Chapter 74
“So I should…” Cassandra asked warily.
“Offer yourself to me in gratitude?” Ryan replied.
Her smile froze. But before she could come up with a retort, he looked away and said casually,” Just kidding. Let’s eat.”
“Oh…” Although she didn’t want to admit it, she thought she caught a flicker of disappointment in his eyes. But what did he have to be disappointed about?
If anything, he was probably just biding his time, helping her wrap up the divorce quickly so he could go after Cameron.
Before she could spiral further, he spoke again. “Oh, by the way. There’s one more thing.”
“What is it?”
“Cameron’s probably getting engaged to Annabelle soon.”
The words barely registered. She was too distracted by the food in front of her. She wasn’t even hungry when she came down, but now her stomach was grumbling.
What had he just said?
Ryan arched an eyebrow, lips twitching. “Didn’t you say you weren’t hungry? Something about eating snacks?”
Cassandra flushed. “Snacks don’t count as a meal. Are we expecting someone else?”
“Nope. It’s just us.”
She looked at the table, which was piled high with dishes. “This is way too much food for just
two people.”
“Don’t worry. I have three hungry boys right here.” He gestured toward the Mastiffs lounging obediently at his feet.
Fair point. Judging by their size alone, those three could easily polish off anything left over.
Without further hesitation, Cassandra picked up her utensils and dug in.
But after a few bites, something struck her. Every dish was something she loved.
The selection was so precise and tailored to her preferences. She didn’t even like coriander, and not a single dish had it.
Even the chicken stew had no coriander in it. The subtle aroma remained, but the coriander
was removed.
Just then, Lilian entered with a polite smile. “Ms. Blake, how is the food tonight?”
“They’re great. Delicious.”
“I thought you’d like them. Mr. Scott told the chef himself and specifically asked for no ginger. He even picked out the coriander from the chicken stew one by one before it was served.”
Cassandra froze mid–bite, unsure of what to do with this information.
“He… picked them out himself?”
Lilian noticed her startled expression and tried to smooth it over with a chuckle. “Oh? Didn’t . he tell you?”
Ryan said, calm as ever, “I don’t like coriander either. I picked it out for myself.”
Cassandra exhaled in obvious relief. “Oh! That scared me for a second. I thought this whole meal was made just for me. Not going to lie, but these dishes are all my favorites.”
“And what if I did make them just for you?” Ryan asked.
She narrowed her eyes. “Then, I’d probably have to send every dish for testing. You know, just to make sure you didn’t poison me.”
Ryan sighed and rubbed his temple. “Please. If I wanted to poison you, I wouldn’t waste it on food. My three boys haven’t eaten yet.”
Cassandra laughed and resumed eating, now completely at ease. “True. You wouldn’t dare risk
their lives.”
Lilian stood off to the side, watching them, and sighed. She had hoped this whole situation would finally soften Cassandra toward Ryan.
But with the way these two bickered–honestly, it was like watching two porcupines try to hug.
At this rate, Ryan’s efforts alone weren’t going to cut it. It was time for backup.
“Oh, right! Mr. Scott, didn’t you say you had something important to discuss with Ms. Blake?”
Ryan glanced up, puzzled.
Lilian flashed him a wide, not–so–subtle smile. “Yes! Ms. Blake, Mr. Scott’s been worried that, because of everything that’s happened with Snowball, you might be low in spirits and accidentally neglect your clients. So, as a special kind of compensation, he’s decided to offer you three of his boys.”
Cassandra nearly choked. “His what?”
Lilian beamed. “If you don’t mind, Ms. Blake, we’d love for you to adopt these three Mastiffs. They’re cute and energetic. We hope they can help fill the space Snowball left behind.”
Chapter 74
Cassandra looked at the three enormous dogs sprawled nearby, panting happily at her.
Cute and energetic? Was Lilian looking at the same three massive beasts?
“Are you sure?” she asked hesitantly.
“It’s not that I don’t want to. It’s just-”
“Great! That means yes.” Lilian clapped her hands in delight. “Come on, boys–go say hi to Mommy!”
Cassandra was stunned. Somebody had to stop Lilian!
