She had agonized over what to bring him, rejecting Mirian's suggestions and finally settling on giving him her last fruits, despite her love for them. The thought of him smiling as he received her gift had motivated her, but now, seeing the tray already laden with an assortment of fruits, including juicy apples that had just come into season - yet expensive, her gesture felt redundant and thoughtless.
Seeing Reana's eyes had turned colder, Ryder immediately understood what thoughts were going through her. He grasped her hands in his, his eyes locking onto hers with an intense seriousness. "They're not mine," he denied in a heartbeat.
"I woke up to find them there. Perhaps they were brought in by Zeta Marcus." His grip on her hands tightened, as if he feared she might pull away, his gaze burning with a desire to reassure her.
