Chapter 412: Chapter 412

By the time the deliveryman sent the groceries over, Rayna had already baked Ferropenian bread and some animal-shaped cookies.

She carried them out to the living room for Kristie. While at that, she went over to open the door and check all the groceries that had been delivered.

She bought a lot of things, three large bags in total. When she had checked everything and was going to carry them into the kitchen, a massive hand shot out and inadvertently touched the back of her hand.

“I’ll carry them.”

While she was still in a daze, Curtis had already picked up the three shopping bags effortlessly and spun around to head into the kitchen.

Rayna stared at the back of her hand, where the man’s touch seemingly left a trace of lingering warmth.

When he was steadying me just now, he moved away at lightning speed, but he’s now acting as though he didn’t notice it after touching me. Hah!

Meanwhile, Curtis took everything out of the bags and sorted them by kind. From his peripheral vision, he then saw Rayna entering the kitchen. “What are you planning to cook? I’ll wash and cut the ingredients.”

“Kristie wants to eat salmon aglio olio. Cut the salmon first, then wash some lean meat, mushrooms, and a bit of parsley,” Rayna instructed. Glancing over her shoulder at him, she added, “Tell me if you can’t slice the salmon properly.”

Grasping the mocking note in her words, Curtis was convinced that she had something against him.

His brows furrowed, and he leaned close to her, propping a hand against the sink. From that angle, he could only see the top of her head and vaguely smell a faint whiff of bluebells.

“How have I offended you, Ms. Garland? When you almost fell earlier, I even helped you up. Why are you deriding me such?”

Curtis demanded lowly.

The moment Rayna heard that, her temper spiked, and she snorted coldly. “How am I deriding you? It’s a fact that you’ve never done any chores, so I’m worried that you’re incapable of doing all this.”

“Can you talk to me properly?”

Without hesitation, Rayna stared right at him. “Yes! Am I not talking to you properly right now? Also, please apologize when you accidentally touched someone.”

Curtis’ face went as black as thunder. “Yet, neither did you bother to thank me when I kept you from falling down just now.”

“I only had a near fall because you were blocking my path! I didn’t ask you to help carry the groceries earlier. You accidentally touched me, but you didn’t apologize. Don’t you think you’ve done anything wrong?” Rayna retorted at once.

Curtis was struck dumb.

It’s only been a few months since I’ve last seen her, and she’s really grown to be increasingly eloquent. It’s a pity that she doesn’t join a debate competition!

A hint of mirth flashed across his eyes, but it fleeted.

Taking a step back, he relented helplessly, “Fine, fine, whatever you say. Can you please be less formal when you talk to me?”

“That’s my expression of respect toward you, Mr. Faymon, to put some distance between us. If I speak to you formally, it’ll remind me of the gap between us,” Rayna replied, her hands never stopping.

Curtis’ temples throbbed, and he finally understood why it was unwise to argue with a woman.

It was because one could never win.

One utterance from the man could garner ten ripostes from the woman.

Subsequently, Rayna pushed him away unceremoniously. “Ah, get out of my way! Go out if you’re not helping instead of standing around and taking up the space here. It’d be faster for me to cook by myself...”

Her unceasing rambling made Curtis’ ears ring. Seizing hold of her chin, he captured her lips.

When she no longer nagged, peace returned to him once more.

At that precise moment, Kristie came over to get some water. The sight that greeted her in the kitchen had her eyes going wide and her jaw dropped. The glass almost slipped from her hand as well. “S-Sorry, I didn’t see anything. Carry on!”

Seeing that her glass was empty, she made her way back for some soda, bending low. Throughout it all, she furtively peeked into the kitchen.

Mortified beyond words, Rayna furiously pinched Curtis at the waist and shoved him away.

Warily backing away several steps, she jerked her head up and shot daggers at him, her cheeks stained with a hint of crimson.

“H-How could you be so shameless when you’re a man? I’m going to sue you!”

“If so, I’d like to see which lawyer dares to accept your case. Well, unless that lawyer doesn’t want to be in the legal field anymore.” Curtis rolled up his sleeves unhurriedly, baring part of his muscular arm.

Livid, Rayna gave her back to him. “What a lunatic!”

Noticing that she was going to handle the meat, Curtis snagged a knife and handed it to her. “In the future, don’t be so formal when talking to me. Otherwise, I’m going to kiss you however many times you do so.”

“What gives you the right—”

“Hmm?”

Curtis leaned close to her, giving her a feeling as though he was going to kiss her. She hastily backed away, scared. “Got it! Are you still going to help?”

Curtis quirked a brow, seemingly very much satisfied with her answer. Thereafter, he languidly dealt with the salmon.

In the living room, Kristie kept stealing glances at the situation in the kitchen. When she saw them working together in perfect harmony side by side, she marveled internally. This development is pretty good. I wonder if there’s a chance of them reconciling.

Just then, the phone on the table started vibrating.

It was Rayna’s phone.

Picking up the phone, Kristie wanted to take it into the kitchen for Rayna, only to glimpse “James” on the caller ID. Recalling Rayna asking her previously whether she missed James, curiosity bubbled within her.

She surreptitiously peeked into the kitchen. Seeing that the couple inside wasn’t paying her any attention, she secretly answered the call.

“Have you gone back to the country, Rayna?” No sooner had she picked up the call than she heard a man’s deep and crisp voice.

The familiar voice inexorably made her heart ache.

Before she could say anything, the man continued, “I’m going to Xyperia to handle some matters, and I’ll be gone for quite some time. Help me cover up with Mom. That aside, help me take good care of Kristie. Are you listening, Rayna?”

“Rayna is cooking in the kitchen,” Kristie answered. “Who are you?”

On the other end of the phone, the man caught his breath.

The long silence perturbed Kristie, and she couldn’t help venturing, “Shall I hand the phone over to Rayna?”

“No, it’s okay,” James demurred. Then, he asked, “Is she at your condominium?”

“Yeah. She bought a ton of groceries to cook for me,” Kristie elaborated, a strange feeling welling within her. I don’t think we’re acquainted, but why do I feel like I’ve known him for a long time?

“Eat well, then,” James urged.

“Of course! Rayna’s cooking is delicious. But...” Pausing for a brief second, Kristie asked in curiosity, “Why would you say that?

Do you know me?”

“Yes.”

“But I don’t know you. I don’t even have any idea what you look like,” Kristie mused.

“It’s okay. It isn’t too late for us to get acquainted now. I’m your future partner and will keep you company until the end of time.”

The man’s voice brimmed with tenderness and affection.

At that, Kristie fell silent.

“My time is up, so I’ve got to turn off my phone. Remember to eat well and wait for me to return.”

By the time Kristie had gathered her wits about her, the call was already disconnected.

A long while passed before she came back to herself and gaped at the phone in disbelief. “My future partner... doesn’t that mean husband? What a strange man! What gives him the right to be my husband?”

But when he said that earlier, I didn’t feel the least bit averse to it. Instead, I was seemingly glad about it.

With the phone in hand, she wanted to ask Rayna about it, but the instant she stepped into the kitchen, she saw that Rayna was bickering with Curtis. “Why did not wash it with salt? Do you not think it is fishy?”

“This is the first time I’m handling salmon. How would I know that I am to wash it with salt?”

“Are you mute? Why couldn’t you have asked me?”

“I asked you earlier, but you told me to google it. Google didn’t say that I have to wash the fish with salt after cutting it.”

And so, they squabbled endlessly.

Kristie decided not to go in and disrupt them, lest they turn their wrath on her.

As she walked toward the living room, she mulled over the phone call a while ago.

Who exactly was that man?