Chapter 729:
“Then I’m definitely eating till I drop,” Christina said, glancing at Dylan.
Dylan’s face stayed cool, but when their eyes met, an involuntary smile tugged at his lips before he quickly looked away. No one noticed the soft flush creeping up his ears.
Once they’d sorted the ingredients Christina had brought back, they started grilling the meat.
“Whoa! It’s splattering!” Chloe squealed, ducking behind an empty plate to block the flying oil.
Beside her, Morse immediately lifted a hand to shield her. “Where’d it hit you?” he asked, his eyes narrowing slightly behind his gold-rimmed glasses as he kept his emotions in check.
“It’s nothing, just a little on the back of my hand,” Chloe said with a smile, brushing off his concern. She gently lowered Morse’s hand. “Careful. You don’t need to play protector.”
“I’m good—I can handle it,” Morse replied, leaning back a bit as he adjusted his glasses.
“Morse, thanks for sticking with me today. Here—eat,” Chloe said warmly, picking up the tongs and placing a piece of grilled meat onto his plate.
“You should eat too,” Morse replied, offering her a piece in exchange.
Chloe beamed and swept her gaze proudly across the table. “Isn’t my brother’s marinated meat amazing? He’s got some serious kitchen skills.”
“Yeah, it’s incredible. Hands down the best barbecue I’ve had,” Christina said. She picked up a beautifully grilled slice, wrapped it neatly in lettuce, and popped it into her mouth, her eyes fluttering shut with a contented sigh.
Elliott watched Christina savor each bite and silently vowed to up his own cooking game. He knew winning her heart wasn’t just about looks, money, or family name—he had to win her over with flavor. And if he was going to learn, he’d learn from the best. He was already thinking of hiring a top-tier chef to coach him into greatness.
What he didn’t realize was that the master chef he wanted to learn from was seated right in front of him—Dylan, his rival in love.
Eloise, already captivated by the delicious barbecue, had tossed out a quick compliment before diving into her meal. Having stayed here long enough, she was well aware of Dylan’s culinary talents. And the more she ate, the more she realized how slim her brother’s chances were.
From what Eloise could tell, Christina might seem easygoing when it came to food, but she was actually quite particular and only indulged in what truly tasted good. Unfortunately, Elliott’s cooking just didn’t cut it when compared to Dylan’s. In truth, compared with Dylan, Elliott fell short in background, business acumen, and now, kitchen talent too…
Eloise shoved another bite of grilled meat into her mouth, letting out a small sigh. Might as well enjoy it while she could—cherish this little culinary heaven that Christina had brought into their lives. Because once she left here, food this good would be hard to come by.
Suddenly, two pairs of tongs clinked against the same sizzling piece of grilled meat.
Elliott and Dylan looked up, their eyes locking in a steely, silent showdown. Each angled his hand to block the other, neither willing to back down, battling it out in tense, wordless combat. After a brief tug-of-war, Dylan won the standoff and secured the prized piece.
This was Christina’s favorite cut.
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