They were at a stalemate in the kitchen.
Kieran’s patience was wearing thin. He didn’t have time to eat lunch earlier because of work.
Now, because of Valerie, who seemed to be in a bad mood, he had a headache.
“I will go and cook corn.”
After that, Valerie went straight to the kitchen, not wanting to talk to Kieran again.
For some reason, anger suddenly rose inside Kieran, and his tone became serious.
“Valerie, you are trying to provoke me?”
This was an affirmative sentence.
Valerie, who brought a chair to the kitchen, trembled all over.
She had just returned, and her fear of Kieran hadn’t completely dissipated.
Hearing Kieran’s angry questioning, Valerie panicked and wanted to turn around and explain to Kieran.
She tightly gripped the corn cob and crushed a few grains.
Valerie forced herself to calm down.
She took a deep breath and turned to face Kieran.
“No, I’m just hungry, so I want to cook corn for myself.”
Just like before, Valerie was indifferent and distant, as if she was deliberately keeping a distance from Kieran, which annoyed Kieran.
He wanted to say something to Valerie. Then he met Valerie’s watery big eyes.
This was the first time Kieran had looked at Valerie seriously.
She had dry and somewhat yellowish hair, slightly ginger–colored skin, and a thin figure. She wore the pajamas that Zoe didn’t want, which had already faded from washing.
The shocking sight silenced Kieran. He could only watch Valerie skillfully pick up the pressure cooker, pour water into it, and put in the corn cob.
Valerie easily turned on the gas stove, waiting for the pressure cooker to make a hissing sound.
The kitchen once again fell into an awkward situation.
“Just corn? There are still plenty of ingredients in the refrigerator. You can call Jayvion to help you. You are now cooking by yourself. Do you feel that we’ve
streated you?”
Kieran looked at her and asked in a deep voice. Valerie was so skinny that her spines were prominent.
Valerie turned around and calmly glanced at Kieran.
“I’m just hungry and want to have something to eat.”
Valerie didn’t want to say anything else. The more she explained, the messier it became. Valerie didn’t care what Kieran would think about her.
The pressure cooker started to rumble. The harsh sound relieved the awkward atmosphere a little bit.
In the dim light, Kieran looked at Valerie’s weak figure, feeling a bit dazed.
His heart missed a beat as if it wanted to burst out of his chest and block his breath, making it a bit unbearable.
Kieran inexplicably approached, wanting to touch Valerie.
Valerie was different now.
She was so unfamiliar.
Valerie was elusive, ready to disappear before Kieran…
Hiss…
Valerie removed the valve of the pressure cooker, releasing the gas inside.
This sound made Kieran snap back to reality, and he looked at Valerie strangely. He then picked up his cup and brewed a cup of coffee before returning to his study.
In the gloomy room, Kieran was unable to focus on his work at all. He rubbed his furrowed brows and took out his phone to call Jayvion.
“Jayvion, come and make dinner.”
“Okay, Mr. Kieran. What would you like to eat?”
“It’s not for me. It’s for the young lady.”
The young lady?
Jayvion was a bit confused.
Zoe went out for dinner with her parents, so this young lady should be Valerie.
Although Jayvion didn’t understand why Kieran would care for Kieran, Jayvion was in a much better mood.
“Understood, Mr. Kieran. I will prepare the meal and deliver it to Ms. Valerie’s room. What would you like to eat?”
“I don’t need anything.”
After hanging up, Kieran finally calmed down. He opened his laptop and got down to work.
Valerie had a corn cob in her hand. She nibbled on it as she entered her room. She hadn’t eaten all day, so the taste of the corn in her hand was especially sweet.
Just as Valerie entered her room and had only eaten half of the corn cob, Jayvion came inside with a smile, carrying a tray of food for Valerie.
“Ms. Valerie, Mr. Kieran asked me to prepare dinner for you. Why are you eating raw corn? If you are hungry, you can let me cook for you!”
Jayvion quickly put down the food tray and snatched the corn cob from Valerie’s hand without waiting for her to explain.
Concern filled Jayvion’s eyes as he looked at Valerie. He took out his phone, intending to call the family doctor.
It wasn’t until the fragrant aroma and sweetness of the corn filled Jayvion’s nostrils that he calmed down.
“Hmm? It was cooked?”
Doubtful, Jayvion broke off a grain of corn cob and put it in his mouth.
It was cooked.
“Ms. Valerie, what did you use to cook it?”
“A pressure cooker.”
“Hiss…”
Jayvion gasped in fear.
The fact that Valerie cooked corn with a pressure cooker was even scarier than her eating raw corn.
“Did you make it by yourself? Did you get hurt?”
Jayvion was truly flustered and checked Valerie from top to bottom for any signs of injury.
There was no trace of injury at all.
Jayvion wondered, “This is strange. When did Ms. Valerie learn how to use a pressure cooker?”
“Ms. Valerie, if you’re hungry, just come tell me. Using a pressure cooker is too dangerous for you.”
“I understand, Jayvion.”
Valerie looked at Jayvion, her eyes filled with warmth.
“Ms. Valerie, Mr. Kieran asked me to cook dinner for you. Please eat.”
Valerie looked at the delicious dinner on the table, went up, and took the corn from Jayvion’s hand.
“Jayvion, I’m almost finished with the corn cob. You can just take the dishes back. This one piece is enough to fill me up.”
“But, Ms. Valerie…”
Kieran especially had Jayvion prepare the dinner.
Remembering Valerie’s hunched back in the morning, Jayvion chose to stay silent.
He could only take the dinner back to Kieran’s study.
“Mr. Kieran, Ms. Valerie said she was full from the corn and asked me to bring the dinner to you…”
Kieran’s face darkened immediately.
The dishes on the table looked appetizing.
Yet, he had no appetite at all.
He wondered, “What did Valerie mean by this?
Is she being rebellious at this age?
Does she try to use this method to gain attention from the family?”
Valerie was so well–behaved last night. She served Kieran milk and late–night snacks.
But today, she started throwing tantrums.
Clearly, Zoe was the only sensible one!
“I see, Jayvion. You can have this dinner with others. I don’t need it anymore. From now on, there’s no need to inform me about anything related to Valerie. You may leave now.”
“Yes…”
Jayvion left the study with dinner and shook his head helplessly.
Why were both Valerie and Kieran so stubborn?
But the Horton family wasn’t friendly toward Valerie.
Ever since Zoe was born, everyone’s attention had been focused solely on her.
At the age of two, Valerie had to learn to read people’s expressions and act accordingly. She could not be willful or throw a tantrum in order to please her family.
If one day, Valerie secretly ran away from home…
They might not even notice it!
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You never walk alone
I'm crying
2023-10-12
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