"Tell me if you need help. I can cook a little," Vernon offered.
Chloe feared this might be another trap that would set Vernon off. She was afraid to make a mistake and accidentally offended him.
'Oh, I would rather cook by myself, than get yelled at by Vernon again,' Chloe thought.
"Thank you, but I can cook by myself," Chloe refused politely, and Vernon chuckled. freewebnove(l).com
Vernon finally lifted his head and looked at Chloe, who stood awkwardly. She was quite far from his position, so he picked up his round-rimless prescription glasses from the drawer and took a good look at her.
Once he got a clearer view, he could see Chloe looking away nervously, trying to dodge his gaze. The grin at the edge of his lips turned into a smirk, "Why are you so nervous? I was done playing with you today. Or maybe you want to play again?"
"N—No! I need to cook lunch now!" Chloe dashed straight to the kitchen and started busying herself.
Vernon found Chloe's nervousness to be a little endearing. He put down his iPad and walked to the kitchen.
Chloe looked down as she prepared the ingredients on the long marble kitchen counter when Vernon suddenly barged in and sat on a chair directly facing her.
He propped his cheek with his hand and asked, "What are you going to make for lunch, sister-in-law?"
Chloe was focused on preparing lunch. She was a lot more serious when cooking because it was one of her hobbies as a stay-at-home mom. She didn't know what Vernon liked, but she still remembered that Vernon liked the homemade pot roast that she made when he was still a kid.
Whenever she visited the Gray Mansion, Vernon always hogged on her and asked for a pot roast, lasagna, or even fish and chips with gravy on the side.
"I don't know if you still like it, but… I will make a pot roast for lunch. Autumn is near, and the wind starts getting chilly, so it will warm you up," Chloe said. She had a thin smile while preparing the meat. "You love pot roast that I made as a kid. I don't know if you still remember, though.."
Vernon raised his brow, and a smirk lingered on his lips, "Do you know that I've been personally served by many top chefs from around the world? Even some celebrity chefs cooked for me sometimes."
"T—That's amazing…." Chloe mumbled nervously.
"It is," Vernon found that Chloe got a little sloppy when he mentioned those top and celebrity chefs. He chuckled as he found her reaction interesting, "I've tasted so many dishes. Do you think a homemade pot roast from ten years ago will still be my favorite?"
"I don't know…." Chloe was at a loss. She was just a regular stay-at-home mom. She cooked many traditional dishes that she learned from her mother and recipes from cookbooks and the internet.
But she was definitely not on par with those top chefs.
"I—I can cook a few dishes from other countries if you want. I can also, um… search a recipe on the internet. I will try to replicate the top chefs' recipes…."
"No need. I don't think you can match them. Since they're the original cooks of those dishes," Vernon replied curtly, shooting down Chloe's hope. "Just stick with your pot roast first. I will check if it's good enough to eat."
"I—I will try my best…." Chloe tried to encourage herself.
Vernon scoffed. He got up from the chair, "Well, since you don't want me to help, you're on your own. Make sure you make a good pot roast because if it's bad, then you might lose your job."
"Wha?!" Chloe lifted her head and looked at Vernon, who smirked at her.
"What? Why are you so shocked? Cooking is part of your job, remember? Of course, I expect you to be a good cook that meets my expectation," Vernon said. "I can hire a top chef to cook for me, so if you will be the one who cooks for me daily, that means you got to meet my expectation. I won't eat any disgusting dishes just because you make them."
"B—But— I'm not a chef—"
Vernon shrugged it out and refused to listen to Chloe's nervous rambling. He returned to the living room and read the stock chart from his iPad again.
Chloe got nervous now. She knew how to make a perfect pot roast, even with the side dish if he wanted to.
The kid Vernon would love her cooking, but what about the adult Vernon? The adult him had many experiences during ten years growing up alone in the UK.
'Okay, take a deep breath, Chloe. Just make your usual, and hope it's passable for Vernon.'
Chloe started getting busy in the kitchen, and Vernon could smell the spices that Chloe used to cook the meat to tender. Something very nostalgic to him.
'So she didn't change her recipe even after more than ten years, huh?' Vernon thought. 'Makes me wonder why my brother never seems to eat her cooking.'
Vernon busied himself analyzing the stock market. Since he knew that the pot roast would take around three and a half hours to cook.
He also started texting Diamond— his secretary, telling her to start preparing for Chloe's exclusive contract that should be ready on Monday morning.
Since Chloe wanted to work with him 'professionally,' she even went as far as asking for her 'salary' to be paid early so she could move out and pay for her daughter's tuition.
It was a direct insult to Vernon's financial capability that still annoyed him. He might be in a good mood because he just played with her, but that didn't mean he forgot her insult.
'Let's see if you will like the contract I will offer you, sister-in-law. Since you've wasted my kindness to just use that black card to buy whatever you want.'
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