The Man Who Waited vs. The Man Who Wasted novel Chapter 277

"Yeah, I'm starving."

Maria brought him a bowl of soup.

"Have some soup first to warm your stomach. Don't worry, I already forced Miss Jocelyn to drink a bowl. Otherwise, it would be too hard on the baby."

"At first, she refused. She insisted on waiting to eat with you. I practically had to beg her before she finally gave in."

Julian glanced toward the bedroom.

"Has Mrs. Reed eaten?"

Jocelyn took a bite of the steamed fish Maria had made.

"My mom ate already. She's asleep now."

"How has she been the past couple of days?"

"She's been good," Jocelyn said softly. "Maria chats with her every day, and she's been a lot more energetic lately. It's just... she still mutters to herself a lot. We can't really understand what she's trying to say."

Julian offered a gentle, reassuring smile.

"Don't rush it. Take it one step at a time. She will get better. Being in a good, stable environment is the best thing for her recovery."

The fish was incredible.

Jocelyn deliberately picked out a prime piece and placed it in Julian's bowl.

Julian took a bite.

"Maria, your cooking is truly exceptional."

Just as he said it, his eyes landed on a plate of pastries.

Catching his look, Maria's lips curled into a proud smile as she pushed the plate of Herbal Pastries right in front of him.

"Mr. Vance, our Miss Jocelyn made these from scratch just for you. Give them a try."

Julian picked one up and took a bite.

As he chewed slowly, the tension completely melted from his face. He looked at Jocelyn, his eyes incredibly soft and radiant.

"I never knew someone so obsessed with writing code could bake something this incredible."

Jocelyn joked, "Well, if I ever lose my job, at least I have a backup career."

"You won't lose your job."

"You never know. The market changes fast. What if someone better comes along and replaces me?"

Julian looked at her with intense seriousness.

"I won't let you lose your job."

Jocelyn froze, forgetting how to breathe for two whole seconds.

Maria cleared her throat.

"Oh, by the way, Mr. Vance. When our Miss Jocelyn starts working at your company, could I ask you to keep an eye on her? When she gets into her work, she completely forgets the rest of the world exists. She'll forget to drink water, forget to eat..."

Julian effortlessly kept the mood light, offering a graceful smile.

"I see. So Maria had an ulterior motive for inviting me to dinner tonight."

Maria laughed.

"You know what they say: once you eat my food, you owe me a favor. I had to make sure you enjoyed the meal before I could ask for a favor!"

"I'm saying your Herbal Pastries were the perfect icing on the cake for Maria's feast."

Maria couldn't stop laughing.

"Miss Jocelyn, you said Julian was as stuffy as an old professor, but he's actually got quite a silver tongue on him!"

The late dinner wrapped up in a warm, joyous atmosphere.

Because it really was getting late, Julian only stayed a little while longer before heading out.

Jocelyn walked him to the door. Julian flat-out refused to let her step outside and left her with a strict instruction.

"Make sure you wear your socks inside from now on."

"I will."

Julian turned to leave, but his feet felt glued to the floor.

A few seconds later, he suddenly turned back.

"Thank you."

Jocelyn assumed he was thanking her for the dinner.

"It's nothing. Like Maria said, whenever you want a home-cooked meal, just come over."

"I mean... thank you for letting me feel what it's like to have someone waiting for me at home again."

A flash of deep loneliness crossed Julian's eyes.

"After my mother passed away, I almost forgot what it felt like to have someone waiting for me at the door..."