Chapter 809: Stew
Her eyes narrowed in frustration as she spun on her heel and marched toward the other closed door. She didn’t care what he said. This had to be another bedroom—anything else would be better than staying near him. Once inside, she slammed the door shut, leaning back against it with a sigh of relief.
That relief was short-lived as she groaned, realizing her mistake. In her hasty retreat, she’d left her bag outside. Brilliant. Now it was stuck out there with him. There was absolutely no way she was going to open that door and retrieve it, not after storming off like she had. She cursed herself for not trusting her instincts earlier.
At the time, she’d hesitated for a moment, bothered by the hefty penalty if she breached the contract. But she’d brushed it aside, telling herself she was being silly for questioning it. She had no intention of breaking any clauses. Now, only a few hours in, all she wanted was to tear up the contract and walk out—before things got even worse.
Just then, a knock at the door made her jump. She glared at it, as if the door itself was to blame for her predicament. Then, Cai’s voice drifted through. "There’s some chicken stew on the stove. And I’ve left your bag by the door. Come out whenever you’re done hiding."
Her frown deepened. Hiding? She wasn’t hiding. But her conscience immediately argued back. Yes, yes, she was hiding. She bristled at the thought, refusing to admit it to herself, let alone to him.
Her stomach, however, had other plans. It grumbled loudly in response to the mere mention of food. After hours of traveling and the exhausting task of hauling her oversized suitcase around, she was ravenous. The faint aroma of the stew now crept under the door, teasing her senses. She could practically taste it. And he had definitely left it on the stove on purpose, knowing full well its delicious scent would eventually draw her out.
Still, she shook her head, trying to resist. No. She couldn’t just waltz out there. She needed a moment to gather her thoughts, organize her next move, and—most importantly—set some boundaries. She had to maintain her distance from him if she had any hope of getting through this.
But her stomach growled again, louder this time and more insistent.
She clutched her stomach and looked down at it before shaking her head. This was not going to happen. Nope. In an effort to stop herself, she took off her shoes and threw them aside. Ha! Not going out! Her bare feet sank into the soft carpet as she tried to ignore the gnawing hunger in her belly and purposefully walked towards the bed.
"You’re not going out there. He’ll think he’s won.", she reminded herself.
But deep down, she knew that wasn’t it. It wasn’t about Cai thinking he’d won—it was about her. Being around him made her feel unsettled and she did not like the flustered feeling, one bit.