The Contracted Ever After (Cordelia and Ronan) novel Chapter 689

"If I'd known you were in such a state, I'd have brought you some real food, like a loaf of bread or a casserole. Too bad I only grabbed some yogurt and fruit," Samantha said, her voice tinged with guilt, her maternal instincts kicking in.

Harold slurped his instant noodles and managed a polite, "Thanks."

"How did you end up like this? Why didn't you stay in the military?" Samantha asked, pressing for more.

Harold stayed silent. Partly because he didn't feel like diving into a deep conversation, and partly because the labels of 'paper thief' and 'money snatcher' were still too fresh and too humiliating. Pride, even when you're down, is a hard thing to shake.

Seeing Harold's reluctance to talk, Samantha got up and started tidying the place.

Soon enough, Harold's modest rental was sparkling clean. But there was still a pile of dirty clothes on his bed and scattered on the floor. Samantha figured that doing his laundry would give her an excuse to stick around a bit longer.

"Have you been looking for a job?" she asked, trying to sound casual.

"I'm on it," Harold replied, almost mechanically.

Samantha thought to herself that Harold must have left the military. She knew about his past troubles with the academic paper, so she guessed he couldn't go back to school either. He was clearly at rock bottom, and she wanted to seize the chance to get close to him while he was vulnerable.

After all, Harold was quite the sight. When Samantha had walked in, she couldn't help but notice his washboard abs and his sun-kissed skin. It made her heart race and filled her mind with wild thoughts.

"Does your mom know about your situation?" she ventured another question.