Frank and Gianna disappeared from the hall, and all that was left was the music in the background and the chatter of the guests.Summer didn't want to stay either. She left promptly once the matter with Gianna was resolved. After getting into the car, Summer closed her eyes and fell asleep. Suddenly, the man beside her said, "Rest your head on me if you're tired."As James spoke, he moved Summer's head onto his broad and solid shoulder. Whenever she was with him, she always felt so reassured.Summer murmured, "Thank you.""For what?""For what you did for me. If it weren't for you, I might have made a fool out of myself at the party." Summer didn't expect James to appear when she needed him, just like a hero rescuing a damsel in distress. It was straight out of a fairy tale, such as the classic example where Prince Phillip saved Princess Aurora at the right time.While it felt like a dream to Summer, James simply shrugged. "I didn't do anything. And even if I did, it's my duty.
It turned out that Summer had misunderstood his intentions. James wanted to explain himself, but she didn't give him a chance.Taking the lead, Summer continued, "Don't lie to me! Tell me why you asked to marry me the first time we met. Don't give me ridiculous excuses like it was love at first sight, and don't say it was because you find me good-looking. Tell me the truth, or else I can't take your feelings for me seriously."James was helpless. He would have told her the truth long ago if he could. But it wasn't the right time to tell her, and he didn't want to do it now either.In the end, he looked away and chose to remain silent. Unbeknownst to him, Summer hated this kind of response the most. She disliked that James was always so quiet. If they were a real couple, why couldn't they communicate well?"Speak, James. What do you want from me? Aren't you going to admit it? Your so-called feelings for me were just an excuse, aren't they?"James remained quiet, his expression impa
After pondering for a while, Summer threw herself on the bed and pulled the quilt over her body."Don't overthink it, and go to sleep. You have things to do tomorrow!" she told herself.Meanwhile, in the study downstairs, a figure loomed under the dim lights. James was still working at the late hour, diligently writing on documents.With a slight furrow of his brow, he suddenly put down the pen and heaved out a sigh. For some reason, something bothered him, and he couldn't shake it off.This was abnormal. Usually, James was devoted to his work without a care in the world. However, he couldn't concentrate tonight.The conversation with Summer in the car popped into his mind. She had said that there was nothing between them other than the deal they had made. Strangely enough, a sense of forlorn tugged at him incessantly."A deal … How ruthless." A dejected look crossed his face. He only acted so cowardly when it came to Summer."If everything was just a deal, why would I care so m
At first, Summer thought that James was simply smarter, more handsome, and had a better family background than the average man. But now, it seemed that was not the case.Although Summer had never tasted James' cooking, the fact that he could make such a delicious breakfast proved that he possessed great cooking skills as well.After Summer finished her breakfast, a hint of guilt surged in her heart. As a trophy wife, she seemed rather incompetent. Logically speaking, she should have gotten up early in the morning and made breakfast. But her husband had done her job instead.However, Summer quickly dismissed the guilt and shifted the blame onto James. She never forced him to get up so early and make breakfast, after all.Then again, from an etiquette point of view, married couples should treat each other with respect. Since James had made breakfast for her, Summer wondered whether she should also make something appetizing for lunch."I must do my best!" Summer pumped her fist in th
"You haven't eaten, right? Let's eat together.""Thank you, madam."Charlie was starving. He had to get up at 5:00 am to carry out his duties. He patrolled the apartment without eating breakfast. After all, only he and Connor were in charge of protecting Summer's safety. It was not an easy task for them both.At the dining table, he ate happily and gave Summer a thumbs-up. "It tastes great. Madam, you're not only beautiful but also a good cook."Summer felt happy to be complimented. Amelia was the one who taught her to cook, even though she didn't seem like a "good mother" with how delighted she had been upon hearing that Summer was to marry James. It felt like she wished Summer would never return home after getting married.But in general, Amelia performed her duties as a mother well. Summer had learned a lot from her in terms of cooking.When they finished the meal, Summer cleared away the dishes and was ready to deliver the lunchbox to James. However, she noticed Charlie stand
Summer had no choice but to seek help from Charlie. "Then, what do you think I should do?" "Madam, why not try learning?""Where can I possibly learn? Besides, James is so difficult to please. I'm afraid no one can satisfy his appetite.""Don't worry, madam. I was prepared for this," Charlie responded. He then turned around to make a call. In a commanding tone, he gave instructions to the person on the other end of the line. Five minutes later, a group of people stormed into the apartment. Among the nine people, six of them were black-clad bodyguards, and three others were middle-aged men in chef's attire. They respectfully greeted Summer, "Hello, Mrs. Quigley."The scene was quite overwhelming, leaving Summer bewildered. She could only nod in a daze.After that, Charlie ordered, "Madam needs to pick up some cooking skills. Please teach her to make Mr. Quigley's favorite dishes.""Understood," the three chefs responded in unison. Their formation was spectacular."Madam, p
However, it was clear that Summer favored Liam slightly due to his expertise in handling lower-grade ingredients. The term was used in the culinary industry for more affordable food items. In Summer's opinion, all ingredients were equal and shouldn't be categorized as high or low grade.Not wanting Finn and Liam to argue further, Summer stepped in and persuaded them with a diplomatic tone, "Please stop fighting, you two. Each of you has your own strengths. There's nothing to argue about.""Madam, you're cooking for Mr. Quigley. Please consider his well-being. He deserves the best ingredients for his health," Finn stated firmly.Liam rebuked, "What nonsense are you talking about? Ordinary ingredients can be nutritious too. I can take care of Mr. Quigley's health just fine.""Even if you can meet Mr. Quigley's nutritional needs, he cannot have what ordinary people eat. It's beneath his status."Summer disagreed with Finn when he countered with this point. Everyone's status was equal
Summer was dumbfounded by Liam's critique. She had tasted the dish and felt that it was the best dish she had ever made, only for it to be criticized so harshly by another.Wasn’t it just baked pork ribs with potatoes? They were all the same to Summer. She asked with some frustration, "Chef Benson, why don't you let me taste your version? I want to know what the difference is.""Sure." Liam swiftly grabbed the kitchen knife and masterfully sliced the potatoes and pork ribs. Upon closer inspection, Summer noticed he had left faint knife marks on those items.During the process, Liam explained that leaving a few cuts before baking the ingredients would allow their flavors to be better absorbed and integrated. In addition, it was important to control the oven's heat lest the meat turned out tough from over-baking or undercooked from under-baking.In reality, there was not much difference between Liam's and Summer's cooking techniques throughout the whole process. Nevertheless, when th