Everything Taken I Left to Become CEO (Darcy and Zane) novel Chapter 87

Chapter 87

Fredrick leaned in a bit, meeting Britney’s eyes.

He blinked, gazing at her intently.

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If Britney had looked up, she would have caught the softness in His eyes, which was so gentle that it could sweep her away.

But Britney was too focused on her task to notice Fredrick’s puppy-dog eyes, overflowing with affection.

Fredrick let himself drink her in, taking advantage of the moment to admire her openly.

“All done,” Britney said, tossing the dirty wet wipe aside.

As soon as she spoke, Fredrick instantly hid the emotion in his eyes.

He slipped back into his usual calm, saying softly, “Thanks.”

Britney just laughed. “Seriously, how did you manage to get your whole face covered like that? Anyone would think you dunked your head straight into the batter.”

Just picturing Fredrick a moment ago, Britney burst out laughing.

She found him strangely adorable like that.

Hearing her laugh, Fredrick reached out and tapped her nose. “No more laughing, or I’ll turn you into a floury kitten too.”

Before she knew it, Britney’s face was already streaked with flour

Britney raised her hands to block him. “Fredrick, you’re being too much!”

With a mischievous grin, Britney grabbed a handful of flour, cupped his cheeks, and playfully rubbed it all over his face.

In no time, the face she’d just cleaned was once again masked in white.

Fredrick grabbed some flour and went for her face too.

The two of them went back and forth in the kitchen, playfully patting flour onto each other’s cheeks.

Soon, laughter echoed through the kitchen as Britney and Fredrick messed around.

By the time they finally sat down to eat, a whole hour and a half had passed.

Britney and Fredrick had scrubbed their faces clean, but their clothes were still dusted with flour.

Britney’s cheeks were still flushed.

Just thinking about how childish she’d been with Fredrick in the itchen made Britney’s face grow even hotter with embarrassment.

Fredrick ladled out a bowl of oatmeal and set it down in front of Britney. “Give it a try.”

As he spoke, he grabbed a fried ravioli and added it to her plate.

Fredrick had made these ravioli himself, every single one.

He’d even rolled out the dough from scratch.

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Chapter 87

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‘I seriously didn’t expect Fredrick to be good at cooking, let along this impressive, Britney thought, still a little stunned.

She could tell just by the way Fredrick plated the ravioli. He had some real skills.

With Fredrick watching her eagerly, Britney took a bite, squinted with pleasure, and didn’t hold back her praise. “Wow, this is so good!”

She popped the whole ravioli into her mouth.

Then she took a sip of the oatmeal, feeling all warm and satisfied inside.

Her eyes lit up good!”

with surprise as she looked at Fredrick. “I had no idea you could cook like this, Fredrick. This is insanely

As she spoke, Britney took another sip of her oatmeal.

Hearing her words totally warmed Fredrick’s heart.

Fredrick smiled. “Slow down. There’s plenty, all for you. No one’s going to take it from you.”

Noticing a bit of ravioli stuck to the corner of Britney’s mouth, Fredrick reached out and gently wiped it away.

That sudden, intimate gesture made Britney stiffen up a little.

But Fredrick didn’t seem to think anything of it, acting like his gesture was perfectly normal.

He was totally unfazed, just urging Britney to eat more.

Britney had thought Fredrick wiping her mouth was a little too intimate.

But seeing how nonchalant he looked, she lowered her gaze, thinking maybe she was just reading too much into it.

Feeling a bit shy, Britney buried herself in her food.

Fredrick kept sneaking glances at Britney from the corner of his eye, a faint smile playing on his lips.

All in all, today was a pretty good day for Fredrick.

At least Britney wasn’t bothered at all by his little displays of affection.

Fredrick had been a bit nervous at first, but seeing Britney didn’t seem uncomfortable, he could finally relax.

Throughout the meal, Fredrick quietly looked after Britney, making sure she had everything she needed.

