Chapter 3 Very Cute

Upon hearing the sound, Richard quickly sat back in his chair, suppressing the trace of unwillingness on his face. No matter what, he never showed any weakness in front of Nicole.

Nicole smiled and emerged from the cabin, walking up to the two of them. She extended her arm, holding a plate of sliced fruits in front of Richard as if presenting a treasure.

"Look!" Her eyes formed into a crescent moon shape, her cheeks blushing, and the baby fat on her face squeezed down to the sides, creating two small dimples.

These dimples were something Jasmine did not have.

"These were made by Jasmine and I. Aren't they beautiful?" Her eyes were filled with a playful smile, acknowledging her own success while also giving credit to Jasmine.

The awkwardness on Richard's face had not completely disappeared, and he forced a smile, saying somewhat dismissively, "Playing with these childish things again? Don't let Jasmine pick up any bad habits. You might anger Robert later."

His comment was unintentional, at most just a joke, but Nicole took it to heart and felt a twinge of disappointment. The light in her eyes dimmed, and her lips drooped along with the two dimples.

"Let me see."

The man's deep and dull voice suddenly came from beside her, rustling past Nicole's ears and causing her to involuntarily hold her breath.

Robert's voice was somewhat similar to Richard's, but deeper and yet shallower at the same time. There was no particular emotion in his tone, and his voice carried a lazy intonation and a hint of graininess, making it even more sexy.

He had been silent all this time, and when he spoke, no one could ignore him.

Being called out by Robert, Nicole's playful expression suddenly disappeared from her face. She turned around with a serious look and carefully placed the fruit plate in front of Robert.

Her demeanor was reminiscent of a student being called upon by a professor after daydreaming during class.

To be honest, Nicole had always been quite afraid of this Robert.

Even before she married Richard, whenever she went on dates with the Hayes family and encountered him, she felt like a mouse facing a cat, wishing she could find a place to hide.

In reality, Robert was not an overly strict person and did not have an ugly appearance. On the contrary, he had always been very kind to her.

As an elder, he displayed the necessary patience and tolerance towards the younger generation. He had all the necessary elegance, and his appearance was even more superior than Richard's, making him pleasant to the eye wherever he went.

However, perhaps due to his overpowering aura on a regular basis, his eyes always carried a strong sense of oppression when looking at people.

He was too cold and unapproachable, causing Nicole to never be able to feel close to him. Over time, she had developed a habit of feeling nervous and afraid in front of him.

The man leaned forward from the chair, and the faint smell of alcohol on him followed the sea breeze and wafted into Nicole's nose. It was not strong, but carried the scent of pine on his body, strangely pleasant.

Robert lowered his gaze and stared at the fruit plate in front of him, looking focused. His eyes were so meticulous that it seemed as if he was studying a document worth millions.

Against the light from the shore, the shadow outlined the contours of his profile, making it more three-dimensional. The shadows cast by his lowered eyelashes fell on his eyes, making his inherent sharpness even more evident.

Nicole, seeing his posture, felt as if she were standing in a graduation defense, waiting for the professor's judgment, feeling suffocated.

At this moment, he raised his eyes and his gaze landed on her face with a calm and dominant force. As if to ease her tension, he lightly pulled his lower lip and softened his tone:

"Who made this?"

Nicole lowered her eyes and saw that the sleeves of his shirt were folded up, revealing a small forearm with exposed veins. Her gaze moved downward, revealing two distinct finger bones, gripping a small fork she had placed on the tray, pointing at a piece of watermelon carved into the shape of a rabbit's head.

Looking at the crooked and twisted rabbit's head, her face immediately flushed, and she lowered her head, stuttering, "It...it was me..."

Nicole was extremely regretful in her heart at this moment. If she had known that this fruit plate would be scrutinized so carefully by Robert, she would not have brought it up to embarrass herself!

"It's very..."