Scarlette walked up to her bedroom door and found Morgan waiting there. He was the perfect gentleman-always had that intellectual vibe about him, being a university professor and all. Holding a bag of groceries, he shed her a smile. "Done with your meeting?"


    She paused, nodded slightly, and let them both in. Morgan followed her inside, automatically changing into his indoor shoes and handing her a pair. "What are you in the mood for?"


    Scarlette yawned, flopping onto the living room couch. "Just something simple."


    Morgan grabbed the apron from the hook, leaned down close to her, and looked into her eyes. She didn''t bother opening them, but she knew he was right there. "Dr. Morgan, I''ve always been scared of teachers since I was a kid," she mumbled, still half-asleep.


    He chuckled, gently tucking a loose strand of hair behind her ear. She was too tired to move away.


    About forty minutester, the doorbell rang. She''d been getting a lot of packagestely, so she assumed it was another delivery. Dragging herself up, she was surprised to find Nichs at the door.


    Hand on the knob, she frowned, clearly not nning to let him in. "What are you doing here?"


    Just then, Morgan came out of the kitchen with a bowl, oblivious to the visitor. "Scarlette, can you give me a hand with the dishes?"


    Nichs pushed the door open with a forceful shove.


    Scarlette stumbled back a few steps as he made his way into the kitchen. Morgan, hearing the noise, set the bowl down and stepped out, running right into Nichs.


    With a sarcastic smirk, Nichs nced at the cozy setup of steak, vegetables, and mashed potatoes. "Looks cozy."


    Scarlette was wide awake now, exasperated. "Nichs, can we not do this right now?"


    Unbothered, Nichs grabbed a fork, chuckling. "Sure, another time. But I''d love to see how Dr. Morgan''s cooking stacks up against my chef''s."


    Just as Scarlette was about to lose her cool, Morgan ced a calming hand on her shoulder. "Let''s eat first. You can rest afterward."


    Their closeness made Nichs feel like the odd one out. His heart clenched, and he wished his re could make Scarlette back down. But it was clear-Scarlette and Morgan were officially a couple, and Nichs had no idea what he was doing here.


    Ever the gracious host, Morgan served three tes, putting one in front of Scarlette first. She was genuinely starving, having only had bread and a few sips of water over the past couple of days because of meetings.


    And the main reason for her hectic schedule? Sitting right next to her.


    Morgan ced another te in front of Nichs, then sat beside Scarlette, skillfully serving her a piece of steak.


    Watching the warm scene unfold, Nichs felt a bitter pang and mmed his fork down. "Scarlette, you''ve really got it all figured out, huh? You can mess around with me outside, and thene home to a personal chef."


    Scarlette''s expression darkened, trying to hold back her frustration. "Nichs, when is this going to stop?"


    His eyes met hers, cold and piercing, as if a poisoned arrow had struck his heart. He''d always been the secret admirer, sticking around under the guise of a younger brother, turning away any suitors with bold ims like, "None of them are good enough for my sister."


    Scarlette had been the one to break the unspoken bond, drunk or not, she''d made the first move. Now, she just met him with cold indifference.


    Nichs, always so proud, had never felt this humiliated. "I''ll stop when you break up with him."