then again, knowing that it’s the President of the Apollon Group Holdings who owns this place, an excellent customer service and quality products are surely expected. This fact is also shown through the spruce and well-groomed appearances of the employees, and the classy interior that’s evidently designed to be not too intimidatingly imposing.       

Leticia can tell that everything about the place was created to her liking. Her favorite color was used as the main theme palette and even the menu has all of her favorite sweets.

Back then, she didn’t even have enough money to afford for a single plate of pastry. Every time Vanessa would invite her to eat at that café near their school, the only thing she kept buying was one cup of coffee since all of the snacks and savories there were too expensive for her.

Now, though, Leticia doesn’t only have a single plate of pastry, but she’s been given a whole shop instead.   

“Livi, this is too much…” she trailed off from the other side of the table, feeling timid all over again.

“You keep giving me tons of jewelries and clothes. You already took me to a resort house and a private yacht last month either. Every night, we have candlelit dinners. You even hired bodyguards for me the other time… You’re pampering me too much, you know?”

Livius didn’t reply, though. He just keeps staring at her from the opposite side, looking like he’s in some sort of a reverie. With his chin propped over the back of his hand, he only exchanges gazes with her and smiles affectionately.

“Say, princess…” he eventually chimed in again after a brief pause.   

“Can we take a picture after this? I might miss beholding your beauty like this.”

Leticia blushes at his uncalled-for remark. Not only did her words fall in deaf ears, but he also brought up a random subject out nowhere. Hearing that he wants to take a picture makes her fidget in her seat nervously, though.

  Up until this day, she’s still hiding her fear of cameras, after all.

Unbeknownst to Leticia, however, Livius has long been noticing this. Seeing her react nervous to his request makes the gears turn in his head again.

Within those four months that they’re dating, he never had the chance to capture photos of her. All pictures of her that he currently has are stolen moments. She wasn’t looking at the camera on each one of the photograph, and she kept avoiding one when they’re in public.

By now, Livius is certain that his girlfriend is camera-shy.

Even more than that, though, he knows that she doesn’t only dislike them – she’s afraid of them.

Leticia never said a word about it. It’s not that she refuses to disclose the truth. More likely, she doesn’t know the reason herself.

“Oh, but wait a minute… What do you mean by you’ll miss me?” she asked with her head tilted quizzically, making him snap out of his thoughts.

“I’ll be going on a business trip abroad, you see. It might take a month,” he answered, much to her surprise.

“A… month?” she repeated in disbelief before frowning in dismay.

“Sorry for telling you just now, princess. I even did it at the same time I showed this café to you. I must’ve dampened the mood.”

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