Britney could sense the vibe too, but she had no clue how to break the awkwardness between her and Fredrick.

After they finished eating, Britney started to clear the table, but fredrick stopped her.

He took the dishes himself and started cleaning up.

Britney tried to help a few times, but he kept shooing her out of the kitchen.

Just then, Britney’s phone rang.

She let it go.

She just turned and left the kitchen.

Britney answered the call in the living room, “Hey, Lynette.”

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Chapter 86

Britney stopped and turned around, looking at him curiously. “ow do you know I can’t?”

Fredrick hadn’t expected her to stop so suddenly. Her forehead umped lightly against his chest.

Thankfully, she kept her balance this time.

Otherwise, he’d start wondering if her forehead and his chest ha some magnetic attraction for collisions.

He answered quickly. “Janine mentioned it in front of me once of how you almost blew up a kitchen.”

He deftly used Janine as a shield.

He certainly wouldn’t admit to knowing every little detail about Britney’s life.

Hearing his explanation, Britney instantly understood.

‘Right, how could I forget Janine?’ Of course she believed him.

It

I would be far too narcissistic to think he’d gone out of his way to dig up such trivia.

Seeing ?

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expression, Fredrick knew she bought it and quietly breathed a sigh of relief. “What would you like? I’ll make it. Name it. If you can say it, I can make it.”

Bri

Relaxed,

at him skeptically. “Really? Don’t be so sure. The backlash comes fast, and you’ll be the one feeling awkward.”

teased him.

Fredrick was already rolling up his sleeves and moving around the kitchen. “Go ahead. Order. Let’s see who gets awkward.”

His movements were practiced.

Fredrick’s kitchen was open-plan. Britney sat on a barstool at the counter, resting her chin in her hands, her head tilted as she watched the man in the kitchen.

“How about chicken soup?” She figured Fredrick, with his concussion, needed nourishing, easily digestible food.

Fredrick’s movements paused slightly. “We don’t have chicken. I have someone bring it.”

Without waiting for Britney to object, he’d already called Kenny instructing him to deliver the ingredients immediately.

Britney watched, impressed by his decisive efficiency, and gave thumbs-up. “Efficient.”

“When you have an idea, act on it boldly. Hesitation often leads regret,” Fredrick said to her, his words carrying a deeper meaning.

Though not entirely sure why he said that, Britney nodded in agreement. “You’re right.”

Fredrick smiled at her, then turned to prep the other ingredient

Watching him, Britney felt too awkward to just sit and observe.

She hopped off the stool and joined him. “What can I do to help Don’t worry, as long as it doesn’t involve an open flame, I promise I won’t blow up your kitchen.”

She used her own reputation to make a joke, successfully making both Fredrick and herself laugh.

The slight awkwardness that had hung between them melted away with the shared laughter, leaving the air feeling noticeably warmer and closer.

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Kenny arrived quickly with the ingredients. Fredrick was kneading dough when Britney went to answer the door.

“Mrs. Pollard.” Kenny’s greeting was a verbal bombshell, leaving Britney’s mind reeling.

For a moment, Britney was at a loss for how to respond to the actress.

Technically, it wasn’t wrong.

Kenny, as if completely oblivious to Britney

stunned expression, walked right in with the groceries.

Seeing Fredrick bustling in the kitchen, Kenny felt a surge of emotion. ‘All those cooking classes weren’t in vain. Finally, they’re coming in handy. Nice, very nice.’

Back when Fredrick learned that Britney could nearly blow up a kitchen, he’d immediately signed up for several cooking and even pastry classes.

All for this day, for the chance to cook for her.

Now that Fredrick’s wish was coming true, Kenny was so moved he felt like setting off fireworks in celebration.

Kenny set down the ingredients and addressed Britney. “Mrs. Pollard, I’ll take my leave now.”

A competent assistant knew to create opportunities for the boss and never be an annoying third wheel.

