She Outshines Them All (Athena and Matthew) novel Chapter 355

Chapter 355
As soon as Alaric walked in, he hugged Claire and burst into tears.
"Mom, I've been wandering for over a month! I missed you so much that I lost weight. If the next competition wasn't in West End, close to Kitmore City, my coach wouldn't have let me come home."
"Alright, enough with the sweet talk," Claire replied, pushing him away with a look of disdain. "You just want to eat my cooking.
Don't pretend it's about missing me."
"Isn't that the same thing?" Alaric leaned in, rubbing against her arm. "No one cooks like my mom. I'll never find a wife who can cook as well as you."
"Oh, come on." Claire poked his forehead. "You want to marry someone just so she can cook for you? If that's all you want, just hire a chef. Our restaurant's chefs are pretty good."
"No way. They aren't women," Alaric whined. "Even if they were, they can't match your beauty and personality. I don't want anyone who can't reach your level."
"Enough," Claire warned, afraid she might start believing him.
"Lockwood's Detective Diary is starting in a few minutes. I'll whip up some delicious food for you. You just relax for now."
"Mom, you're the best!" Alaric kissed her cheek and cheered. "I completed three rounds of the tour! I got a first-place, a second-place, and a third-place finish, winning 40 thousand dollars. I ordered a high-end massage chair for you. It'll be delivered tomorrow morning. I also bought some gifts for my grandparents.
"I got Maria a set of high-end skincare products, a Polaroid camera for Josie, and a box of canned food for Dolli.
"Athena, I won the championship this time! Adalynn Miranda, the first Zolin Grand Slam winner and currently ranked third in women's tennis, personally awarded me the trophy. I even took a huge photo with her, and she gave me an autograph. I'm giving you this signed photo as a gift!"
Alaric puffed up his chest, adding, "And none of the other guys at home got gifts."
In reality, his prize money was completely gone after buying these gifts. Though he had some savings, he felt it was pointless to use them for gifts from this trip.
So, he prioritized the ladies.
Ruby smiled warmly. "I love this gift! Next time, remember to buy yourself some, too."
Claire scolded, "It's not easy for you to live outside alone. Save your money for yourself. Don't buy such expensive things for me."
Athena said, "Thank you, Alaric. This gift means a lot."
Maria beamed, "Thanks, Alaric! But I hope you save money for your future girlfriend."
"Thank you, Alaric"" Josie chimed in while holding Dolli. "Dolli says she loves the gift you gave her!"
Alaric knelt in front of Dolli and scratched her chin. "Dolli, I love you so much. How about you let me hold you to sleep tonight?"
Dolli licked her little paw. "Meow."
Arthur rolled his eyes at the scene. "All you do is please women, not even sparing a cat. What a jerk."
Alaric tossed a slipper at him. "Jealousy makes you ugly. You need a beating."
The two young men started to brawl again.
Wesley, feeling a headache coming on, said, "If you two want to fight, take it outside. Lockwood's Detective Diary is about to start."
Hearing this, Alaric and Arthur quickly disentangled themselves and sat up straight to watch TV.
At that moment, Wesley's phone rang.
After he heard what was said on the other end, his smile faded, replaced by a deep furrow in his brow.
"I understand. I'll remind the family to be careful," Wesley said.
A few minutes later, he hung up the phone and scanned the family seriously. "Zayn called. He said the Stevens family showed up at CineCraft Studios this afternoon. They found out where he was filming and started waving banners, wanting to recognize their kin.
They were even trying to cozy up to the crew, talking nonsense, which has delayed the shoot."