Chapter 26

Arabella smiled and said, "This is just a lttle scratch, and honestly, I'd like to cook for you tonight."

A small crease formed on Asher's brow. He paused before responding,"All right."

Her gaze shifted to Dominick. "Mr. Powell, why don't you join us for dinner too?"

Surprise lit up Dominick's face. He glanced at Asher, and only after receiving a silent nod did he reply. "Sure, I'd be happy to."

Without delay, Arabella walked into the kitchen.

Dominick took a seat near Asher and watched him open a laptop. The screen displayed files about the Lambert Group, and the sight sent a chill down Dominick's spine. It hadn't been long since Trace, and now the Lambert family were next on the list?

He tried to break the tension with a question."Mr.Gordon, do you have feelings for Miss Stanley?"

No warmth touched Asher's expression as he

responded coldly, "It's my father's wish."

Dominick had a hard time buying that answer.

He remembered when Asher showed nothing but impatience, yet lately, Arabella seemed to occupy his thoughts. Was it really only about family obligations?

In twenty minutes, Arabella had dinner ready, and Dominick jumped up to help carry the food. The sight of the colorful, fragrant dishes caught him off guard. "I didn't know you could cook like this,Miss Stanley."

Arabella gave a simple nod."Go ahead and eat."

Dominick wasted no time digging in, and the explosion of flavor left him speechless.Across the table, Asher and Arabella ate without showing any reaction, which made Dominick wonder if something was wrong with his own senses.

He tried another bite.

With the next mouthful, he almost lost control and spit it out. Meanwhile, Asher ate steadily,showing no sign anything was amiss. Not wanting to make a scene, he forced himself to swallow.

Arabella's eyes narrowed as she noticed his hesitation. "Is there a problem?"

Dominick stammered, "N-no, not at all."

Confusion lingered as Dominick tried to figure out what was going on.

Once dinner ended, Asher and Dominick got ready to leave. Asher turned to Arabella. "If anything happens, just give me a call."

Arabella nodded and answered in a cool, slightly stiff tone, "All right. Drive safe."

Back in the car, Dominick asked, "Mr. Gordon,what did you think of Miss Stanley's cooking?"

With barely a glance, Asher went back to his laptop. "It wasn't good."

Dominick stared at him. "Are you sure you have working taste buds?"

He couldn't understand how they managed to eat so calmly when the food tasted so bad.

Asher answered gently, "Even a young woman can eat it without complaining. Maybe you've never been hungry enough."

No reply came from Dominick, who could only sit there in silence.

He watched Asher, noticing that while his face was still cold, the indifferent aura around him had

faded a bit.

The realization dawned on Dominick that Asher might actually dislike him. Was he no longer in Asher's good graces?

A new determination formed in Dominick's mind.From now on, he would need to get along well with Arabella.

Inside the villa, Arabella went to check on Daisy.

Without warning, a voice called out, "Bella."

Wide-eyed, Arabella rushed to her sister's bedside and watched as Daisy's lips moved and she spoke again. "Bella."

"I'm right here," Arabella said, grabbing Daisy's hand with excitement. Tears streamed down Daisy's cheeks as she begged, "Please don't hurt me. I'm sorry. I promise I won't sneak food again."

Daisy's frail body curled in on itself.

Right away, Arabella's eyes filled with tears.She wrapped Daisy in a tight hug. "I'm here. No one will ever hurt you again."

A small voice escaped Daisy. "I missed you so much,Bella."

Tears continued to fall until, little by little, Daisy's

sobs began to fade.

Redness lingered in Arabella's eyes, and a deep ache settled in her chest. Just then, her phone started to ring. The call was from Joshua.

Stepping out of the room, Arabella picked up.Joshua spoke right away. "We've found a buyer,but he's not an easy one. He wants to know when he can move in."

A quick glance at the clock made up her mind."Tell him Sunday."

Joshua agreed."That works for us."

Without hesitation, Arabella took Meagan off her blacklist.

She sent off a blunt warning in her message."Get out of my home before Sunday arrives!"

Meagan's call came in right away.

The second Arabella answered, Meagan unleashed a stream of curses. "You little bitch!After what you did to Khloe, you never even visited her-heartless!"

A cold laugh left Arabella's lips. "Don't get too worked up. This is only the beginning. If you're already upset, you'll never handle what's coming next. Everything you did to Daisy, I'll make sure

you pay for it."

Chills ran through Meagan as she listened,though she tried to mask them with a sneer. She said, "Daisy brought it on herself. If I hadn't watched out for her, she might not even be alive today!"

Then, Meagan's voice grew gentle, taking on a falsely warm tone. "Since you're my brother's child, I'm willing to ignore your reckless behavior.I have looked after both of you for so long, which makes this house rightfully mine. If you wish to return here, apologize first, and I might consider giving you another chance!"