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Chapter 59
“Mr. Grant, are you sure the vegetables are clean enough?” Valerie asked.
Matthew looked up, puzzled, as Valerie picked up a leaf of lettuce. She casually removed two leaves and pointed out a speck of mud still clinging to the stem.
Matthew’s eyebrows twitched slightly, a realization dawning on him. It turned out that washing lettuce involved more than just a quick rinse; he needed to peel the leaves apart…
Valerie suppressed a smile. It was clear to her now that Matthew was somewhat out of his depth with everyday chores. Even Aiden, a five–year–old, knew to separate the leaves to clean them thoroughly.
However, she chose her words carefully, not wanting to embarrass him. “You know, greenhouse–grown veggies tend to be cleaner. These must be from a local farm–they were organic and natural, which is great! But they do need a thorough wash, Mr. Grant.”
“Okay,” Matthew responded, his voice calm as he returned the vegetables to the sink for a more detailed cleaning. Internally, he marveled at the complexities of cooking.
Just then, the doorbell
rang.
“It might be Julian and Ashley,” Valerie said as she set down her spatula and headed to the door. As she expected, Julian, Ashley, and Aiden were waiting outside.
“Julian, Ashley, welcome! Why didn
you let me know you were arriving? I would have started cooking earlier. I’ve only got two dishes ready so far.”
Julian smiled. “We didn’t come just for the meal. I left the shop with my assistant today, so we thought we’d drop by early. Aiden’s been missing you.”
“Auntie Valerie!” Aiden called out in a soft voice.
Valerie crouched down, and Aiden immediately leaped into her arms. She ruffled his hair affectionately and said, “Aiden, you’re such a good boy!”
As Valerie stood up, she locked eyes with Ashley, who looked quite uneasy, clearly still embarrassed about the day she had been caught speaking ill of Valerie. She avoided Valerie’s gaze.
Despite her displeasure over Ashley’s past remarks, Valerie didn’t want to stir up any tension, especially not in front of her brother. She smiled warmly and said, “Come on in. Don’t just stand there.”
Encouraged by Valerie’s
welcoming gesture, Ashley set aside her discomfort and entered the house with Julian.
Just then, Matthew’s tall figure appeared from the kitchen, and a deep, serious voice greeted them. “Julian, Ashley.”
Julian and Ashley, just beginning to step inside, paused and looked up, momentarily taken aback.
Julian had been quietly observing since the door opened, curious about the kind of man Valerie’s husband was, especially given Matthew’s stern appearance in their wedding photos. Despite his mental preparation, the reality of Matthew’s towering height and formidable presence caught him off guard.
He… He’s so tall… And his expression is so stern… Julian murmured inwardly. For a moment, Julian wondered if there might be them, fearing Matthew had intentions of taking revenge on him through Valerie.
a
grudge between
But then, Julian noticed the apron Matthew still wore. Seeing that Matthew shared in the household duties softened Julian’s initial judgment. He grudgingly admitted to himself that perhaps there was more to this man than met the eye.
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