Chapter 211
When Carmen opened the box and saw the limited-edition purse, it hit her. Latham was totally trying to buy her off.
“Dorothea, why would Latham just send me a bag for no reason? Did you say something to him p>
Dorothea sounded a little sheepish. “Carmen, I’m sorry. Yesterday I asked him about that ad on the billboard. I was worried he’d think I cared too much, so I told him you just mentioned it in passing. I’m sorry… you’re not mad, are you p>
Carmen gave a sly little smile. “Oh, so that’s what happened p>
Mad? Not at all. She was actually pretty pleased. This was basically a thank-you gift.
Now she was sure about it-Latham had his sights set on Dorothea for a while. “Alright, then. Thank Latham for me. I’m definitely keeping it p>
“Dorothea, Latham’s something else. Albert never gave me anything this nice, not in all these years p>
“Dorothea, Ladd invited me to stay at Verdant Peaks Retreat for a few days. I heard there’s a little theater there, and Ladd is even bringing in a troupe to perform p>
Dorothea knew her grandma loved watching plays, especially the old classics and all those traditional folk stories.
It was rare for her grandma and Latham’s dad to get along so well.
“Alright, Grandma. Just remember to take your caregiver and take care of yourself. When you’re ready to come home, I’ll come pick you up p>
“No need, no need. Ladd’s not going to lose me. Relax p>
Just like that, Pauline cheerfully gave the two of them a few days of peace to themselves. Honestly, if Dorothea hadn’t said no, she probably would have moved out already.
Dorothea didn’t think much of it. That afternoon, she got a photo from the caregiver —her grandma, grinning ear to ear, totally absorbed in the show. Nothing seemed out of the ordinary.
But when Dorothea got home that night, she realized even Linda, their housekeeper, had taken the day off.
But who was supposed to make dinner? Linda always did that.
Dorothea could only give a helpless smile and peek in the fridge. There were still some random veggies and a couple of eggs. She hadn’t cooked in ages, but maybe she could throw something together.
Latham had done so much for her recently—making him dinner seemed like a good way to say thank you.
With that in mind, Dorothea opened her cooking app, determined to try a new recipe.
When Latham came home, the first thing he noticed was a faint burnt smell in the air. He headed straight for the kitchen and found Dorothea standing there, spatula in one hand; the other pinching her nose as she stirred the pan.
He raised an eyebrow, couldn’t help but cough with all the smoke. “Need a hand in there p>
“No, no, it’s almost done. Just wait a second… And don’t let the smoke fool you, it actually tastes okay,” Dorothea insisted, trying to sound confident.
Latham laughed softly. “Alright, I’ll go change. I’ll wait for your masterpiece p>
Half an hour later, Dorothea finally brought her dish to the table. To be honest, it looked a little tragic.
She looked at him, guilty. “I swear, I’m usually a decent cook. I think I just had a rough day. Should we just order takeout instead p>
Latham reached over and steadied her hand. “Don’t worry about it. I’m not picky. Can you just pour me some water p>
He was already bracing himself for the salt overload.
“Oh, sure. Here you go,” Dorothea said, handing him the glass. She bit her lip. “Is it that bad? Should I just toss it p>
Latham started eating, polite and quick, almost like he was enjoying it. Dorothea didn’t even dare to taste her own cooking, but she watched as he finished the whole plate.
“It’s really not bad,” he said, telling
the sweetest little lie. “Honestly bet
love anything you make. Go shower and relax. Leave the dishes UI take care of them p>
Dorothea hesitated, chewing her lip. “Are you sure? I can do it p>
Had Latham ever even washed a dish before?
But he rolled up his sleeves and headed to the sink, moving like he’d done it a hundred times. “Don’t treat me like I’m helpless. I can handle the basics just fine p>
He glanced over his shoulder, a small smile on his lips, something darker flickering in his eyes. “But Dorothea… how about tonight p>