Kenny had that much sense.

Britney was speechless.

She watched, bemused, as Kenny made his swift exit, as if being chased. She was just… confused.

For those respectful ‘Mrs. Pollard’ addresses, Fredrick made a mental note. ‘Kenny’s bonus this month is quintupled.

Fredrick cleared his throat. “Bree, I’ve got flour on my face. Can you wipe it off for me?”

While Britney wasn’t looking, he’d deliberately smeared his flour-covered hand across his cheek.

A mature, savvy man knew how to create opportunities for physicalcontact.

When Britney turned, she saw Fredrick with flour all over his face, looking like a little kitten.

She couldn’t hold back a chuckle. Finally, she walked over to him took a damp paper towel, and gently began wiping his

cheek clean.

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13:05 Wed, Dec 31 DDD

Chapter 87

Chapter 87

Fredrick leaned in a bit, meeting Britney’s eyes.

He blinked, gazing at her intently.

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If Britney had looked up, she would have caught the softness in His eyes, which was so gentle that it could sweep her away.

But Britney was too focused on her task to notice Fredrick’s puppy-dog eyes, overflowing with affection.

Fredrick let himself drink her in, taking advantage of the moment to admire her openly.

“All done,” Britney said, tossing the dirty wet wipe aside.

As soon as she spoke, Fredrick instantly hid the emotion in his eyes.

He slipped back into his usual calm, saying softly, “Thanks.”

Britney just laughed. “Seriously, how did you manage to get your whole face covered like that? Anyone would think you dunked your head straight into the batter.”

Just picturing Fredrick a moment ago, Britney burst out laughing.

She found him strangely adorable like that.

Hearing her laugh, Fredrick reached out and tapped her nose. “No more laughing, or I’ll turn you into a floury kitten too.”

Before she knew it, Britney’s face was already streaked with flour.

Britney raised her hands to block him. “Fredrick, you’re being too much!”

With a mischievous grin, Britney grabbed a handful of flour, cupped his cheeks, and playfully rubbed it all over his face.

In no time, the face she’d just cleaned was once again masked in white.

Fredrick grabbed some flour and went for her face too.

The two of them went back and forth in the kitchen, playfully patting flour onto each other’s cheeks.

Soon, laughter echoed through the kitchen as Britney and Fredrick messed around.

By the time they finally sat down to eat, a whole hour and a half had passed.

Britney and Fredrick had scrubbed their faces clean, but their clothes were still dusted with flour.

Britney’s cheeks were still flushed.

Just thinking about how childish she’d been with Fredrick in the kitchen made Britney’s face grow even hotter with embarrassment.

Fredrick ladled out a bowl of oatmeal and set it down in front of Britney. “Give it a try.”

As he spoke, he grabbed a fried ravioli and added it to her plate.

Fredrick had made these ravioli himself, every single one.

He’d even rolled out the dough from scratch.

1/4

13:05 Wed, Dec 31 DDD

Chapter 87

I seriously didn’t expect Fredrick to be good at cooking, let alor this impressive. Britney thought, still a little stunned.

She could tell just by the way Fredrick plated the ravioli. He had some real skills.

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With Fredrick watching her eagerly, Britney took a bite, squinted with pleasure, and didn’t hold back her praise. “Wow, this is so good!”

She popped the whole ravioli into her mouth.

Then she took a sip of the oatmeal, feeling all warm and satisfied inside.

Her eyes lit up with surprise as she looked at Fredrick. “I had no idea you could cook like this, Fredrick. This is insanely good!”

As she spoke. Britney took another sip of her oatmeal.

Hearing her words totally warmed Fredrick’s heart.

Fredrick smiled. “Slow down. There’s plenty, all for you. No one’s going to take it from you.”

Noticing a bit of ravioli stuck to the corner of Britney’s mouth, Fredrick reached out and gently wiped it away.

