Chapter 6 Life as a Married Couple
Osvaldoquietly observed the house.
It was a cozy two–story house, not a very big one. The front area led into a small courtyard with some flowers and plants. Inside was the living room, with the kitchen and dining room in the back. The living room’s balcony was connected tothe front yard.
On one side, there was a stone table and some wicker chairs. A pot of tea sat on the table, along with some cups, a few books, and a document laid open, detailing the Crawford Group’s upcoming proposal to expand into the showbiz.
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Now that she had a guest, she had to take dinner more seriously.
She began preparing ingredients.
It didn’t take long before she made a lavish dinner..
She then placed all the dishes on the table.
“I hope you’ll like it, Mr. Crawford.”
Valentinaserved him some food.
Osvaldo’s deep gazelandedon the dishes in front of him.
It was asimple home–cooked meal, but it lookedgood, clearly made with care and decentcookingskills.
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Charter & Life as a Mamed Couple
“Not at all.”
It had been years since he’d had such a lovelymeal.
“Are you used to cooking for yourself“?”
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He asked in a low voice, though the tone was more of a statement than at question.
As she slid the platetoward him, Valentina nodded. “Yes. I used to eat takeout all the time and ended up with stomach problems. The doctor advised me to take better care of my diet. Homemade foodis cleanerand healthier. Honestly, it’salsoa good way to relieve stress.”
A glimmer passed through Osvaldo’s dark eyes. Watching her focused expression, he asked, “Is your job stressful?”
At that, Valentina finally lifted her eyes to look at him. Her gaze was calm and clear. After a moment of thought, she replied. “It’s manageable. I work at the Crawford Group. It’s a large company, so of course there’s some pressure. But for me, it’s nothing I can’t handle. My real stress doesn’t come from work, it’s…elsewhere.”
Her voice trailed off, and the light in her eyes dimmed slightly.
That was enough for Osvaldo to understand what she meant.
Tobiashad apparently done a background check on her, so he knew what had happened between her and her ex.
According to Tobias, she had given a lot. But in the end, hestill ditched
her.
Her parents divorced when she was a child. Her father remarried, and her mother passed away in an accident. She’d grown up alone, fending for herself in the world. How could she possibly have had a smooth life?
“You have to be ruthless to survive.”
After a pause. Osvaldo finally spoke.
He didn’t really know how to comfort her, and he wasn’t sure if she even needed comforting. It wasn’t something he was good at.
Valentina smiled gently. “I know. But thank you, Mr. Crawford.”
Her tone was still polite, even distant.
“If it weren’t for you, I might never have hadthe resolve to rebuild myself. Our marriage just…happened so suddenly. I still feel a bit…”
“Unaccustomed to it?” He finished for her.
There was a rare warmth in Osvaldo’s deep gaze, and his voice, though low, carried a touch of tenderness. “Take your time. There’s no need to pushyourself.”
“Thank you, Mr. Crawford.”
“Do you have to address me like that, Ms. Campbell?”
Valentina let out a soft chuckle. “Alright then. Let’s cat…”
She preferred some mild flavors, so all the dishes on the table suited her
taste.
She ate quietly and gracefully.
Out of the corner of her eye, Valentina noticed that the man across from her also had refined manners, like a gentleman from an elite family. She still didn’t know who he really was.
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After dinner, Valentina swiftly cleared the table.
Osvaldo wanted to help, but she actedtoo quickly.
She carried the dishes into the kitchen, asher heart was still slightly unsettled.
Even though Osvaldodidn’t say much, every time she met his gaze, she felt herself tense up a little.
He felt like an executive from a big company. Yet according to his assistant, his family only ran a small business, and he was just helping
out…
The thought distracted her. A dish, slick with soap, slipped from her hand
The sound of shattering porcelain echoed through the kitchen.
Snapping back to her senses, she quickly bent down to clean it up. But water mixed with soap had splashed across the floor, making it slippery. As soon as she stepped forward, her foot slid out from under her, and she fell forward hard!
She instinctively reached out to catch herself, but pain shot through her palm the moment it hit the floor. Gritting her teeth, she tried to stand, only for her foot to slip again.
“Careful.”
A deep voice suddenly rang out, and a strong arm swiftly wrapped around her waist, pulling her up.
The next moment, she fellinto a warm chest.
She could smell his scent.
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That…
She tried to struggle to her feet, but the floor was still slippery. Instinctively, she reached out and grabbed his waist to steady herself.
Being held like this by a manandfeeling the restrained warmth radiating from him, she found it hard to describe the sensation…
Though she wasonceengaged to Luciano, their most intimate contact had only been a hug. Nothing like this. Naturally, she felt a bit uneasy.
“If you don’t want to hurt your foot, stop moving.”
His deep, unquestionable voice sounded above her. Valentina, both in pain and embarrassment, felt her mind go numb at his words.
Women are really troublesome!
Seeing her give up resisting, he finally carried her out.
She vaguely sensed a chill on her foot. Looking down, only to find her left shoewas missing…
That…
That was so embarrassing!
Osvaldo glanced down at her. Her right hand wasbleeding, and blood was trickling down her pale wrist. Seeing her checks tinged with pink, he frowned and asked, “Does it hurt?”
Valentina turned her head away, too embarrassed to respond, her whole body stiff.
Osvaldo set her down on the sofa, took her hand, and found ceramic shards embedded in her palm.
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“It’s a bad cut. We’re going to the hospital.”
With that, he moved to pick her up again.
Valentina, momentarily ignoring the pain, just wanted to escape this awkward situation. She quickly said, “It’s fine. There’s a first–aid kit at home. I-”
“If you don’t want to lose use of this hand, then behave and go to the hospital.”
His words were caringand warning at the same time.
Valentina braced herself and resisted, “I can walk. Please put me down…”
He didn’t insist. He set her down efficiently, found the first–aid kit, wrapped her hand in gauze, and then took her to the hospital.
