Revenge is best served cold novel Chapter 136

"You've been waiting all this time?"

Eric's gesture left me stunned. It took a moment before I found my voice again.

He nodded and stepped closer with that same gentle smile. "Don't feel guilty. I took a nap in the car."

As he spoke, his gaze swept over my exhausted face, a flicker of concern passing through his eyes. "But if you don't take a break and eat something soon, you're going to collapse."

Then, like performing a magic trick, he pulled out a thermal food container from behind his back and set it down in front of me. "It's from that chowder shop you like. I packed it in a thermal jar, so it should still be warm."

I took the container and unscrewed the lid. Sure enough, steam curled up from the chowder, carrying a familiar, comforting aroma.

I glanced at Eric after setting it down. "Wait here for a bit." Then, I stepped out of the office.

As expected, a few team members were still at their desks, working tirelessly. I pulled out my phone and transferred a small sum to each of them as a bonus.

They looked up in shock, their eyes wide with disbelief.

Smiling, I said, "Stop working and go home. There's no way you'll finish everything in one night. Your health matters more. Go rest."

One by one, they finally packed up and left.

I only returned to the office when the last of them was gone. I shot an apologetic look at Eric. "If it weren't for you, I wouldn't have even realized they were still here."

His expression softened, his voice barely above a murmur in the quiet room. "If it weren't for me, you wouldn't have realized you needed to eat."

With that, he gently pressed me down into a chair, then ladled out two bowls of chowder and handed one to me.

The warmth spread through my hands, then down my throat, filling the emptiness in my stomach and something deeper too.

"The owner wasn't there today, so it's not the seafood chowder you had last time. This one's lighter. I'm not sure if you'll like it."