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
"How could that be?" At that moment, James appeared gentler as though he was refraining from saying the harsh truth that would hurt Summer's feelings. However, Summer didn't appreciate his white lies.She patted him on the back and said, "Don't lie to me. If it's bad, just say so. Why torture yourself?""Well … it's not that it's bad. I'm just not used to it," James explained tactfully, which confirmed Summer's suspicions. The last meal she prepared hadn't suited his refined palate.Summer had to step up her cooking game. All the while, she thought her culinary skills were good enough to win a man's heart. But she now realized she had overestimated herself.While other men were relatively easier to please, James was unique and difficult to serve. Before Summer, there had been countless people who carefully attended to his dietary preferences. It was inevitable that he would turn out this way.Seeing James happily finishing his meal, Summer couldn't help feeling somewhat delighte
"So ... Summie, what is it you want?" James seemed impassive, but his tone was very gentle."Appoint a female bodyguard. Charlie and Connor can still protect me at home, but I need a female bodyguard for close protection. Besides that, I need freedom. That means telling the bodyguard to leave me alone when necessary.”While it sounded like Summer hadn't considered James' perspective, it was the complete opposite. Summer understood that he was worried about her safety, so it was reasonable to have a bodyguard by her side.Likewise, Summer also had to think about herself. She couldn't accept having those bodyguards following her around the clock.In the office chair, James sat in silence for a long time. Finally, he grasped her point of view. "I will send several female bodyguards over tomorrow. You can pick one of them. But for today, can you let Charlie stay by your side?""Okay. However, I don't want anyone to follow me around this afternoon. I have a date.""A date ..." The wor
As his plan was exposed, James said helplessly, "Summie, you have grown smarter.""That's right! Wait, no ... I've always been smart. Anyway, did you hear me? You are not allowed to send anyone to follow me," Summer said resolutely."I understand. I won't."Now that the matter was settled, Summer successfully retrieved her freedom. It was just in time to meet her high school best friend whom she hadn't seen in a year. She had missed her dearly, and now, she was ready to take a taxi to her date.Just when she was heading out of the office, James stopped her. "Wait a minute, Summie."Arching an eyebrow, Summer wondered what else he wanted to say to her. Unexpectedly, James fished out a deep blue crystal bracelet from the drawer of his desk. The bracelet was dazzling under the lights. One could tell from its clear crystals that it was luxurious.Actually, anything given by James had to be valuable. He put the bracelet on Summer's wrist and said, "I bought this for you yesterday. I