Chapter 38: Where Did She Get Her Stubbornness From?
Leonard's eyes immediately flashed with panic.
Never had Sharon ever shed tears in public!
Daniel and Oliver frowned as well.
Paul threw aside his concerns about Leonard and rushed to coax Sharon, who was still stuffing food into her mouth despite the tears streaming down her face. "Stop eating if you don't like it, alright?" Sharon wiped off her tears with the back of her hand and continued to eat, not saying anything.
Paul felt his chest tightening.
He may have always teased Sharon, but it was only because he adored her, and was careful to never hurt her.
Seeing Sharon so upset, he felt just as troubled.
"Sharon, stop," Oliver said.
Sharon shook her head and lifted the plate up to sweep more crayfish into her mouth.
Leonard clenched his fists and stared coldly at Sharon. He snapped in a gruff voice, "Enough!"
Sharon stuffed the last crayfish into her mouth and returned the plate to the table. She picked up her own plate and started stuffing more food into her mouth.
Everyone else was at a loss for words and sighed to themselves, "I wonder where she got her stubbornness from?"
Leonard scowled and flung his utensils away. He reached out to remove the plate and fork from Sharon's hands and slammed them onto the table. Bending to collect her into his arms, he carried her out of the lounge, his face hard.
As soon as they left, the entire room fell into an odd silence.
Minutes passed before Daniel and Oliver collected themselves and went back to drinking as if nothing had happened.
Paul glowered at the two of them. "What the f*ck? How can they still drink after what happened?" he snapped silently.
A Grand Cherokee speeded along the asphalt road. Sharon sat in the passenger seat with her head resting on the headrest as she watched the scenery outside.
She had not spared him a glance since just now.
Leonard gripped the steering wheel with both hands. His face was stony, his lips pressed into a thin line, and he wore a deep frown that gave off an unapproachable aura.
Normally, it would have taken about forty minutes to get from Moonlight Pavilion to Coral Pavilion.
Today, however, it took Leonard less than twenty minutes.
The car stopped in front of the villa gates. Sharon, who had been silent the whole ride, immediately unfastened her seat belt, pushed the door open, and got out. She walked into the villa without looking back. Leonard's hands clenched around the steering wheel as he stared at Sharon's retreating figure, his eyes blank and cold.
Nearing two in the morning, a slender figure in white floated out of a room from the first floor and fumbled its way to the living room before heading into the kitchen.
It went to the refrigerator that was embedded in the wall and opened it. A pale hand reached in and brushed a bright red apple that was sitting there. Suddenly, the kitchen lights flickered on. Startled, the hand threw the apple back in fright.
She spun around to see a tall figure standing by the door, staring at her with deep eyes.
The hair on the back of Sharon's neck stood on ends and her face blushed red. She resisted the urge to cover her face, embarrassed.
Leonard was dressed in the same clothes as earlier, a black shirt and a pair of simple suit trousers.
His sleeves were rolled up to his elbows, exposing his muscular and firm arms.
Leonard stared intensely Sharon who was red with embarrassment. After a moment, he slowly made his way towards her.
Sharon's heart skipped a beat, and she backed up into the refrigerator behind. She bit her lip and looked at him.
As he drew closer, the apparent smell of tobacco wafted to her nose.
Sharon stilled. "How much did he smoke?" she wondered.
"Move aside." Leonard ordered in a soft voice.
Leonard halted in his tracks when his toes touched Sharon's and watched as Sharon squirmed around.
Sharon's lips twitched, and she inched her way aside bit by bit, her back pressed firmly against the refrigerator.
Finally free of his overbearing presence, Sharon let out a long sigh. She glanced at the ripe apple longingly before walking out of the kitchen dejectedly.
"Wait in the living room." His deep voice came from behind.
Sharon paused and looked back in confusion.
Leonard was opening the compartment to the cooking ingredients and took out some cheese and eggs.
Sharon's eyes instantly lit up.
