?Chapter 428:


    His heart leapt, anticipating Ellie, and he quickly made his way to the kitchen.


    There, a woman in an apron stood at the counter, her back to the door, busily adding yams to a pot.


    Was Ellie cooking?


    Regardless of the oue, Kaiden resolved to appreciate her effort tonight.


    The usual coldness in his eyes softened.


    “Hey, El…”


    “Kaiden, you’re back!”


    Carole’s voice, filled with surprise, cut him off.


    The emerging smile on Kaiden’s face instantly vanished.


    “Carole,” he acknowledged, his expression clouding over.


    He hadn’t mistaken her for Ellie; he simply hadn’t expected any other woman to be at his house.


    Carole caught the sh of disappointment in his eyes, and her smile faltered.


    “I came to discuss something with you. I thought I’d make you some soup while I waited,” she exined.


    Kaiden showed little interest in the soup.


    He simply nodded and left the kitchen, asking the butler about Ellie’s whereabouts.


    Ellie, who had been sketching design drawings in the study, was called down for dinner.


    Descending the stairs, she found Carole emerging from the kitchen with a bowl of soup.


    “Miss Gordon, dinner’s ready!” Carole called out cheerfully, as if their earlier confrontation hadn’t urred. “Why don’t you try the yam and pork rib soup I made?”


    Ellie nced at Kaiden, who was standing by the dining table, her expression a mix of coldness and impatience.


    Kaiden inwardly sighed, feeling a sense of unease. He had just arrived home and hadn’t yet spoken a word, but it seemed Ellie was already displeased with him.


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    “Miss Gordon, please, take a seat!” Carole called out with a smile to Ellie, who paused on the stairs.


    To anyone watching, Carole might have seemed like thedy of the house.


    By the time Ellie made her way down, Carole had already chosen the seat across from Kaiden, taking Ellie’s usual spot.


    Ellie, with a slight frown, approached Kaiden and looked at him with a mix of assertiveness and charm.


    “I’d like your seat, Kaiden,” she dered, aiming to sit directly across from Carole and unsettle her.


    Carole’s frown deepened upon hearing this. Clearly, she had chosen her seat strategically, facing Kaiden. What was Ellie doing here?


    Ellie didn’t let up. cing her hand on the table, she demanded more firmly, “Kaiden, I want your seat!”


    This time, her voice carried a note of entitlement, almost as if she was flirting.


    Kaiden, puzzled by her request yet willing to indulge her, stood up and switched seats, amodating her whim.


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