She Was the Treasure All Along novel Chapter 424

In the dining room, Emma was already calling them to eat.

Loyce finished her call and returned from the hallway. Seeing the two of them talking in the distance, she simply announced, "Dinner's ready."

Giselle immediately ditched Lucian and skipped over. "When you were on the phone, I thought I heard you mention Bloomberry. Did the executives call you?"

Loyce nodded. "Yeah, news of the flagship store closing must have reached them. The higher-ups wanted to take me out to dinner."

Giselle glanced back at Lucian and muttered, "That's definitely not a good sign."

Taking the cue, the man straightened up and followed them to the table.

Emma had prepared a feast, featuring an array of freshly steamed seafood that filled the air with a mouth-watering aroma.

As the four of them sat down, Emma warmly urged, "Come on, Loyce, Mr. Shapiro, don't be shy! Treat this like your own home and dig in."

The evening news played in the background on the television.

Loyce sat next to Giselle, directly across from Lucian. When their eyes met, Loyce casually looked away first.

She waited until Emma took the first bite before picking up her silverware to eat.

Lucian sat with perfect, military-drilled posture. Even at a cozy family dinner, he carried an undeniable edge of disciplined hardness.

He silently picked up his fork, scanning the dishes while his mind raced with ways to make amends with Loyce.

Emma's cooking was phenomenal. The soup looked incredibly rich, emitting tendrils of fragrant steam.

Lucian efficiently served Emma a bowl first, murmuring, "Thank you for the hard work."

Emma looked deeply flattered. "Oh, I just cooked a meal, it's nothing compared to the hard work you important folks do!"

"It's all the same," Lucian replied as he set the ladle down with a soft clink.

He stared at the clear broth for a moment. Then, as if making a firm decision, he picked up the ladle again.

He didn't look at Loyce, but he reached over smoothly, carefully avoiding the grease on the surface, and scooped a perfect bowl of soup.

He silently placed the full bowl right next to Loyce's plate.

The motion was so fluid it looked entirely casual.

But his attention kept drifting back to Loyce's plate.

Watching her fork spear the shrimp and bring it to her lips brought an immense, satisfying warmth to his chest, instantly melting away the gloomy mood that had plagued him for days. Serving the woman he loved was proving to be incredibly rewarding.

The conversation at the table was mostly carried by Emma and Giselle. Loyce chimed in occasionally with her soft, clear voice. Lucian remained a man of few words, offering brief, polite responses only when addressed.

But the strange tension in the air had thawed, replaced by a comfortable warmth.

Outside, the brewing storm finally broke. Rain lashed against the windows in a deafening downpour, accompanied by the deep rumble of thunder. The sky turned pitch black as the howling wind battered the house.

After dinner, Loyce stood up and stopped Emma from clearing the table. "I'll wash the dishes. You've been cooking for hours. Go relax on the sofa and watch some TV."

Emma quickly waved her off. "Oh no, you're a guest! Besides, washing a few dishes is nothing."

Lucian rolled up his sleeves and stood up. "I'll handle it."

Emma was even more frantic. "Absolutely not!"

Giselle's eyes darted around before she suddenly grabbed her mom's arm and pulled her away. "Mom, it's fine! They aren't strangers. You've worked hard all day, come sit with me for a bit."