Chapter 168: Who Was Nathaniel Sloan Cooking For?
Chapter 168: Chapter 168: Who Was Nathaniel Sloan Cooking For?
Liam Sloan also hurried over, his eyes shining happily like a puppy’s. "That’s right, that’s right! Thea grew up with us. She’s one of the guys."
Thea York immediately broke into a smile, playfully teasing Liam. "Alright, little bro, how many more times are you going to call me ’one of the guys’?"
She then turned to Estelle Lockwood. "If Nathaniel bullies you, just tell me. I’ll stick up for you! As one of his best friends, I’ll take good care of you from now on, too."
The words were heroic and righteous, but they sounded strange.
Estelle Lockwood narrowed her eyes, a knowing look on her face.
’Best friends, one of the guys...’
’Telling Nathaniel Sloan’s wife, "If he bullies you, I’ll help you beat him up."’
The statement made Estelle Lockwood feel as if... Thea York and Nathaniel Sloan were the real couple, and she was just an outsider.
’But Thea York did just help me. Maybe I’m just imagining things... I shouldn’t assume the worst. She was born with a silver spoon and has been doted on her whole life; everyone indulges her. Perhaps that’s why she acts this way without even realizing how manipulative it comes across.’
Estelle Lockwood nodded. "Okay."
Zane Grant, standing off to the side with his arms crossed, let out a soft "tsk."
Just then, Nathaniel Sloan emerged from the kitchen.
The man was dressed in a black silk shirt and wore a pair of rimless, gold-wired glasses. He radiated an air of utter indifference, yet those same glasses tempered his coldness with a touch of gentle refinement.
Before Estelle Lockwood could say a word, Thea York had already stepped forward. "Nathaniel, you must be exhausted. I told you I’d help, but you insisted on cooking everything by yourself. There’s no way we can finish all this food... Oh, right."
As if suddenly remembering another person was present, Thea York turned her head. "Miss Lockwood, you’ll be joining us, won’t you? You’ve probably eaten already at this hour, but it’s rare for Nathaniel to cook. You should stay and have a little. Nathaniel, I’ll go get an extra set of dishes."
With that, she headed toward the kitchen as if she owned the place.
At this, even Liam Sloan could tell something was off.
’He might not be the most socially aware person, but even he knew that his sister-in-law was supposed to be the mistress of Imperial Crest, wasn’t she?’
’So why was Thea acting like his sister-in-law was the guest?’
"Miss York, that won’t be necessary." Estelle Lockwood now felt certain she hadn’t misjudged the woman. This Miss York was definitely hostile toward her.
Thea York smiled gently, a hint of urgency in her expression, like a hostess eager to show her guest the utmost hospitality.
"It’s no trouble, Miss Lockwood. We can’t finish all this food anyway. You’ve never tasted Nathaniel’s cooking before, have you?"
"Let me tell you a little secret, Nathaniel is an amazing cook. It would be a real shame if you didn’t try a few bites. Even if you’ve already eaten, it won’t hurt to have a little more. So it’s settled! You sit down, and I’ll go get you a set of dishes."
With that, she turned to walk into the kitchen.
The kitchen at Imperial Crest was an open-plan design, with all the cookware and utensils hidden away inside cabinets. A guest would have no idea where to find anything.
But Thea York walked straight to the second cabinet and opened it with a smile. "Just relax and sit down, Miss Lockwood. I’ve been here many times..."
However, when she opened the cabinet, it wasn’t filled with dishes. Thea York’s graceful, confident smile froze on her face.
"Miss York," Estelle Lockwood said slowly. "I said it wasn’t necessary because I figured you wouldn’t know where the dishes are kept."
Thea York took a deep breath and bloomed into a smile. "Oh, I see... I thought... I’m sorry, Miss Lockwood. It’s just that I came to Imperial Crest so many times before I went abroad that I’m very familiar with the place. It feels like a second home to me, so I just assumed..."
"Miss York, the number of times you’ve been to Imperial Crest shouldn’t be enough for you to consider it your home."
The one who spoke this time wasn’t Estelle Lockwood, but, to everyone’s surprise, Nathaniel Sloan.
His eyes were cool, projecting the imposing aura of someone in a position of power as he slightly lifted his eyelids.
Estelle Lockwood smiled and nodded. "Even if you were familiar with it in the past, things change over the years. Since you’re the guest, Miss York, please, take a seat."
Thea York’s smile was stiff, but she recovered quickly. "I overstepped. I’m just not used to this... I never expected Nathaniel to be so different after getting married. You kept your marriage so secret—are you even treating me like one of your closest friends anymore?"
"Alright, alright, everyone’s here now. Let’s eat!"
Liam Sloan and Zane Grant exchanged a glance. Liam, sensing the delicate atmosphere, whispered, "Don’t you think... something’s a little off?"
Zane Grant was Nathaniel Sloan’s friend. And while he’d known Thea York since they were children, they weren’t exactly childhood besties. As a result, Zane had a clearer view of the situation.
He said cryptically, "Do you smell that in the air?"
Liam was confused. "What smell?"
"..." Zane Grant looked away. ’He could practically smell the stench of ’green tea’ in the air—the specific kind that pretends to be ’one of the guys.’ But he couldn’t be sure. After all, he didn’t know Thea York well. Was she really being manipulative, or was this just her personality? He couldn’t just run his mouth, especially in front of someone who considered her a friend.’
Meanwhile, Thea York took her seat and said with a playfully chiding smile, "So much food, Nathaniel. You must be in a great mood. Did something good happen today?"
Zane Grant immediately picked up on the strange undertone.
’Today was just an ordinary day. The only thing different was Thea York’s return.’
’So what "good thing" could have possibly happened to Nathaniel Sloan today? Hearing Thea York ask it like that, Zane suddenly had a thought. The "good thing" she was referring to... couldn’t be her own return, could it?’
’Her coming back was the ’good thing,’ so Nathaniel was happy, and because he was happy, he cooked all this food. And the rest of them were just lucky enough to be along for the ride?’
Nathaniel Sloan calmly hummed in agreement. "Yes, something good did happen."
Thea York’s breath caught. "Nathaniel..."
"Estelle was finally willing to eat my cooking today. That’s worth celebrating."
He used the serving chopsticks to place some food on Estelle Lockwood’s plate. "This spread is the same as the one I made the other night. Why don’t you have a taste, Mrs. Sloan? What score would you give it today?"
Estelle Lockwood’s eyes widened as she realized he was right—it was the exact same spread.
She had secretly tasted a bit of the food that night and had given it a "six out of ten."
Now, Nathaniel Sloan had cooked the exact same meal and was asking her to score it again.
Thea York picked up on the subtext, her hands clenching into fists. "Nathaniel cooked before this?"
Nathaniel Sloan said nothing, but Zane Grant had already clicked his tongue. "Yeah, you probably wouldn’t know. Nowadays, whenever Estelle feels like eating something, Nathaniel cooks for her himself. His skills have improved by leaps and bounds—he’s way better than he used to be. We’re all just lucky to be able to taste his cooking, and it’s all thanks to Estelle. Isn’t that right, Thea?"
Thea York’s expression was stiff, but her smile didn’t falter in the slightest. She feigned surprise. "Oh, so that’s how it is. Then I guess I was just being presumptuous. I actually thought Nathaniel cooked all this... for me. My apologies, my apologies."
Estelle Lockwood raised an eyebrow. ’What was this? A strategic retreat?’
"Oh, right, Nathaniel, there was something I forgot to tell you. Earlier today, Miss Lockwood ran into one of those insurance scammers..."