Adrian stepped out of the shower. Running the towel once through his hair, he headed to her room.
When he pushed the half-open door, Ella was nowhere in the room.
His steps stilled.
A flicker of unease passed through his eyes. He scanned the room again, before he checked the bathroom. There was no trace of her.
His jaw clenched.
Running his fingers through his damp hair, he turned and walked briskly down the stairs.
’Slurp’
’Smack’
Hearing the voices, Adrian froze in his tracks.
His gaze wandered off to the dining table where steam had curled from the piping hot food. And in the center of it was Ella, sitting in a spot where she had access to every dish.
Half-curled over the table, sleeves haphazardly rolled, head slightly down, she scooped a dumpling into her mouth. She smacked her lips and slurped on the soup before reaching out for a ceramic bowl.
Adrian paused when he saw the familiar looking hangover soup in the bowl that she had refused to have earlier. Lifting it to her mouth, she slurped it in one go.
When Bertha spotted him, she imdiately turned to greet the man.
But Adrian gave her a fleeting glance and Bertha sealed her mouth.
On the other hand, Ella didn’t notice Adrian’s presence at first.
Licking a spot of sauce from the corner of her lip, she reached for another skewer but suddenly, the skewer disappeared from her hand.
"What..." Ella trailed off when she tilted her head only to find Adrian standing behind her with a disapproving look on his face.
"Don’t eat it."
"...You’re back," With a mouthful of food already inside, Ella looked like a hamster as she tried to eat.
Adrian’s brows twitched slightly when she patted the chair next to him.
As he took a seat, she finished chewing and opened her mouth again, eyeing the skewer in his hand.
Adrian did not budge from his spot.
Ella pouted, "I’m hungry,’’ she muttered, reaching for the skewer again.
Adrian tilted his head to the side, looking at Bertha, ’’Get the chef to..."
"No! Not that. I want what you got ."
Adrian looked at her coolly.
"I am not binging, really," She sighed.
Ella barely had a proper al throughout the day, and once she saw the food, she realized she was starving.
Perhaps her diet for the day would go down the drain again but it was fine, she was not really keen on it tonight.
Adrian sighed and reached out to feed her the skewer but she swiftly grabbed it from his hand and helped herself.
At this mont, the chef stepped out and placed a bowl of noodles in front of Adrian. It was a plain bowl of noodles with a poached egg, so scallions on the top and so basic seasonings.
Adrian frowned, "I won’t..."
"Mmm.. I..." Ella, who had gobbled up a few dumplings, struggled to speak.
"Second Master, while you were freshening up, Miss Yu ordered us to re-heat the food and the soup while she prepared the noodles for you,’’ Bertha stepped in as the translator.
Ella made a few gestures with her hand again.
"_" Bertha blinked before continuing, "Miss Yu says that she prepared everything in the bowl. The chef just did the garnishings..."
Bertha had yet to finish her words before Adrian picked up the chopsticks and started eating.
Ella was about to ask him if he liked it but the man ate it without a single pause, looking like he had been starved for eternity.
Her eyes curved into crescent moons as she shifted her attention to her food. Yet the mont she looked away, Adrian glanced at her side profile, complicated emotions swirling in his dark eyes.
Later that night, Adrian stood in front of Ella’s room. He opened the door by an inch but then stopped his movents abruptly.
After a few seconds, he turned around and walked off to the Master bedroom.
Inside the room, even after an hour of tossing and turning, Ella laid on the empty bed, wide awake.
Eventually, she grabbed a long fluffy pillow and left the room.
Ella stopped in front of the master bedroom for a mont before she stepped inside.
Her gaze flicked to Adrian who was lying on one side of the bed, his eyes were closed and his breathing seed even.
Ella was a little bewildered. Is he asleep already?
Since he did not go to her room, she thought he was busy with work.
Sighing, Ella climbed on the bed and wordlessly snuck her pillow on the top before she slid inside the blanket and curled next to him. There was a distance of a few inches between them.
Ella had just closed her eyes when a strong arm wrapped around her waist.
Her eyes snapped open, "I thought you were asleep..." Ella whispered.
Adrian did not respond to her words but she felt his arm tightening around her waist as he drew her in.
Adrian buried his face in her thick hair, closing his eyes as the scent of magnolias washed over him.
"Adrian."
’’Mm."
"Thank you..." Ella’s whisper drowned in the silence of the room when he did not respond to her words.
She had a lot of things on her mind, a lot that she had wanted to say when she called out to him just now yet eventually, she only said, "Thank you for everything."
Adrian did not respond to her words.
In fact, Ella did not have to look at his face to see the displeasure carved into his features at this mont.
The room went silent.
After a few minutes, she opened her mouth again, "Adrian..."
There was no response to her words imdiately.
Ella sighed, thinking that the man had dozed off until he spoke, "Yes."
"What do you think of magnolias?"
Sothing undecipherable glinted in Adrian’s eyes.
"Do you like them?" Ella continued asking softly.
Adrian’s eyes lowered as he looked at the woman in his arms. After a mont, he opened his mouth, "Why do you ask?"
Ella opened her mouth, only to close it again. If she told him that she saw that sketch in his study this morning, then would he... be angry?
Eventually, she said, "In your study, I saw sothing today."
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