“I like your cooking, but you won’t cook for me,” replied Samuel in a crisp and clear voice. His aura seemed ever so regal.
Kathleen’s red lips clamped shut. She refused to talk.
Samuel ate quietly.
The truth was that he was satisfied with being able to sit there and share a meal with her peacefully. He didn’t dare to even dream of more.
Still, his heart ached because he had to force her to eat with him.
He knew that Kathleen never wanted to stay and that she didn’t even want to see him.
Kathleen put her cutlery down after taking a few bites. After that, she sipped water while waiting for Samuel to finish his meal.
Samuel, on the other hand, ate extremely slowly. It was as if he was deliberately torturing her.
As Kathleen sipped her water, she had a frosty look.
“There is something wrong with my stomach,” explained Samuel. “It’ll hurt if I don’t eat slowly.”
Kathleen heartlessly pointed out, “That has nothing to do with me.”
A hint of sorrow flashed past his eyes. “I know. I just wanted to talk to you.”
Kathleen put her glass down and stopped being mean.
Samuel knew that was just how she was.
She couldn’t be mean even though she hated him with every fiber of her being.
Samuel’s dark eyes shone with suppressed desires and intelligence. “A year ago, I stumbled upon some information about how Vanessa has been searching for a woman.”
Kathleen raised her brow and stared at him.
“That woman is connected to Vanessa in some way, but that is not the important bit,” continued Samuel before he paused a while. “The interesting bit is that Vanessa didn’t send Ivan to capture that woman. Instead, she wanted him to kill her.”
Kathleen turned her attention to him. “What proof do you have to back up your words?”
Samuel had a skin-deep grin on when he turned to her.
She gripped her glass, and her fingers turned pale from that. “You have some conditions, don’t you?” she added upon seeing that smile.
“Yes,” replied Samuel, nodding.
She was so angry that she chuckled out loud. “Hah! And to think that just yesterday, you promised you won’t make things difficult for me.”
Samuel’s voice sounded amazing when he replied, “That is true, but you get to choose whether you want to accept those conditions.”
“What choice? It’s not really a choice when you won’t let me have that evidence unless I agree to your terms,” protested Kathleen. She was a little upset, and her beautiful eyes were glistening with tears from being treated unfairly.
Samuel chuckled, his smile mysterious and dangerous.
He handed a folder to her and replied, “This is the evidence you want.”
Kathleen was taken aback.
“Take it,” offered Samuel with a smile. “With this, you can prove that Ivan committed the crime. However, your efforts will be for naught if he refuses to betray Vanessa.”
Kathleen bit her lip. “What do you want in return?”
She refused to accept his gift for no reason.
“I want you to cook for me,” replied Samuel in a magnetic voice. “You don’t have to cook every day, though. Once a week will suffice.”
Kathleen stared in astonishment. That’s it?
His undecipherable cold gaze landed on Kathleen, and he grinned. “If you find that to be troublesome, then feel free to just leave. I won’t stop you.”
If he had stopped her, she would only end up hating him more.
That was something Samuel knew all too well.
Kathleen bit her lip once more. “Do you have any other requests?”
“Yes, but you will never agree to that term,” answered Samuel. The lust in his eyes shone as though it were a caged monster.
Kathleen clamped her lips shut as if she had figured out what that was.
“Fine, I will cook for you, but only because I don’t want to be in your debt. However, I will leave at any time, Samuel, so…”
“It’s fine. You can stop cooking if you wish to leave, but if you ever return, please cook for me again, okay?” He grinned. A dangerous and ambiguous aura seeped out of his eyes as he spoke.
The evidence he gave her had helped solve a huge issue.
Given Kathleen’s style, she would not want to be in his debt, but she truly wanted to sever all ties with him.
Still, I can’t just leave with everything he gave me. He doesn’t owe me anything… at least not where this matter is concerned.
“Okay, I will cook for you if I am free.” She nodded and promised reluctantly.
“Thank you,” said Samuel politely.
She stood up and left with the folder right away.
Samuel gracefully sipped his glass of warm water. A small grin crept up.
She is too simple-minded. Good thing she has Charles as her brother. If that weren’t the case…
Samuel’s thought took a sharp turn at that moment. No, that’s not right. I should be the one to protect her. I won’t let her get hurt so long as I am here.
As soon as that thought ran past his mind, he picked up his phone to call Tyson.
“Put some pressure on the production team and make them chase Kylie away,” ordered Samuel mercilessly. “Also, Christopher’s grandfather set up an arranged marriage for Christopher when the latter was a baby. Look into the matter and find some way to get his betrothed here.”
Tyson was taken aback to hear that.
Oh dear, Mr. Macari is getting a little too cruel…
“Quit dilly-dallying and just do it,” demanded Samuel.
“Understood,” answered Tyson. He put his phone away immediately.
Dang, the predator has locked in on his victim. I guess Mrs. Macari is done for.
Kathleen held the folder with her and went to Charles.
She handed it to him and said, “Take a look and deal with it however you see fit. I have to go to work now.”
After saying all that, she turned around to leave.
“Hang on,” called out Charles. “Where did you get this?”
“Samuel gave it to me,” answered Kathleen.
Charles’ eyes bulged. “You went to talk to him?”
She nodded in response.
“Then d-did he take advantage of you?” asked Charles in a hesitant and worried tone.
She shot him a nonchalant look. “No. He acted like a gentleman this time.”
Charles scoffed, “Pfft, listen to me. That monster is trying to get in your head and manipulate you, so don’t fall for his tricks.”
“What could he want from me? We were married in the past, and he already has everything he could get from me,” replied Kathleen. “He’s just a bit annoyed with how I dumped him a year ago.”
Charles asked, “Wait, are you saying he’s only courting you to dump you?”
Kathleen nodded.
“How is that even possible?” Charles didn’t quite buy that. Things can’t possibly be as simple as she thinks it is.
“It’s true,” replied Kathleen firmly. “When we first got married, he saw me watching a soap opera. The screen showed how the female lead in the show dumped the man she loved, and he said that it was stupid. Samuel also said that he was the only one who can dump others because no one else was good enough to do that to him.”
Charles frowned. “What an idiot. Who the hell does he think he is? Ignore him, Kate. Make him suffer.”
“Don’t worry. I won’t fall for his tricks.” She yawned and added, “In any case, please deal with the matter concerning Ivan. I gotta go now.”
“Let me drop you off,” offered Charles. He was worried.
“There’s no need for that. I drove here.” She shook her head, then stepped out of the place to leave.
Charles stared at her back, then at the folder he had with him, sighing.
This is the only part where Samuel is better than Christopher. Looks like the latter will have to work harder.
Kathleen drove back to the mansion that the production team got for them.
She had just entered the place when she heard Kylie crying.
“Please give me another shot. I can’t afford to lose this job.” Kylie was heartbroken and was crying as she sat on the couch. A few other workers were sitting beside her.
Kathleen didn’t even bother looking at her before making her way up the stairs.
“Kathleen!” shouted Kylie.
Kathleen turned to her. “What, b*tch?”
Kylie was speechless.
“We have nothing to say to each other,” added Kathleen. She walked up the stairs immediately after.
