Chapter 122: Chapter 122

"I’m sorry, ma’am, we’ll get it right now!"

The few servers scrambled and then started serving first the few snacks that Ava had added to the menu for that evening.

These were the few snacks that had won them over in the kitchen. After Ava brought out the first batch, it did not survive for even a few minutes. She had deliberately done that. After tasting them, they could not express any reservations about her being a co-chef.

Geneva, the most vocal of them, could not help but compliment the meal.

"I don’t know if you just do artwork or just cook!"

Ava had stuck to the familiar, and Geneva relished it as the grape she popped into her mouth melted. This time, it was a puff pastry of a sort with a creamy filling.

"How could you even do that within that short of a time? ... Never mind!"

She kept quiet as she noticed Alex eating it very fast.

’This old man wants to match me ’boot for boot!’ Geneva thought. She also picked up her pace, and soon, the small platter of snacks that had been brought to them was totally devoured. It was a good thing that they were the only two on that table.

Ava beamed with pride; then she picked out the few that she knew her bestie would like and placed them on her tray. She did the same with Gabriel.

Samantha took offence at that, as she was left out.

When Ava turned to her plate, she found it heaped with goodies as well.

"You should eat too...." Rocky said and turned back to his meal, then added,

"Did I tell you that you look quite yummy this evening? No, I don’t think I did. Ava love, you look breathtakingly tonight, so much that I would love to eat you out instead of these snacks.... However, they are the snacks you painstakingly made, so I will settle to eat them instead."

Ava was struck dumb, and her cheeks warmed up.

’Good thing that I do not have such a light skin! A blush would have given me away! What is wrong with him?’

Rocky held her gaze, noting how affected she was by his words, and nodded in satisfaction.

’Let’s end it here. I will keep eating at her defences slowly, after all, Rome was not built in a day!’

"Please eat!" He added, thinking again, ’Good thing that I whispered for her ears only.’

"Good for you to finally join us!" Geneva snapped out, drawing attention to Brad, who had emerged. He looked very haggard, but for once, even his mother did not say anything about that.

"So, Ian, what do you think? Your mother and I decided to add Ava to the staff at the estate and also at a new sub-store we will be opening soon."

Ian took a bite out of the platter of ’fruits’ that had been served and nodded.

"She’ll be a good addition to us."

Ava beamed. A compliment from Ian Thornston meant the world. With his approval, her employment was set in stone!

"Thank you, Master Ian!"

After no one paid attention to Brad, he walked over and sat opposite his brother. He looked lonely, to say the least, because no one paid as attention to him as they would have some time back. He tried to avoid looking at Shelby, but that was impossible as the girl was just across the table from him and beside Ian.

’How was she so fucking beautiful!?’

Brad remained by his stance, ’His sister-in-law was a witch!’ But he dared not say that out loud. After the experience that morning, he had to watch his words!

He looked around at the lively atmosphere; then his eyes landed on the newcomer, brightening considerably.

However, just then, his mother’s voice echoed,

"Come to think of it, why don’t you want Shelby to dance?"

Brad froze as if reliving an unwanted and wanted memory at the same time. Shelby, in her wedding dress, wriggling her body like a seductive snake with no bones. His mind threw him back to where he did not want to go....

’Oh no! I’ll be done for if I witness this ever again!’

This time, even Ava and Rocky looked over nervously. Shelby’s dance was beautiful and too enticing. They shared the opinion of her husband. It would have been better if she had not done that if they wanted everyone sane enough for the supposed dinner.

Ian paused, and then he looked straight at his mother,

"Find a different means of entertainment. My wife will not be doing that, and this is final!"

Geneva had her reasons. She wanted Ian to see that dance to seal the deal.

Alex placed his hand on Geneva and shook his head. That made Geneva pause.

"Do you think that he has seen it already? Is that why he is so adamant?" She whispered and asked her husband, but Alex just shrugged, a small smile playing on his lips.

Alex, like Geneva, knew their son in and out. Ian had been smitten with Aliya, but he looked to be very possessive of Shelby as his emotions went awry when it came to her. Alex had never seen his son display that many emotions in his life. But he had seen his fair share of emotions in Ian just that day alone and all the time Ian had been around Shelby. Not that they had ever been apart that day, though.

Geneva nodded and dropped the subject of Shelby dancing to the relief of more than one person in there.

For Brad, it felt like he had been saved from the unknown.

Ian did not look over at his brother, but that did not mean that he did not see the changes in Brad. Brad sagged back in his chair as if the life that left him had come back.

Brad’s look wandered back to the newcomer.

"Who do we have here?" One would think that Brad had never learned anything in his life from that remark!

"She’s off limits to you, too," Ian said quietly.

Brad itched to say why, but the small interactions between the newcomer and Shelby gave him all the information he needed.

She was as pretty as could be. Of course, she could not hold a candle up to Shelby at all, but if she had any relations with his sister-in-law, it was better for his sanity to stay clear from her.

Shelby turned back to Ian, wondering why he had said that to Brad.

’Is he protecting Ava too?’

Ian was just too observant and had Already seen through Rocky.

Rocky also snapped his head to look over at Ian, only to meet a knowing look.

Rocky blushed for the first time that evening.

’Am I that easy to read?’

However, he was happy. One less competition would help him get what he wanted done.

Brad lowered his head and helped himself to some of the food. That day had been the most humiliating.

’Why would she go tattletale on me?’

He had wondered for the nth time that day after Ian brought up the subject in the breakfast room. Thankfully, he had not heard any of the workers bring up that subject again that day. That was what he liked about the way his parents handled the estate. What happened there stayed there.

Brad just did not know what had gone on. In fact, he had yet to be told the news of James’s issue that morning. He was still in the same pit as he had been. However, Brad felt less stressed. The feeling of being watched was still there, and he wondered what else he could do to get rid of it.

’I already apologized! What else does this witch want? She already had Ian wrapped around her little finger! A feat that no woman had ever been able to do. Why won’t she let me go? It was a mistake on my part!’

Brad’s mistake was that he felt entitled to the forgiveness and the aftermath. He felt that if Ian had disgraced him in front of the workers and his parents, then that meant that he should be let off.

Ian only looked briefly at Brad, a small look that was enough to scare his brother shitless for him to withdraw his gaze! Ian then concentrated on feeding Shelby.

"It’s really the same! I can’t taste anything! Can’t anything be done, Ian?"

"There is...." Ian replied casually and almost in amusement.

".... But I don’t think that you would like to try that here though...."

"I will! I want to do anything to taste Ava’s meal!"

"Anything?" Ian raised his lips slightly, and Shelby should have taken that as a warning, but she did not.

"Don’t tell me that I did not warn you."

She nodded happily in relief. Finally!

He picked out one small ’blueberry’ popped it into his mouth and then held Shelby’s neck, and pulled her towards him.

Shelby wondered what he was about to do.

"Open your mouth...." He asked gently, his small smile still in place.

By saying, ’Why’, she had invariably opened her mouth. Ian swooped in and placed his mouth on hers, kissing her deeply in front of everyone. He pushed the ’blueberry’ into her mouth and continued to kiss her as if they were all alone.

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