That sudden, intimate gesture made Britney stiffen up a little.

But Fredrick didn’t seem to think anything of it, acting like his gesture was perfectly normal.

He was totally unfazed, just urging Britney to eat more.

Britney had thought Fredrick wiping her mouth was a little too intimate.

But seeing how nonchalant he looked, she lowered her gaze, thinking maybe she was just reading too much into it.

Feeling a bit shy, Britney buried herself in her food.

Fredrick kept sneaking glances at Britney from the corner of his eye, a faint smile playing on his lips.

All in all, today was a pretty good day for Fredrick.

At least Britney wasn’t bothered at all by his little displays of affection.

Fredrick had been a bit nervous at first, but seeing Britney didn’t seem uncomfortable, he could finally relax.

Throughout the meal, Fredrick quietly looked after Britney, making sure she had everything she needed.

Britney could sense the vibe too, but she had no clue how to break the awkwardness between her and Fredrick

After they finished eating, Britney started to clear the table, but fredrick stopped her.

He took the dishes himself and started cleaning up.

Britney tried to help a few times, but he kept shooing her out of the kitchen.

Just then, Britney’s phone rang.

She let it go.

She just turned and left the kitchen.

Britney answered the call in the living room, “Hey, Lynette.”

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Chapter 87

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Lynette’s voice came through the line. “Britney, you guessed it. Two years ago, the Galloway Group started a clothing company under Sienna’s name, and they’ve been taking resources from the Santos Group ever since.

Two years ago, Sienna launched a clothing brand called Lvesque Fashion.

It only took six months for Lvesque Fashion to make a name for tself.

A lot of the design drafts, designers, suppliers, and partners had worked with the Santos Group before.

But after the Santos Group ran into trouble and Duke took over hey all stopped working with the Santos Group. Now, all those resources were with Sienna’s company.

Britney had suspected something was up, and after she gave Lynette a heads-up, Lynette dug into it and found out the truth.

“And that’s not all. After Duke was ousted, the entries we were supposed to submit for the competition vanished, and now every single one has ended up in Sienna’s hands,” Lynette reported. Her findings lined up perfectly with what Britney had suspected.

Lynette sounded calm and collected. “We’re basically starting from scratch here. Even though we brought our team in and had some plans, it’s still nowhere near enough.”

Britney hadn’t spent the last three years just orbiting around Aaron.

at every turn.

something fishy at the company for a while, but every time she tried to look into it, someone would block her

Britney even had a few close calls when she tried to dig deeper.

That was when she started keeping her guard up.

On the surface, Britney acted like a lovesick fool chasing after Aaron, but secretly, where no one could see, she was making moves, setting up a company under a friend’s name to quietly undermine the competition.

It was basically a rival company, running almost the same business as the Santos Group.

It wasn’t as big as the Santos Group, but in just three years, it had already made a name for itself.

Now it was a niche brand, not quite on Santos Group’s level, but lefinitely holding its own.

That was why Britney felt confident enough to completely revamp the Santos Group after taking over.

Her own company was more than capable of merging into the Santos Group without any trouble.

Britney listened to Lynette, paused to think, then asked, “What about outsourcing?”

If her own team wasn’t big enough, Britney figured there were tons of independent design studios these days; she was sure she could team up with a few solid ones.

Lynette had already considered that option.

She’d already filtered and reached out to potential partners, but soon as they heard it was Santos Group, they shut her down immediately.

Britney instantly caught on. The Galloway Group was definitely messing with them behind the scenes.

“What’s Sienna been up to lately?” Britney asked.

Lynette replied, “I’ll check it out right now.”

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Chapter 87

Briney said softly. Just try to find anyone willing to work with If they say no, no worries, just Mad on pens everywhere

ou online, forums, message boards, whatever’

“If they can design what we want, even if they’re just an independent artist, as long as it’s legit, we’ll take them? Britney won her tone firm

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