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Novel Catalog
Chapter 9: She Owes Me a Favor
Ainsley looked up, her gaze meeting a pair of strikingly beautiful eyes. The man before her was charming, his smile warm and effortless, making him seem almost boyish in his cuteness. Ainsley didn’t recognize him, and the confusion was evident on her face. Lainey, too, eyed him with suspicion, her curiosity piqued.
The man, with a natural confidence, introduced himself with a smile. “My name is Roman Heyman. I’m Mr. Gage’s chef. Mr. Gage asked me to cook the black goose you hunted and serve it to you. I hope you enjoy it.”
Ainsley couldn’t help but notice the expensive watch on Roman’s wrist, glinting in the sunlight. Her curiosity only grew as she realized a chef with a million-dollar watch was hardly a normal occurrence.
Lainey, without missing a beat, blurted out, “Roman, are Mr. Gage’s chefs all so rich?”
Roman, with a playful glint in his eyes, grinned and replied, “It’s mainly because he’s rich.”
Both Ainsley and Lainey laughed, and for a moment, the lighthearted exchange felt like a breath of fresh air amidst the stiff atmosphere around them.
The laughter, however, did not go unnoticed. Cason, sitting with Kaliyah and a few of his friends, felt a sharp pang of irritation. He observed Ainsley as she delicately cut a piece of roasted black goose with a silver fork, her eyes lighting up in delight. The handsome chef, Roman, appeared to be saying something, and Ainsley raised her head to listen intently.
For a fleeting moment, Cason’s stomach turned sour. The roasted meat in his mouth lost all flavor. He hadn’t realized it before, but the Ainsley he once knew—quiet, reserved, and gentle—was no longer the woman sitting across from him. She was laughing, engaging, and full of life in a way that made his chest tighten uncomfortably.
Kaliyah, noticing Cason’s gaze, raised an eyebrow and asked casually, “Cason, is the man with Ms. Easton a friend of hers?”
One of Cason’s friends, who had also been watching the exchange, chimed in, “Ainsley doesn’t really have friends, does she? But it seems she likes that guy.”
“Is he pursuing her? Or… her boyfriend?” The question lingered in the air, but before anyone could say more, Cason’s face darkened. His clenched fists betrayed his building frustration.
The thought suddenly struck him like a bolt of lightning: No wonder she was willing to divorce me.
His gaze grew colder, his sneer barely concealed as he watched Ainsley interact with Roman. He felt a twinge of jealousy, something he wasn’t prepared for, especially after all these years of treating her indifferently.
As Roman departed, Lainey shot a glare at him, unable to suppress her growing irritation. “What the hell is this jerk looking at?” she muttered under her breath.
Ainsley, noticing the shift in the air, frowned slightly. Still, she refused to let the tension ruin the atmosphere. The beauty of the hunting ground and the joy of the day helped lift her spirits. She had spent so long hiding in the shadows of her old life that now, in this moment, she didn’t want to dwell on negative thoughts.
She took a sip of wine and, feeling a bit tipsy, lazily replied, “Maybe it’s because I’m so pretty.”
Her words, light and playful, drifted over to a man standing on the second floor. The sound of low laughter filled the air, and the man turned his head slightly, his long, narrow eyes narrowing in amusement. He smiled—deep and knowing—and looked as though he was in a very good mood.
Roman, who had just passed by and was watching from a distance, suddenly froze. He had only seen Manuel smile like this once before—back when the Burke family had fallen apart and half of them had died in the aftermath. The memory was chilling.
“Mr. Gage, please,” Roman said with a nervous chuckle, “don’t laugh like that. It’s a little… horrifying.”
Manuel’s smile remained, unfazed. He glanced at Roman, his expression softening slightly. “Have you delivered the black goose yet?” he asked casually.
Roman nodded, but the look of confusion on his face was impossible to hide. “Yes, Mr. Gage. But why? You asked me to come all the way here to cook for you, to make this dish of black goose. Which one of the two girls are you interested in?”
Roman’s straightforwardness didn’t faze Manuel. In fact, he seemed unbothered as he took in the question, as though it were a passing thought.
The people around Manuel grew silent, sensing the tension, but Manuel’s demeanor remained calm as ever. He stood on the second-floor balcony, his eyes scanning the vast forest that surrounded the hunting grounds. After a long pause, he finally spoke again, his voice slow and deliberate.
“Nothing,” he said. “I just want someone to remember that she owes me a favor.”
