The Hidden Empress Stripping Her Secrets After Divorce novel Chapter 419

He would simply make the arrangements and tell her the outcome afterward.

Evelyn's fingers tightened slightly.

"There's no need," she said.

Charles raised an eyebrow.

"Are you sure?"

Evelyn nodded.

"I'm sure."

Charles studied her in silence for a few seconds.

Then, he smiled.

The terrifying aura vanished, and he became the warm, doting grandfather once more.

"Alright. If you say no, then no it is."

He leaned back against the sofa, sounding as casual as if they were discussing the weather.

"If this were the old days, I would have already put the order in. But now..."

He paused, looking down at his own hands.

Those old, weathered hands were etched with deep wrinkles and prominent veins.

"I'm about to be a great-grandfather," he said softly. "I can't go around scaring my precious great-grandchild with that sort of business."

Evelyn looked at him, completely at a loss for words.

She truly couldn't argue with that logic.

Charles shot her another look.

"You're absolutely sure?"

Evelyn shook her head.

She looked back down, returning her attention to her phone.

But an unbidden memory suddenly flashed through her mind—

It was from a very, very long time ago.

She must have been three or four. She had fallen into her family's swimming pool. Water rushed into her nose and mouth, and no matter how desperately she thrashed, she only sank deeper.

Christian was the one who jumped in and dragged her out.

He was only six or seven at the time, skinny and small. She had no idea where he found the strength. He had hauled her toward the surface, his small hands gripping her collar with all his might, pushing her head above the water.

She was fine in the end, just coughing up some water and crying a lot.

But he had been bedridden for days afterward, burning up with a terrifying fever, delirious and mumbling nonsense.

The two families had joked about the incident afterward, saying that such a life-saving grace meant they had to get married when they grew up.

And eventually, they really did get married.

And eventually, it turned into the mess it was today.

Evelyn closed her eyes.

Forget it.

It was all in the past.

—

In the kitchen, Sebastian had an apron tied around his waist, standing intently in front of the stove.

The oil in the pan was already sizzling. He expertly tossed in minced garlic and dried chilies, the rich aroma instantly filling the air.

The butler stood to the side, watching his fluid movements with pure admiration.

"Mr. Thorne, how long have you been practicing these culinary skills?"

Sebastian nodded without looking away.

"A few days."

"A few days?" the butler asked, astonished. "It certainly doesn't look like it. Knife work and heat control like this usually take years to master."

Sebastian didn't answer.

He remained completely focused on the food in the pan, treating it with the gravity of a billion-dollar merger.

It really hadn't been years.

It had only been days.

But during those days, he had only slept a few hours a night. His fingers were laced with shallow cuts from the knife, and oil burns blistered his skin.

But none of that mattered now.

As long as she liked the food.

—

Forty minutes later, dinner was served.

It was a spread of four simple, home-style dishes and a soup. Spicy roasted potatoes, steamed sea bass, garlic-buttered broccoli, a warm tomato bisque, and a small dish of pickled cucumbers.

Sebastian carried the final plate to the dining room and set it on the table.

He looked up, meeting Evelyn's gaze directly.

She had put her phone away at some point and was watching him.

There was an emotion in her eyes he couldn't quite decipher.

"Dinner is ready," he said.

Evelyn nodded and picked up her fork.

She took a small bite of the roasted potatoes.

She chewed slowly.

Then she looked up at him.

"This is better than the batch you sent over this morning."

Sebastian's eyes instantly lit up.

The butler stood off to the side, smiling knowingly.

Charles sat at the head of the table. He looked between the two of them and gave a quiet shake of his head.