Chapter 296 A Heart Full of Joy
Stuart just hummed in response.
Timothy shot a quick glance at Josephine and the kid she was holding, then smiled, "So, Mr. Haustia, you're here with your family. This must be Mrs. Haustia, right? You two look great together."
Timothy didn't really know Stuart that well. If it wasn't for that patent, he probably would've never crossed paths with someone like Stuart. So, he had no clue that Stuart had been married and divorced.
He went on, "And this kid, so good-looking, you can tell right away..."
Timothy froze, puzzled by Jeffrey's purple eyes. Glancing at Stuart, he wondered if Stuart had purple eyes too. But Stuart definitely had brown eyes!
So, did Stuart marry a foreign wife? But the woman next to him looked totally Veridiania!
Oh no, he must've said something wrong.
Regretting his hasty compliment, Timothy wondered if Stuart would cancel the contract in anger. What should he do next?
Timothy panicked. Despite the cold weather, he started sweating.
Before he could think of how to explain, he heard Stuart say, "Thanks for the compliment, Mr. Reed. We're in a hurry, see you next time."
Before Timothy could react, Stuart had already left with his group.
Timothy raised his hand and slapped his own face, "Serves you right for being so talkative!"
His wife came over, noticed his look, and asked curiously, "What's the matter?"
"Don't even get me started," Timothy sighed in frustration.
Meanwhile, Stuart remained blissfully unaware of Timothy's inner turmoil, feeling content.
He had been worried that Jeffery might not accept him, and that this trip to the supermarket would be awkward. To his surprise, everything went off without a hitch—way better than he had expected! Even that pesky old lady turned out to be helpful.
Anyway, Stuart felt he had done well; at least Josephine had smiled, and Jeffery had let him hold him.
On the way back, Stuart insisted on riding in Josephine's car. He and Jeffery both sat in the back seat.
Stuart, feeling a bit unsure about how to engage with Jeffery, turned to Josephine for help, "What are you guys in the mood for later? Home-cooked or dining out?"
Josephine said, "Jeffery, what do you want to eat?"
"I want Claudia's pizza," Jeffery replied, referring to the pizza Claudia had prepared and stored in the fridge before leaving.
Josephine smiled, "Alright, then we'll eat at home."
Stuart chimed in, "Mind if I join? Jeffery hasn't tasted my cooking yet. What's your favorite dish? I'll prepare it for you."
Josephine glanced at him through the rearview mirror and asked, "You can cook?"
Stuart replied, "Yes."
Josephine didn't say anything.
Stuart added, "Can I give it a try?"
Josephine finally said, "Sure."
When they got back, Stuart first brought their things into the house and then said, "I'll go change clothes and be right back."
He went next door, changed into casual clothes, and made a quick call to Ronald to give some instructions.
When he arrived at Josephine's place, she led him into the kitchen. "What can you cook?"
"A lot." Stuart opened the fridge and took out a few ingredients, "How about these?"
Josephine glanced at him and nodded, "Okay."
Whether by coincidence or not, the ingredients Stuart chose were all her favorites.
Meanwhile, Timothy, still regretting his earlier words, received a call from Stuart's assistant. He quickly answered and froze at what he heard.
After hanging up, his wife asked, "Who was that?"
Timothy was stunned for a few seconds before wiping the sweat from his forehead, "I think I just realized something."
His wife asked curiously, "What is it?"
"Anyway, it's a good thing!" Timothy looked very happy, "I guess I'm pretty good at socializing! But how could Mr. Haustia and Mrs. Haustia, both with brown eyes, have a child with... never mind! The important thing is Mr. Haustia isn't mad and wants to renew the contract. Now I know who to please in the future!"
Josephine had no clue that Timothy's one little comment had made Stuart so happy he wanted to renew the contract with him.
Stuart wanted to cook, and even though Josephine wasn't much of a cook herself, she couldn't just let him handle everything in the kitchen alone. Plus, she had some questions for him.
As she washed the veggies, she asked, "Have you talked to Jair lately?"
"Nope," Stuart replied while chopping, "We don't really chat much unless it's something important."
"Oh," Josephine said, trying to sound casual.
Stuart glanced at her, "Why'd you bring him up all of a sudden?"
Josephine said, "Didn't he say he was going abroad to find Claudia? But it seems like he didn't go. I asked Claudia, and she didn't know anything about it."
"I see," Stuart said, "He might have some work to finish up before he can go find her."
Jeffery called for Josephine from the other room, and she quickly said, "I'll go check on him."
After helping Jeffery find the book he wanted, she came back to the kitchen and saw Stuart on the phone.
Seeing her, he explained, "Jair didn't pick up. He's probably busy with something important."
Josephine hummed in response.
"Don't worry," Stuart added, "I'll keep trying to reach him and remind him to go find Claudia once he's done."
"No need," Josephine quickly said, "Let things happen naturally. Don't push him."
"I'm not pushing him. He likes Claudia and wants to be with her. I'm just giving him a nudge."
"That's good," Josephine said, "But since he's busy, don't add to his stress."
"Alright, I'll listen to you."
Josephine handed him the washed veggies, and as Stuart took them, their fingers brushed briefly, making Stuart smile.
Josephine felt a bit uneasy, "Do you need me to do anything else?"
"I got it," Stuart said, "You don't need to."
"Then I'll head out."
"Wait!" Stuart immediately said, "Josephine, can you stay with me?"
Josephine didn't respond.
Stuart said, "I don't know when I'll get another chance to be in your home."
"You..." Josephine didn't know how to respond to that.
Stuart smiled, "But I'll keep trying. If nothing else works, I'll get really good at cooking so Jeffery likes my food. That way, I can come over as the chef."
"You don't have to do that," Josephine said, "You'll wear yourself out."
"I won't," Stuart said, "I'm willing to."
"Sure, it might seem fun now. But as I always say, the best love isn't about constant compromise and retreat, nor is it about just pleasing and flattering. Even the strongest person gets tired. This can last a day, two days, a month, or two months, but not a lifetime."
"I understand," Stuart said, "I get what you mean."
"Thank you for today," Josephine interrupted him, "Jeffery is very happy. But honestly, I'm not really looking for any romantic entanglements anytime soon."."
"Alright," Stuart looked at her, "If you're not considering it, then we'll just be friends."
Josephine couldn't quite describe her feelings. She could only say, "Thank you for understanding."
Stuart said, "You don't need to thank me. You gave me the chance to come into your home. I'm the one who should be grateful."
Whenever he thought about the things he had done and said in the past, he couldn't help but want to go back in time and strangle himself. He was truly grateful that Josephine could be this way now.
After that, Josephine just watched from the side and saw that he really did cook. She had never known that Stuart could cook.
Tall Stuart stood in the kitchen, his sleeves rolled up to his forearms, revealing attractive lines. The light shone on him, making him look like he was bathed in light.
Even doing such mundane tasks, Stuart still looked handsome, elegant, and pleasing to the eye.
Noticing Josephine's gaze, Stuart looked over and smiled at her.
Josephine awkwardly looked away, picked up the dish he had made, and left the kitchen.
Log in with Google Account
Chapters
Favorite
Settings