"Is Master Leonard going to cook?" she exclaimed to herself, suppressing her excitement.
Others may know Leonard for his extraordinary business skills, but most did not know that he had a hidden talent. He could make any dish taste heavenly regardless of its ingredients.
In the past, Sharon could only get to enjoy his cooking whenever Kelley went back to her hometown. Otherwise, it was impossible to see him in the kitchen.
At the thought of tasting his cooking again, Sharon had to use all of her willpower to hold back her excitement.
Sharon forced a casual humph as an acknowledgement and calmly walked to the living room.
The moment she was out of the kitchen, she jumped up and down in anticipation.
Hearing the soft thuds from the living room, Leonard's eyes crinkled at the corners and he broke out into a small smile.
In the living room, Sharon turned on the TV and watched a replay of a variety show.
She had been watching the show consistently for quite some time now, not because it was interesting, but because one of the cast members was a celebrity she fancied.
...
After watching for about twenty minutes, Leonard's voice came from the kitchen. "Sharon, come here."
"Alright." Sharon answered. She got up, switched the TV off, and headed towards the kitchen.
She had just reached the door when she collided with Leonard, who was holding two steaming plates of pasta.
Fortunately, she had a narrow escape since Leonard reacted in time by raising the plates up so that Sharon wouldn't bump into them.
Sharon gasped and took a step back.
Leonard stared at her. Unexpectedly, he did not admonish her for being careless. Instead, he just frowned and walked to the dining area. Sharon pouted behind his back before bouncing to the kitchen to fetch some utensils.
As she headed back to the dining area, her steps slowed deliberately.
She walked in and her eyes instantly went to the plates of pasta on the table. She licked her lips subconsciously and walked over to the table. Leonard watched her without saying a word.
She stood beside the chair across from him and handed him some utensils.
A ghost of a smile appeared on his lips as he took them from her and sat down.
Once she saw him sitting down, she immediately followed suit.
Her eyes couldn't help glimpsing towards the food.
The egg had been scrambled to a golden perfection, and strings of cheese stretched when the egg pulled apart. It glistened tantalizingly as fragrance filled the air. Sharon's eyes widened, eager to have a taste.
Leonard spared her a glance before lowering his head to eat.
At the sight of that, Sharon immediately dug into her food.
As she slurped the pasta, the aroma of the bolognese sauce permeated her taste buds and she gave a satisfied moan.
"Its just as delicious as I thought it would be!" Sharon sighed to herself.
Her palate now appeased, a small smile finally appeared on her face again and she lowered her head to devour her food.
It might have just been a simple meal, but to Sharon, it tasted better than anything she'd ever had in a restaurant.
Only Leonard would have the skills to make such normal dishes taste so divine.
At one point, Leonard had stopped eating and was just patiently watching as Sharon wolfed down her food. Slowly, his eyes softened and his gaze filled with tenderness.
Soon enough, Sharon had cleared her plate and was resisting the urge to lick it clean.
Her hunger fulfilled, she finally remembered Leonard's existence and immediately stiffened up.
Sharon placed her hands neatly on her knees and her lips pressed together as she looked at Leonard uneasily.
While Sharon had finished all of her food, Leonard had not even touched one-third of his.
Picking up a napkin to wipe his mouth, Leonard slowly looked up at Sharon.
Sharon immediately avoided his eyes, holding her breath.
Leonard's eyes narrowed as he said calmly, "You still have classes tomorrow, so go to bed now."
Bewildered, Sharon froze before turning to look at Leonard.
Leonard had pursed his lips. While he wore a stern expression, he still had a strikingly handsome face. To Sharon, he was much more good-looking than the celebrity she adored.
Sharon stared blankly at him until she became lost in her thoughts.
Suddenly, a dark shadow descended from the top of her head.
She jerked to her senses with a start, but it was too late.
...
A chilly finger lifted her chin, and soft, warm lips covered hers. ☐☐☐☐☐