"Can you just sit on the couch quietly and not cause trouble for me?"
However, she quickly realized her outburst, broke free from Raymond's embrace, and hurriedly stepped aside in a panic.
Raymond blinked innocently; he had only come over to see if she needed help, not expecting to be scolded.
He squinted his eyes and smiled slightly, "Do you need help?"
"No." Melinda frowned and replied coldly.
Raymond had no choice but to return to the couch, his eyes following Melinda's busy figure in the kitchen.
He found that watching her cook had an inexplicable rhythm, almost like dancing.
An hour later, Melinda finished cooking. She carried the dishes out of the kitchen and saw Raymond still sitting elegantly on the couch, exuding an air of nobility.
"Sam, dinner's ready," Melinda called out, then went to knock on Sam's door.
Sam opened the door, his eyes lighting up when he saw Raymond, "Mr. Thomas, let's wash our hands and eat!"
At the dinner table, Raymond looked at the dishes in front of him. Although they were simple home-cooked meals, they greatly increased his appetite.
He took a bite and couldn't help but praise, "Not bad, even better than our chef's cooking."
Melinda watched Raymond's reaction, feeling a surge of disdain. She didn't expect such a proud man to flatter others.
Today, Sam was exceptionally well-behaved at dinner. He didn't make a fuss, didn't pick at his food, and kept praising how delicious her cooking was.
Raymond also chimed in, and they chatted and laughed together.
Suddenly, she felt a deep sense of guilt towards Sam.
For the past four years, there had always been only two sets of utensils at the table, missing the warmth and liveliness of a family.
Raymond occasionally picked food for Sam, his actions full of doting. Melinda sat beside them, a faint smile on her lips, her gaze gently resting on the two of them. This scene quietly melted a corner of her heart.
"Mr. Thomas, I wasn't lying to you. My mom's cooking is top-notch." Sam blinked proudly, giving a thumbs-up.
Raymond was slightly taken aback, then smiled, "Yes, top-notch."
"Then Mr. Thomas, you can come to our house for dinner often!" Sam invited enthusiastically.
"Sure!" Raymond's smile widened, his gaze falling on Melinda with a hint of curiosity.
Melinda listened from the side, barely resisting the urge to roll her eyes.
She worked hard all day, came home to cook, and now had to cook for an extra person. Just thinking about it made her tired.
She glared at Sam, signaling him to stop talking nonsense.
"Mr. Thomas, can you give my mom a raise?" Sam asked with a smile, seemingly oblivious to Melinda's look.
Melinda paused, looking up at Raymond with a hint of challenge in her eyes.
Raymond looked at Sam's expectant eyes, then glanced at Melinda, finding it amusing.
He had never been asked for a raise by an employee like this before, but he found the request interesting, so he readily agreed. "Sure, I'll give her a raise tomorrow."
Melinda was stunned, not expecting Raymond to agree.
She felt a bit pleased but was more curious about how much of a raise Raymond would give her.
After dinner, Melinda busied herself cleaning the kitchen while Sam dragged Raymond to his room to play.
At 8:30, Melinda checked the time and called out to Sam's room, "Mr. Thomas, it's getting late. You should go home."
Raymond came out of Sam's room, seeing Melinda's somewhat helpless expression, he smiled, "Yes, I should go. Sam, I promise I'll come."
"Okay, Mr. Thomas, goodbye!" Sam waved reluctantly.
As Raymond was leaving, Melinda pointed to a bag of trash by the door and said, "Mr. Thomas, could you take out the trash for me? There's a dumpster at the entrance of the community."
He pushed the door open and left, thinking to himself: Melinda really knows how to boss people around.
Half an hour later, Raymond returned to his villa on the hillside.
The hall was empty and cold, mirroring his current mood.
This made him think of Melinda's cozy little apartment. Though simple, it was filled with the warmth of a home.
If only this large villa could have a woman to light up the home, how wonderful would that be?
If there were a child, the villa would be filled with laughter. Raymond couldn't help but picture Melinda and her son in his mind.
Melinda, the strong-willed, independent, and decisive woman, was like a puzzle in his life.
She wasn't swayed by money, and even with his immense power, he couldn't force her to submit.
Moreover, he owed her a debt of gratitude that was hard to repay.
Raymond took a deep breath, trying to calm his restless heart, but thinking of Melinda made his body feel like it was on fire, hot and uncomfortable.
This surprised him; when had he become so vulnerable?
Just then, his phone rang, interrupting his thoughts.
He picked up the phone and saw a message from Melinda.
A photo of a yellow T-shirt appeared on the screen, with a message below: "This is the uniform for the parent-child activity. Are you sure you want to participate?"
Raymond squinted at the text on the screen, a playful smile forming on his lips.
Without hesitation, he replied, "I promised Sam, of course, I'll participate."
"This doesn't quite fit your status. I advise you not to participate," Melinda's reply carried a hint of doubt.
But Raymond firmly responded, "Don't worry, I'll be there."
At that moment, Melinda was lying in bed, looking at the conversation on her phone, feeling conflicted.
Why was Raymond so persistent? She sighed softly and replied, "Alright! The gathering is at 2 PM this Friday."
"Okay, is Sam asleep?" Raymond asked with concern.
"Yes," Melinda replied simply.
"What are you doing?" Raymond's question made Melinda pause. She instinctively replied, "Texting."
Raymond looked at the text on the screen, feeling a surge of emotion.
He suddenly sent a message: "Melinda, how about marrying me?"
However, the response was Melinda's firm rejection: "If you need a woman, go find your Emily! No matter how much I need a man, I won't want someone she's been with."
Raymond's face instantly darkened, exuding a cold aura.
Melinda actually despised him that much? But on second thought, he felt relieved.