?Chapter 266:


    This home was her promise, a safe haven for those she loved. Maia silently swore to guard it with everything she had. She didn’t exin why she wasn’t moving in herself. Kathie knew that Maia had her reasons and didn’t press her for more details.


    It was Ethan who spoke up, seriously dering that once he grew up and had enough money, he’d buy a bigger house so Maia could live with them as well.


    Maia tousled Ethan’s hair gently, her voice soft. “I’ll be waiting for that day. But until then, you’d better work hard, alright?”


    “I will!” Ethan replied.


    After having dinner with Kathie and Ethan, Maia got up and made her way back to her apartment at Elysium Apartments.


    The moment Maia walked in, she saw Chris stretched out on the sofa. His legs were propped up, and he flipped through a book withid-back grace.


    When Chris noticed Maia, he nced up and said without a hint of rush, “You didn’t mentioning back for dinner, so I didn’t bother cooking today.”


    Maia walked over to the water dispenser and filled a ss, but her gaze stayed fixed on Chris sitting nearby. She spoke with a light tone. “You never used to cook. When did that change?”


    Chris closed his book, grabbed the empty ss from the table, and walked over to the dispenser. Standing next to Maia, he filled his ss, and a smile softened his features. “When my wife’s cooking is so incredible, how could I not pick up a few things? I’ve got to keep up somehow.”


    Maia turned her head just enough to nce at him, her voice curious. “Usually, in a family, when one person can cook, the others just wait to eat. Why are you so… different?”


    Chris met her gaze, his eyes steady. “Cooking might seem easy, but doing it right takes real skill.”


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    He squinted just a bit, his voice yful and warm. “In the future, if you want to cook, I’ll be your sous-chef. If not, I’ll take over the kitchen myself. Deal?”


    “Why?”


    Her fingers gripped the ss a little tighter. She had once given her heart so easily to Vince, only to face endless demands and no real understanding. Now, with Chris — someone she barely knew — he was showing her more care and thoughtfulness than anyone ever had. Even those she had once called her closest friends had hurt her without a second thought. Maia struggled to believe that someone she barely knew could be truly kind, with no strings attached.


    Her voice turned a bit distant. “Why are you so nice to me?”


    What was this man really after? Maia couldn’t bring herself to say it out loud.


    Chris saw the tension in her face. He reached out, gently pinching her cheek, and chuckled. “Because you deserve it. Why would I have married you if I hadn’t wanted to be nice to you?”


    These words made Maia’s heart race.


    When she had agreed to marry Chris, it had been to honor Zoey’s wish. But what about Chris? Why had he said yes?


    Maia’s thoughts felt scattered.


    She wanted to ask why Chris had shown up at Nexus Collectivest night, right when she needed him to pull her away from Vince. But mentioning Vince now felt wrong, as if it would tarnish the warmth she felt in that moment. So, Maia kept her questions to herself.


    Her gaze dropped without thinking, moving over Chris’ exposed forearm, lean and strong with a hint of muscle, then lower to his slim waist, held by a ck belt. His crisp white shirt barely showed the outline of his firm abs, giving off an unmistakable sense of strength. Chris looked wless, like he had stepped out of a—


    Maia’s eyes wandered downward unintentionally, her mind drifting back to Pattie’s yful remarks from earlier.


    She stopped in her tracks, her throat feeling parched, confirming what she had already suspected. From what she could see, Chris’ manhood was certainly not small by any means.


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