Carol had been around the block more than a few times, but she had never cacross a guy with Felix's background. It was the
rarity that intrigued her.
The harder Felix played hard to get, the more she found herself unable to let go.
As the old saying goes, the way to a man's heart is through his stomach.
During the day, she waited tables at a cozy barbecue restaurant, her thoughts drifting constantly to Felix. Her dedication was
unwavering.
Cnightfall, she'd return to her stuapartment to hone her culinary skills. But having never so much as boiled water before,
after three days all she could muster was ketchup spaghetti.
She snapped a picture of her creation and sent it to Felix with a message, [Had dinner yet?]
Felix was at the hospital, too preoccupied to even consider opening her message. He was holding Listina's hand, staring at her
without blinking.
The doctor cin with a grim reminder, "It's quite serious. We only have a 30% chance of success with the surgery. If we could
get an international specialist, the odds could increase to 70%, but it's expensive, and there's a heap of recovery costs to
consider."
The doctor knew Felix, who had been a constant figure at the hospital, sometimes even showing up in the middle of the night. He
knew Felix juggled multiple jobs to make ends meet since his parents had passed. It was a tough situation.
"lI understand, thank you," Felix replied once the doctor had left. He stood up, kissed Listina on the lips, and sighed softly. "| wonder
if you'll blme when you wake up."
Follow on NovᴇlEnglish.nᴇtBut he had to take action, or Listina would die.
It wasn't supposed to be her.
Leaving the hospital, he finally replied to Carol's message with a simple, [Looks good.]
Carol had been waiting an hour, almost losing hope for a reply. The notification made her eyes sparkle and a smile curve her lips.
[Remember | told you | work at the barbecue restaurant? We get fresh ingredients every day, but | can only make spaghetti. Where
do you live? | can bring you some, with the manager's blessing. They'd just go to waste otherwise, and it could save you a chunk of
change. Sometimes there's even seafood.]
Felix boarded the bus and read her text, his eyelashes fluttering slightly.
[Okay, the address is...]
He sent it to her.
Carol had her people dig up his address already, but she needed an excuse to visit. And now she had a perfect one.
The barbecue restaurant's boss was a penny-pincher who'd never let employees take hleftovers; normally, those perks were
reserved for a few favored longtstaff. Newcomers like Carol were lucky to escape daily criticism.
She couldn't stand it before, but the thought of winning Felix over - and considering all the hardship he'd faced while still
appearing so cool and collected - made her believe she could handle it too.
That evening, she purchased a variety of fresh groceries, from meats to veggies, everything one could imagine.
By the tshe reached Felix's doorstep, her palms were red from carrying the bags.
As the elevator creaked alarmingly, she saw it was plastered with small ads. It was a shaky, frightening ride, and she emerged on
Felix's floor with her heart pounding.
Approaching his door, she knocked; the buzzer had long been broken.
She had chosen this tdeliberately, guessing Felix hadn't eaten dinner yet.
He opened the door, standing there in a simple white sweater, almost haloed in light.
Carol was momentarily stunned by his calm, handspresence before collecting herself.
"So, this is where you live?"
"It's just a rental."
Her gaze swept the small but cozy space, even smaller than her own place but clean and warm. It spoke volumes about its tenant.
She mentally gave him extra points and placed the bags on a nearby table.
The kitchen was tiny, barely enough space for one person. Anyone else would make it feel cramped.
Felix looked inside the bags and raised an eyebrow.
"Beef's expensive. Your restaurant had leftovers of that?"
"Yeah, lucky day. Heard it was imported, sold at a premium."
She'd researched his shopping habits, once a week to the grocery store, only buying affordable protein like tofu and eggs. He was
frugal, always carrying bags with promos.
A guy like him would usually feel inferior, but Felix, when dealing with the high rollers at the BlueSky Bar, never showed a hint of
subservience. That was the allure for Carol.
"Felix, can you cook?"
"l can."
She flopped onto a chair. "I've brought all these groceries; can | stay for dinner?"
Follow on Novᴇl-Onlinᴇ.cᴏmHe glanced at her and then disappeared into the kitchen.
He used to cook all the twhen he was with Listina, who had taught him everything he knew.
Listina had been his rock since they were kids, especially after they both lost their parents. They depended on each other.
Felix had always pampered her, never letting her lift a finger, especially in the kitchen.
Cooking for Carol now, his face might not show it, but he was thorough.
Once the meal was ready - three dishes and a soup - Carol's eyes lit up, and she nearly proposed then and there, it was so
delicious.
"Felix, you're amazing. Is there anything you can't do?"
Her eyes wandered the tiny room again, landing on stacks of books, no TV in sight. A makeshift shelf held a collection of finance-
related books.
She was surprised. She hadn't expected this poor kid to be knowledgeable in these areas. The more she saw of Felix, the more she
liked him. It was as though sdivine sculptor had molded a man to her exact specifications and placed him before her.
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