Chapter 35
Chapter 35
What she saw on the tablet screen took Seraphina by surprise: it was open to Twitter displaying a
popular influencer’s gossip-filled feed. “I didn’t expect you to follow gossips,” Seraphina teased.
Dashiell looked at her, remaining silent. However, as Seraphina took a closer look at the screen, she
felt a chill creep down her spine: the gossip was about her.
The gossip thread, mentioning her real name, spilled tales of her college days, leading all the way to
her tenure at Prosperian Company. The most detailed section painted a vibrant picture of her past
relationships with Julian and Vivian. The title was nothing less than scandalous: An Angelic Bit ch’s
Happy Times.
‘What?’ Her mind raced. The shock was more than the anger. She had hardened herself for Julian’s
mudslinging and legal battles, but his complete denial of their relationship was an unexpected blow.
Perhaps he never cared for her to stoop to such detestable.
measures.
“I… Unable to finish her sentence, she turned to Dashiell, “Do you believe it?” The public opinion didn’t
bother her, but Dashiell’s did.
Dashiell kept his cool, simply blinking at her query, “Believe what? As I said, it’s idle chatter.”
With that, he switched off the tablet and pulled her in his arms. Looking down at her wit a playful
squeeze to her nose, he asked, “Are you mad?”
Seraphina shook her head.
Instead of responding, Seraphina simply shook her head, her arms wrapping around his neck as she
rested her face against his shoulder. His presence offered her immense comfort and security. She
reflected on her naive question-if he had bought into the gossip, he wouldn’t have reacted differently
than just dismissing it as idle chatter. Dashiell’s unwavering belief in her, puzzling yet reassuring,
warmed her heart. With each passing day, she was discovering what a remarkable man he truly was
and how futile her loyalty to Julian had been.
“Why would I be upset over such petty chatter?” she murmured, her words slightly muf fled against his
shoulder
“That’s the spirit,” Dashiell agreed, his fingers weaving through her long hair soothingly.
“You missed your first proper day at work. Was there any problem? Anyone giving you a hard time at
the office?” he asked casually.
“No, quite the opposite! My supervisor has been very understanding. She granted me
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three days off to sort my affairs and adjust to the new environment,” Seraphina shared, praising her
supervisor’s thoughtfulness.
“Is that so?” Dashiell, slightly suspicious, narrowed his eyes at her. “Perhaps I should meet with this
accommodating supervisor.”
Something about his stern look suggested that he was not joking.
“No, no! That’s not necessary,” Seraphina hurriedly dismissed the proposal, “Aroma Delight is but a
minor subsidiary of Apex Corporation and my boss is nowhere near your league. She would freak out if
the CEO of Apex Corp decided to summon her!”
Amused by her reaction, Dashiell teasingly pinched her chin. “You flatter me. I think a reward is in
order.”
Intrigued, Seraphina questioned, “A reward? What kind?”
“Whatever you wish for,” Dashiell whispered in her ear, leaning even closer.
Caught off-guard, Seraphina leapt to her feet and announced, “I need time to think about it! Let’s cat
first. I’m starving!”
As she fled to the kitchen, Dashiell, thoroughly entertained, let her be. He returned his attention to the
tablet, his gaze turning solemn in an instant.
He mused, ‘How dare they spread false rumors about my woman? Fabricated or not, every single one
of them will pay.”
Meanwhile, in the kitchen, Seraphina was pleasantly surprised. A cursory glance at the refrigerator
revealed an assortment of food far beyond her expectations of instant noodles and em
There were fresh veggies and various types of meat.
She had initially assumed that someone like Dashiell would keep a light pantry considering that he
didn’t prefer domestic workers hovering around all the time. She was clearly mistaken. After scanning
the pantry, she decided to surprise Dashiell with at home-cooked meal.
Preoccupied with the dispute over “First Love” perfume, Seraphina hadn’t been eating. properly. Home-
cooked meals were what she craved for, despite Dashiell treating her to extravagant meals outside.
There were ready-to-cook ribs in the fridge that would speed up the cooking process. Adding flavors to
the ribs, she started to stew them. Meanwhile, she beat some eggs and sliced a few vegetables.
Dashiell was engaged with some paperwork in the living room. After a while, he ambled into the
kitchen, curious about what was taking Seraphina so long. The first thing that
19 Wed, 31 Jan
welcomed him was the heavenly aroma of food, making his mouth water.
Leaning against the doorframe, he watched Seraphina bustling around in the kitchen. Her slender
figure draped in a large apron displayed an enticing silhouette. She stirred. the soup on one burner
while frying the vegetables on another-a beautiful sight to behold.
Suddenly, Dashiell’s eyes tightened. He briskly approached Seraphina, casually taking the spatula from
her hand. “Let me take over,” he said.
Seraphina yelped in surprise, her focus on the cooking had shielded her senses to his arrival.
Dashiell’s quick reflexes prevented her from stumbling as he steadied her by the waist, all while
maneuvering the veggies with the spatula in his other hand.
Startled, Seraphina tried to protest, “You don’t have to do it, I can manage.”
She reached for the spatula but Dashiell artfully dodged, trying to usher her out while he casually stir-
fried the vegetables, “You go relax. I’ll have it ready soon.”
A bit confused, she hung around for a while watching Dashiell cook. He seemed quite seasoned in
cooking, an unexpected discovery.
Seeing her lingering, Dashiell prodded, “Go!”
Reluctantly, she complied. Before leaving she reminded him, “Oh, and don’t add any more salt to the Ccontent © exclusive by Nô/vel(D)ra/ma.Org.
soup. I already did!”