Chapter 67

Rodger lingered at the doorway, making Yvonne wary of resisting too hard. She subtly pressed her palms against Julian's chest and hissed under her breath, "What on earth are you doing?"

"Quiet." Julian's thumb brushed over her lips, silencing her. He bent closer, his voice a hushed breath against her ear. "'Grandpa's watching."

The heat of his words grazed her skin, raising goosebumps along her arms. Her fingers clenched reflexively,and she forced down a nervous swallow. "Even so, you had no right to kiss me like that."

He eased back just enough to meet her gaze, his tone calm but firm. "It wasn't for me-it was for him. If we look swept up in each other, Grandpa won't question a thing."

Yvonne's eyes darted toward the doorway, catching sight of Rodger's wide, satisfied grin.

Julian cupped her cheek lightly, his thumb grazing the warm flush there. A teasing glimmer lit his eyes."That blush of yours is impossible to miss."

Mortified, Yvonne pushed him away, her ears burning hotter by the second."Fine then-cook by yourself!"she snapped, flustered, before hurrying off.

Julian watched her retreat, lips curving into an amused, knowing smile.

Not much later, a strange scorched smell began to waft through the villa.

Yvonne's nerves tightened-this wasn't just making toasts anymore. Was Julian about to set the place on fire?

Right as her worry spiked, her phone buzzed with a message from him. "Dinner's ready."

Was it possible he'd really managed to make a meal?

Still doubtful, she headed for the dining room. The table was neatly set, complete with four dishes and a soup. But the food itseIf looked like a catastrophe-some parts were scorched black, others dyed with unsettling colors. No matter how carefully it had been plated, none of it looked safe to eat.

Rodger's mouth twitched as he took in the sight. Then, with a dramatic slap to his forehead, he groaned,"Ah, I just remembered! I have an invitation for a game of chess. I'm terribly late-don't bother waiting for me to eat!"

Without another glance, he wheeled himself out at surprising speed.

Rodger's sudden exit left Yvonne sighing in disbelief. She still couldn't wrap her head around how easily he'd slipped away.

Her gaze drifted to Julian, who sat stiffly with his lips pressed into a thin line, his expression shadowed with the awareness of how disastrous his cooking truly was.

An unexpected flicker of sympathy rose in her chest. Not wanting to crush what pride he had left, she pulled out a chair and settled at the table.

Casting her eyes over the bizarre spread, she searched for the faintest silver lining before finally blurting out, "Well... it's certainly something."

Julian's stare pinned her in place. "You mean that?"

The question tightened around her like a trap. For a moment, she was back at the memory of choking down his meal, reminding herself that this situation wasn't all that different-and maybe, just maybe, she could endure it again..

Holding onto the thought, she lifted a slice of potato, paused wit it in her fingers, then quietly set it back down.

Looking for a distraction, she inquired, "Where are Jordy and Sharon?"

Rodger might have excused the servants, but surely he couldn't have dismissed Julian's parents as well.

Jordy's absence made sense-being a chief diplomat, he spent much of the year overseas-but Sharon was another matter. She was supposed to be home.

Julian hesitated, then replied in a low voice, "Dad's away on business. As for Mom... Grandpa sent her and Aunt Nadine on vacation about a month ago."

In other words, Rodger had spent a month planning this down to the last detail.

Yvonne pressed her fingers to her forehead, torn between marveling at Rodger's scheming and being stunned that he had discovered their discord an entire month ago.

Julian's eyes flicked to the potato slice left on her plate, his voice tinged with expectation. "Why aren't you eating?"

Caught off guard, Yvonne forced herself to lift the piece and chew. Her face puckered almost instantly in sheer distaste. "How can you still be this bad at cooking? It's just as bad as the toast disaster from before."

A flash of panic crossed Julian's face before he straightened stubbornly. "What toast? I never made you any."

Setting down her fork, Yvonne's lips curved with quiet amusement."Oh,come on. I don't know anyone else capable of making something this terrible."

Julian's expression darkened, his pride crumbling beneath the jab.