The Reclaimed Rose (Annalise and Steven)

Watching Sasha scarf down her food, Zane seemed worried she'd leave nothing for me. He grabbed a plate, piled it with food, and handed it over.

"You should eat, too. If she starves, that's on her. But I'd feel bad if you go hungry," he said.

I accepted the plate. "I'll make sure to eat plenty."

A smile crossed Zane's lips. "Good."

Sasha raved between bites, saying, "Oh my gosh, this breakfast is incredible! Who made this? Does the chef do side gigs? Don't worry. I'd pay top dollar. It wouldn't be some small amount!"

I laughed, turning to Zane.

"You couldn't afford him," he responded flatly.

Sasha remained unconvinced. "A chef I can't afford? The Westons may not be the richest family in the country, but we're well-known. And once my company is up and running, I'll make good monthly money. Whatever his rate is, I can pay it!"

She was brimming with confidence.

Zane's expression remained blank. "Oh."

"So who is this chef? Bring him out. I'll ask him directly how much he wants per month!" Sasha narrowed her eyes at Zane. "Unless you're just making excuses because you don't want to 'lend' him to me?"

Zane looked her straight in the eye. "That chef is me."

Sasha deflated instantly. She'd been ready to argue, but the words got stuck in her throat.noveldrama

"Fine. If it's you, then yeah... no way I can afford that," she muttered.

Laughter filled the room.

I quietly placed more food on Sasha's plate. "Eat up."

"Okay," she replied quickly.

A saying popped into her head-the quickest way to win a woman's heart was through her

it all made sense!

belongs to en.

Zane looked away, as indifferent as ever. Even if she understood now, she

wouldn't be able to change his plan anyway.

After finishing her meal, Sasha flopped onto the couch and gently patted her stomach. "That was perfect!"

I sat across from her. "Take a break."

Sasha turned to me with a gloomy expression.

Puzzled, I asked, "What's wrong?"

"Now that there's nothing left for me to do, I'm starting to feel a little anxious," Sasha said with a pleading look.

"Why?" I asked immediately.

Sasha sat up straighter. "This is my

first time putting together an event

like this. What if something

goes

wrong? What if it flops?"

Smiling, I tried to ease her nerves. "Relax. With Zane here, it'll all go smoothly."

Sasha blinked before breaking into a

wide smile. "That's true! As long as

Zane's the center of attention,

people will be too focused on what he's saying to care about the decorations or the venue. If they walk away having learned something valuable, they'#feel it was worth coming!"