Chapter 35
Chapter 35:
His oddly glowing review only deepened her frown. “Austin, did you lose your taste buds p>
He froze mid-motion, plate in hand, before breaking into a laugh.
Crossing to the counter, he brushed his fingers over the flour smudges on her blouse, his voice turning sincere. “It’s not every day I find you cooking in the kitchen. As your husband, I should at least act grateful p>
To prove the point, he grabbed a piece of charred toast and bit into it, not a flicker of discomfort on his face. A crisp crunch sounded in the quiet.
“An impressive crunch, followed by a tender finish,” he said solemnly. “I’ve got to admit—not bad p>
Brinley stared as he swallowed the blackened bread without blinking, the corner of her mouth twitching.
“If you enjoy it so much, I’ll whip up some charcoal-grilled avocado with pickled herring tomorrow p>
She waited for him to flinch.
But Austin only curved his lips into a calm smile.
“Now that sounds like a challenge. I’ll be looking forward to your masterpiece p>
𝘞ee𝘬𝘭𝘆 𝘳𝖾𝗹еа𝗌e𝘀 𝗼n.с𝗼𝗺
As he turned toward the door, he tossed back casually, “By the way, the melon you’ve been craving is in the fridge. Don’t forget to have it p>
Over the next several days, Austin continued showing up to eat with her.
Restless and reckless in the kitchen, Brinley churned out one strange dish after another—braised pork glazed with both sugar and salt, yogurt dusted with chili flakes instead of sugar, and increasingly bizarre combinations after that.
No matter what landed on the table, Austin ate it without flinching. Sometimes he even flashed her a playful thumbs-up, praising her with a grin. “Your cooking just keeps getting better p>
On the fifth evening, when he finished her chocolate-chili ice cream without hesitation, Brinley finally blurted, “Do you actually enjoy torturing your taste buds p>
Her blunt words shattered the soft glow of their candlelit dinner like glass underfoot.
Austin, however, remained calm. He dabbed the corner of his mouth with his napkin and met her gaze with an easy smile. “For me, it’s an honor to eat anything you’ve made yourself p>
Brinley faltered, the words sticking in her throat.
She excused herself to clear the dishes and slipped into the kitchen, pulling out her phone to dial Austin’s assistant. “Miguel, I need to ask—what is Austin like at the company p>
Miguel’s tone brimmed with reverence. “Just today, Mr. Moore tossed out a competitor’s proposal during the board meeting and said, ‘This garbage isn’t even worth bidding.’ The representative was so rattled he nearly collapsed. And last week? A business partner deliberately broke a contract, and Mr. Moore had him sued into bankruptcy. The summons have already been served p>
The man Miguel described—a ruthless, decisive figure feared in boardrooms—felt like a stranger compared to the one who sat across from her, calmly praising her terrible cooking.
The more she dwelled on it, the more uneasy she became.
Austin’s reputation was built on ruthlessness, yet he seemed almost delighted by her failed culinary experiments. He had even sent the servants away just to…
…make sure she cooked for him herself.
A shiver traced up Brinley’s spine. Whispers she had once dismissed about the hidden games of wealthy families crept back into her mind.
Could Austin’s marriage to her be part of some deeper, secret agenda?