Chapter 45
1116 Words
JUSTIN
When I arrived at the penthouse, my wife greeted me. She was wearing an apron and swaying slightly to the tune of a soft song. She probably didn’t hear me come in because she was busy with what she was doing. I watched her for a moment. Whatever happened earlier at the office, I quickly forgot. Right now, I’m in heaven.
I stepped closer to her and sat on a barstool. I was going to give her a kiss, but she was holding a knife, and the last thing I wanted was for her to get startled and accidentally stab me. That would be terrible for both of us.
A smile appeared on her lips when she saw me. She put down the knife, wiped her hands on the apron, and then came over to me.
“Hi!” She kissed my cheek and pulled back slightly. Riz remained close.
“Hi, what are you doing?”
“Making us a simple lunch.” One eyebrow rose in surprise. I thought we were going out for lunch, but it seems the pregnant woman changed her mind. She scratched her neck when she noticed my reaction. “I wasn’t thinking about how busy you’d be when I invited you earlier. I thought when I woke up that I’d just make lunch for us so you wouldn’t have to rush. It wouldn’t waste our time traveling. It’s going to be traffic today, and I don’t mind walking, but—”
I pulled her to me by the waist and kissed her lips. She talks so much when she’s flustered. “I prefer your cooking over eating out.”
She blushed. “Really?” I nodded repeatedly. “You’re just flattering me.”
“I don’t know how to flatter. Besides, your head is round, and— Ouch!” She pinched me lightly on the side. “So what are we having for lunch later?”
“I just rummaged through the fridge. I was going to make grilled asparagus steak bundles. It’ll be served over white rice, unless you want fried rice.”
She was playing with my collar. It made me feel lazy to go back to the office. I just wanted to watch her cook for me. While many people think that getting married is suffocating, it’s the opposite for me. She’s not strict. She’s not like other women who keep asking questions and doubting everything. Riz keeps herself busy, and that’s one of the qualities I admire about her.
“White rice is fine. Good thing there’s leftover food.”
“There’s not a lot. I just saw the steak in the freezer. There aren’t many vegetables except for the asparagus and some bell pepper. I just looked for a recipe that would fit instead of asking Manong to buy groceries. Is your meeting still far off?”
I shook my head, even though I wasn’t sure. The agenda was long, and with all the drama in Elvira’s life, we surely wouldn’t finish quickly. “I will be here for lunch.”
“Twelve?”
“Twelve.”
Riz smiled. “Your break is probably over. You should go back so you can finish quickly. And don’t be too grumpy with your meeting mates.” She lightly tapped the tip of my nose.
“I’m not grumpy.”
Riz laughed. “You said it. Come on, go now; you’re interrupting my cooking. We don’t have dessert, is that okay?”
“That’s fine with me. I have a different dessert in mind anyway.” I grinned at her and stood up to walk away.
“You’re rude.”
I laughed. Riz was bright red when I glanced back at her. “I didn’t say anything. You’re the one with a dirty mind.”
“I don’t know about you.” She glared at me and went back to what she was doing. I was about to close the door when I heard her speak. “Twelve, don’t be late.”
When I returned to the meeting, Veronica was no longer there. I didn’t bother asking because Elvira was present. It didn’t matter whether she was there or not; her presence didn’t make a difference.
“So what’s the next step for this? We can’t continue the operations, and for all we know, the equipment may have already been sold on the black market.” For some reason, Elvira didn’t seem bothered. She seemed almost pleased with what had happened.
“The investigation is still ongoing. And I have contacts in the black market. I can block any sales if it gets there. Besides, the equipment won’t work without the chip.”
Elvira looked slightly surprised. “What chip?”
I laughed. How could she have missed that?
“The equipment will work for a bit, but not long enough to do the full job. It needs the chip. It’s in safe keeping, and I didn’t send it to the site. It’s too valuable.”
“Well, there you go. We can at least take a break for now. Mr. Calderon, let us continue with the investigation. Whoever is behind this needs to be held accountable. We’re losing a significant amount of money every day,” said one of the board members.
“I will have my men work around the clock.”
When the meeting was adjourned, I hurried back to the penthouse. I told Michelle that I would be back after lunch and didn’t want to be disturbed. She just nodded and said she would also go out for lunch.
The aroma of delicious food greeted me. The rice was still steaming, and the table was set. My wife was right. This is better than rushing to get a table at a fancy restaurant. Just from the smell, it seems delicious. Now I wonder why she took up business when she could have been a chef? Well, she could do both. It’s better to have a business background in finances than just cooking.
We’ll talk later about whether she wants to start a business. I want her to pursue something she’s passionate about. And if it’s food that she likes, that’s what we’re going to do. And I know the best person to guide her.
Priam.
The question is whether he will help me. Even now, he still has a grudge against me, and from the stories Ry tells me when I talk to him, he’s practically dying of jealousy. Ryleigh is also crazy; I’m the one she chose to throw into the canyon. We never dated, and I never courted her. She’s a dear friend, and that’s all there is to it.
- Writer
