Chapter 445 When Will You Come Back
“We still have some ingredients left in the fridge. There's no need to have him make another trip,” Lenora said.
“Sure thing,” replied Zachary.
The summer weather was already sweltering, and despite the air conditioning indoors, a workout still left them drenched in sweat. The stickiness was uncomfortable.
Failing to deal with the discomfort, Lenora turned and headed toward the bedroom to fetch two clean sets of clothes. Before entering the bathroom, she said, “I'm going to take a bath first.”
Before she had the chance to close the door, Zachary squeezed in. “Let's bathe together.”
This time, the bath took nearly an hour.
Outside, the sky had already darkened, and the lights in the condominium were turned on.
Lenora was carried out of the bathroom.
Zachary wrapped her in a bath towel and placed her on the bed.
Lenora's eyes were closed. She was too exhausted to even lift a finger.
Zachary covered her with a thin blanket, saying, “I'm going to grab some clothes from the next room, then I'll come back and make you dinner.”
Lenora managed to hum an acknowledgment.
Zachary rose and returned to the living room, where he noticed his shirt and her lingerie discarded on the floor. Bending down, he picked them up and placed them at the end of the couch. He only put on his pants, grabbed his keys, and went next door.
After changing his clothes in a matter of minutes, he returned and glanced inside the refrigerator in the kitchen.
Inside, there were fresh cauliflower and eggplant. A box of large shrimps sat in the freezer.
Zachary skillfully whipped up three dishes using the ingredients he had. He made roasted cauliflower, eggplant parmesan, and a shrimp boil. He also prepared two bowls of oatmeal. Everything was neatly arranged on the table.
Zachary returned to the bedroom and called Lenora to have dinner.
Lenora opened her eyes, propping herself up from the bed with her arms. She asked Zachary to fetch her clothes.
After she had put on her dress and gotten out of bed, her feet barely touched the floor when she suddenly felt a weakness in her legs, almost causing her to fall.
Zachary swiftly caught her, blinking guiltily as he asked, “You okay?”
Lenora shot him a look.
That look held no malice, but in Zachary's eyes, it seemed more like a playful scolding, causing a stir in his heart.
The two of them sat down at the dining table, chatting while enjoying their meal.
Having cleared the air, Lenora began to ask after Allison and Harrietta.
Zachary mentioned that both of them had already returned to Jacaster and that Harrietta had also returned to school.
He chuckled as he placed the peeled shrimp into Lenora's bowl. “As for you, when will you come back with me?”
Lenora's expression subtly shifted. She fell silent for a few seconds before stating, “I don't really want to go back.”
Zachary paused, his fingers clenching. With a crisp snap, he crushed the head of the shrimp he was holding.
He casually twisted it off, looking at her intently. “Why?”
“I'm just starting to make some progress with my work here. Going back would mean starting all over again,” she explained.
Lenora didn't want to give up her career, and she also refused to let her life revolve around Zachary as it once did.
Zachary persuaded, “After you return, you can continue working at Fuller Group. If you can handle it, all product advertisements under Fuller Group will be handled by you.”
Lenora glanced at him, then lowered her gaze.
She still remembered when she had just taken up her role as the brand director. A mistake made by one of her subordinates had led to her being publicly reprimanded by Zachary during an executive meeting.
Although the issue was resolved without any penalties, the embarrassment of losing face in front of so many people dealt a significant blow to Lenora's tender heart.
She felt wronged at that time. We were husband and wife. Couldn't he have spared my dignity?
Yet, upon further thought, she realized his character had always been consistent. He was not intentionally targeting her. It was just that she wasn't someone special enough for him to break his own rules.
Upon Susanna's return to the country, she witnessed Zachary's favoritism. He handed the endorsement originally set for Yara to Susanna instead.
Now, Zachary was finally showing her favoritism for once.
Contrary to her expectations, Lenora wasn't filled with joy. She simply had mixed feelings.
She ended the topic by declaring, “Let's talk about it later.”
After dinner, the two of them took a leisurely stroll around the condominium complex.
After returning, Zachary stayed at Lenora's house, refusing to go back next door.
Lenora was busy editing photos, while he was engrossed with his work on his laptop. The two of them worked without interfering with each other.
Having exerted herself with an unusually large amount of physical activity today, Lenora found herself yawning prematurely. After her nightly routine of washing up, she headed straight to bed for sleep.
Zachary also ended up sleeping over at her place.
The next morning, just after seven, the dazzling sunlight filtered through the window into Lenora's bedroom.
When Lenora woke up naturally, she opened her eyes and immediately saw the man lying next to her.
Seeing Zachary the minute she opened her eyes filled her with a sense of long-lost familiarity.
She turned over, studying Zachary's features intently.
“You awake?”
Zachary opened his eyes, locking gazes with her.
“Mm-hmm.”
Lenora wasn't surprised; she had guessed early on that he was already awake.
Zachary rolled out of bed, declaring, “You stay in bed a little longer. I'll go prepare breakfast.”
“Okay.”
He picked up the shirt from the bedside table and put it on.
Click!
Zachary turned his head, only to see Lenora propping herself up on the bed with her elbow, snapping a photo of him with her phone.
In the photograph, Zachary's hair was a wild mess. He was captured while adjusting his shirt, which only had a few buttons fastened at the bottom.
His firm chest was partially exposed, while the rest was teasingly hidden, leaving much to the imagination.
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