The Ninth Bride (Samantha and Finley) novel Chapter 266

Chapter 266 Cook Yourself If You Want to Eat
"At times," Samantha admitted with a touch of admiration, "I have to say, you're good to your sister."

Elias raised an eyebrow, a playful smirk tugging at his lips. "What? Are you jealous?"

"Not at all," she replied with a teasing smile, "because Finley treats me even better than you treat your sister."

Samantha finished her apple and, after setting the core aside, made her way to the kitchen. There, she found Finley busily preparing dumplings. She wrapped her arms around him from behind and teased, "So, the delectable meal you promised is just this? Dumplings cooked by Ms. Stuart?"

Finley chuckled, his eyes twinkling with amusement. "You wouldn't understand, Sam. Seasoning is an art in itself."

With that, she had no counterargument. She stepped aside, eager to see how her husband's seasoning would enhance the dumplings.

At that moment, Elias walked in, holding a plate of fruit. He approached Finley and asked, "Finley, my sister and I haven't had breakfast yet. Since you're already cooking, could you make a bowl of dumplings for each of us as well?"

Finley's eyes grew cold as he recalled Elias' disparaging remarks about Samantha the night before. "If you want to eat, you'll have to cook it yourself."

"But I don't know how," Elias protested.

"You've got hands, don't you? What does it matter whether you know how to cook or not?" Finley retorted, turning back to the task of seasoning the dumplings and pointedly ignoring Elias.

This left Elias in an awkward predicament. He glanced at Samantha, who, unaware of the previous night's conversation, assumed a conflict had arisen between Finley and Elias. Seeing Finley's cold demeanor, she presumed they had had a falling out.

With that, Daphne effectively went on strike for the morning, leaving Elias and his sister to fend for themselves. Finley continued to ignore Elias while Samantha stood there, bewildered by the unfolding drama.

Samantha approached Finley and inquired, "What did Elias say last night that made both you and Ms. Stuart so upset?"

Finley looked at her with a gentle smile. "Sam, it's better if you don't know. I fear that if you did, you'd be just as upset as I am. And it's not good for girls to get too worked up—it can cause wrinkles. So, it's best if you remain unaware."

Samantha nodded, accepting Finley's words. Since he was unwilling to elaborate, she chose not to press further.

In the brief time she had been lost in thought, Finley had already finished preparing the seasoning, leaving Samantha…