?Chapter 1429:


    But Ste shook her head. “Please, let me handle the cleanup. You’ve already done more than enough, and I’ll feel bad if you don’t let me help.”


    Tasha looked at her for a moment, her expression tender. With a girl this gentle and well-mannered, she couldn’t for the life of her understand how William could treat her so coldly.


    The dining room was quiet now. Ste sat beneath the soft pendant light, eating slowly, one bite at a time.


    She really was hungry. The bowl emptied quickly.


    As she got up to wash the dishes, the faucet turned on with a whoosh. She didn’t hear the footsteps behind her—until a familiar voice broke the silence.


    “And here I thought you were determined not to eat anything tonight.”


    Startled, she froze. William’s voice hade from just behind her, casual but unmistakably amused.


    She turned her head slightly, cheeks flushed.


    “I hadn’t eaten all day,” she mumbled while rinsing the bowl. “Of course I got hungry.”


    She paused, then added more softly, “It wasn’t that I didn’t want to eat earlier… it’s just that none of those dishes suited me. I’m sorry if it seemed like I was being ungrateful. I didn’t mean to waste the effort you put into hiring a nutritionist.”


    Even now, she was apologizing.


    William frowned, watching her. Something about her felt harder to readtely.


    He didn’t respond immediately. Instead, he filled his ss with water, took a sip, and then, instead of leaving, casually dropped himself into the chair she’d just vacated.


    “The pot’s still warm,” he said. “Make me a bowl too.”


    Ste turned, surprised.


    galnσv???s.????m – your update hub


    He… wanted noodles too?


    William raised a brow. “Did I stutter?”


    She blinked, then nodded and got to work.


    He hadn’t argued. He hadn’t sneered. He just asked for noodles—like it was the most normal thing in the world.


    Perhaps feeling guilty for having stolenpany secrets earlier, she cooked the noodles with extra care.


    Twenty minutester, she brought the bowl out. The broth was rich but not heavy, topped with a golden fried egg and garnished with chopped green onions.


    She watched him anxiously as he took the first bite.


    He didn’t say a word, but his expression softened noticeably.


    It wasn’t a gourmet meal. Nothing fancy.


    But somehow, it hit the spot.


    Watching him finish the noodles in a few bites, Ste felt a flicker of relief in her chest.


    He finished most of the broth.


    Then, without saying a thing, he stood up and left the empty bowl on the table for her to clean.


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