CHAPTER <b>0021 </b>


    Meadow’s POV:


    The time was past seven pm when I trudged down the spiral stairs, my head still aching slightly due to the aftermath of the concussion.


    Nova didn’t stay too long. When we got to the house, she gushed and gushed over how fucking huge ric’s mansion was. And it was safe to say that she was about eighty–five percent sure that I was in


    safe hands with my ‘husband.‘


    I hadn’t told her yet that I was going to agree to marry ric and ept the deal, but I was fully certain


    that she already knew.


    After Nova left, I’d spent the entire afternoon trying–and failing–to sleep because of how lost in thought I was. It was impossible to get my overthinking under control. Overthinking was a part of me. It’s one of the major reasons I hated being alone and didn’t waste any time to move in with Tyler when he’d asked.


    And now, with all the drama I’d experienced in just one weekend–the same weekend I thought I would be getting married–my thoughts were spiralling out of control.


    And I couldn’t take another minute of being alone.


    So I decided to head down to the kitchen., following the aroma of various vors and damn near floating


    down the stairs.


    Mel was a damn good cook, that was for sure. Nova had confirmed it and I was pretty sure that was what had majorly influenced her decision to leave me in ric’s hands.


    She was in the kitchen, of course, her hair tied in a loose bun on the top of her head as she stirred something in the pot. Mel looked exactly like the sort of woman who made everything better just by


    being present.


    She turned around, not surprised to see that I was there.


    Her brows furrowed as she regarded me. “You’re supposed to be resting.”


    I nearly felt intimidated under her gaze. Mel wasn’t scary or mean by any means, but she was proper as hell, and she carried herself with an elegance I wasn’t sure I’d ever be able to acquire. I wondered how long she’d been working for ric.


    I cleared my throat as I stepped further into the kitchen, my handbing through my hair as I unconsciously tried to imitate her. But then I gave up and hugged myself instead. “Being alone in that suite feels like punishment,” I muttered. “Besides, if I stay in a horizontal position any longer, I’ll melt into


    that mattress.”


    Mel chuckled softly, grabbing a clean dish towel to wipe her hands. “Mr. Ashford did say you’d be


    difficult.”


    I scoffed, amused. “Well, Mr. Ashford has only known me for a few days. And if there’s anyone who’s


    difficult, it’s him.”


    Mel chuckled again as she turned back to the stove.


    There was a short moment of silence as I slipped onto one of the stools at the edge of the marble counter.


    “Can I help?” I asked Mel.


    “Absolutely not,” she replied, not missing a beat, and then she tossed me a nce over her shoulder. “Not


    unless you don’t want to see me again.” Amusementced her tone.


    I smirked, rolling my eyes. “I doubt ric would fire you. How long have you worked for him anyway<b>?</b><b>” </b>


    Mel’s posture stiffened just slightly. It was subtle, and if I wasn’t watching her closely, I wouldn’t have


    noticed it.


    “A long while,<i>” </i>she answered vaguely. “I’ve been with this family for quite some time.”


    His family<b>? </b>


    My eyes widened slightly. I had no idea why the possibility of ric having a family was a huge shock to <ol><li>me. He was human. Of course, someone birthed him. </li></ol>


    And that made me even more interested to know more about him.


    “His family, huh?” I muttered, trying to feign nonchnce. “What’re they like?”


    Mel sighed, moving to rinse something in the sink. “Not my ce to say.”


    <b>I </b>tilted my head, even more curious now. “Is that a no because they’re a horrible set of people or because


    it’s ssified information?”


    Mel turned to face me, giving me a small smile. “It’s a no because Mr. Ashford is a private man. I’ve learned not <i>to </i>speak for him, especially when he’s not around.”


    Well, that definitely meant that his family was not going to be a walk in the park. I wondered if he would introduce me to them, or, like my own family, he’d cut ties with them.


    No, not like my own family.


    No family was like the one that I grew up in.


    I shook my head, trying not to let my thoughts overwhelm me. My family was…plicated.


    I leaned forward, watching Mel move. She chopped some onions with precision, her movement measured


    and calm, like she’d done it a million times.


    Which she had, obviously.


    “You really won’t let me help?”


    “I really won’t,” she chuckled. “Just sit. Talk. Rest. That’s the most help you can offer right now.”


    I huffed dramatically, dropping my head onto the marble counter. “God, I’m going <i>to </i>lose my mind.”


    “That would be unfortunate,” Mel replied smoothly, turning back to the pot. “Mr. Ashford does have a <i>type</i>.”


    I blinked as something tugged at my chest. “And what’s that?”


    Mel didn’t answer. Instead, she added a pinch of salt to the pot and stirred slowly, like she hadn’t implied


    that I was the kind of woman ric was drawn to.


    But knowing ric’s condition, I supposed his ‘type‘ would be the women who could touch him. I wondered if anyone had been able to. If ric had ever felt another woman’s touch.


    No idea why that thought made something re up inside me. I wasn’t jealous. I couldn’t be.


    I narrowed my eyes at Mel. “You know, for someone so proper and polite, you’re sneakier than you look.”


    <b>“</b>Years of practice,” Mel said with a smile.


    I stared at her for a full minute. Yes, it did seem like Mel had years of practice, but that only made me even more curious. I wanted to know what would happen if I just ruffled her prim and proper feathers a


    little.


    And so, I jumped down from the stool. “Okay, I officially cannot sit down any longer and watch you do all


    the work.<b>” </b>


    I reached for the tes that had been stacked at the edge of the counter.


    “Mrs. Ashford-” There was a hint of warning in her tone.


    “Don’t call me that,” I snapped. “My name is Meadow, okay?”


    Mel finally faced me fully, one brow raised as her eyes flicked between the tes in my hands and my face. “You do realize Mr. Ashford would not be pleased to see you doing this, don’t you?”


    I smirked. “Unfortunately, I don’t give a shit about what pleases ric.”


    The words left my mouth sharper than I intended them to, but I didn’t take them back. I was frustrated, tired, and confused about what the hell my life had be and hated that everyone was being so fucking vague.


    Mel pursed her lips, but she didn’t say a word. Instead, she turned back to turn the stove off, finally done with the cooking.


    I took her silence as victory, starting to turn around, but then a voice cut through the atmosphere.


    ric’s voice. It was cool and crisp.


    “Is that right?”


    I jumped out of my skin, startled, and in the process-


    Dropped the tes by ident.