Yet, he stared at her unblinkingly.
His gaze deepened, as if it could draw a person in.
“I’m just curious about what exactly you were trying to cook to make it look like this.”
Shalma Hughes froze for a moment, then looked down at the dish.
“Uh!
It’s supposed to be garlic sauce shredded pork.”
“To be able to make a plate of garlic sauce shredded pork look like this, you truly have a unique level of skill,” he said.
In an instant, it felt as though something was stuck in Shalma’s throat.
She wanted to speak but couldn’t make a sound.
She clearly understood the mockery in his words, yet she was powerless to retort.
“How did you two meet?
And how did you happen to come to my place together so coincidentally?” Miss Laura’s gaze swept over their faces as she asked mildly.
Shalma cast a resentful glance at Julian Winslow, only to see him looking completely at ease.
He appeared entirely unbothered, acting as though he had nothing to hide.
“His company and mine have some overlapping projects, so we got to know each other through work.
As for coming here together, that was purely a coincidence, haha!” Shalma gave an awkward laugh.
Miss Laura had always been a kind and gentle woman, but after hearing Shalma’s explanation, her gaze gradually sharpened.
She turned to Julian, who had remained silent all along, and asked, “Julian, is that true?”
“No.”
She wondered what he meant by no.
Shalma glared at him fiercely, a flush of agitation creeping over her makeup-free face.
It was a flush he had never seen before.
“Then what is going on between you two?” Miss Laura continued to ask.
we’re dating,” he said.
Hearing his answer, Shalma froze.
She looked over, her gaze colliding with his.
He had a serene look on his face, his expression completely unadulterated; it seemed as if he were simply stating a fact, devoid of any personal emotion.
She wondered what he meant by dating.
Over a month ago, she could still clearly feel his disgust and contempt for her.
Furthermore, they had obviously ended that relationship over a month ago.
“You two are actually dating!” Miss Laura was visibly shocked.
“Yes.
Just as Shalma said, we met through business and then started seeing each other.
However, I never expected her to be your niece,” Julian said mildly.
“Shalma Hughes!” Miss Laura gave a rare roar of anger.
Shalma shrank her neck back instinctively, looking incredibly adorable.
She seemed like a completely different person from the highly enchanting Shalma Hughes in Aethelgard.
Blinking her beautiful almond eyes, she looked at Miss Laura.
“Miss Laura!
I just felt the time wasn’t right yet.”
At this point, she had no choice but to play along and weave the lie around his words.
“When I asked you at the hospital if you had a boyfriend, you wouldn’t even give me a straight answer.”
“Alright!
I’m sorry, Miss Laura!
It won’t happen again.” Shalma stood up and cuddled up to Miss Laura, burying her face like a little ostrich.
Miss Laura couldn’t help but laugh; she hadn’t been genuinely angry to begin with.
Reaching out, she patted Shalma’s head.
“You’ve been like this since you were a little girl—pulling this act whenever you do something wrong.
I really don’t know what to do with you.”
Seeing Miss Laura smile, Shalma stepped forward, threw her arms around her neck, and planted a kiss on her cheek.
In that moment, she looked just like a seven or eight-year-old girl—pure, natural, and completely genuine.
Julian sat there watching their interaction, a faint smile playing on his lips.
With his arms crossed over his chest, he exuded an air of casual ease, but a violent storm seemed to rage within his eyes.
Miss Laura was smiling, but when she caught a glimpse of his expression from the corner of her eye, her usually gentle gaze hardened.
“Julian, when do you two plan on getting married?”
She knew it was highly inappropriate for her to ask such a question, but she felt it was best to make certain things clear from the start to prevent Shalma from getting hurt again.
Shalma had been quietly eating her food, but upon hearing Miss Laura’s question, she stiffened.
Her beautiful eyes looked over in confusion.
“Miss Laura!
What are you talking about?
What marriage?”