Chapter 703 Isadora, Back to My Arms 2
Avery barely hesitated. "Thank you, Mrs. Penrose."
Isadora thought he was shameless.
Avery only shrugged at her. "Why not? Mrs. Penrose invited me herself. Right?"
Lila did not know the full story, but she could guess. Isadora's engagement to Tobias had clearly fallen apart, and Avery's attentive manner was hard to miss. As a mother, she wanted her daughter to have the best man she could find.
Lila gave a small, knowing smile. "Of course."
Then she glanced sideways at Isadora. "He went through all that trouble to bring you home."
Isadora had always been a dutiful daughter. She said nothing more, but once they stepped into the dining room, she chose a seat far from Avery and kept her eyes on the napkin in her hands, blotting away the raindrops on her skin.
Avery watched her openly, as if she were a piece of art he was studying.
Isadora's voice was cool. "Avery, you look like you've never seen a woman before."
He didn't even blink. "I haven't. Especially not without clothes."
Her breath caught. She had shame, even if he clearly didn't.
She was about to snap at him when Lila came in with a steaming bowl of chicken soup, catching just enough of the conversation to hear the words "never seen" and "without clothes."
Lila had spent her life in polite society. She had never heard anything so brazen at her own table. A flush crept up her cheeks, but she could hardly retreat now.
She forced herself forward, setting the bowl down with a warm smile. "Rainy days are damp and chilly. Have something hot to warm you up."
Avery finally tore his gaze from Isadora and smiled at Lila, easy and charming. "I've been wanting to try your cooking for ages, Mrs. Penrose. Work keeps me on the road so much that I rarely get to enjoy a proper home-cooked meal. Let me taste your chicken soup."
Lila, pleased, quickly ladled out two bowls and slid them toward each of them.
Isadora drank quietly.
Avery, on the other hand, made a show of it—taking a slow sip, letting the flavor linger, and then smiling in genuine surprise. "This is excellent. As good as anything I've had from a five-star chef."
With his looks, his presence, and that kind of praise, it was hard for any woman not to be pleased. Even Lila, who had endured her share of hardships, felt a flicker of pride. She reached back into the pot and placed a plump chicken drumstick in his bowl. "If you like it, have some more."
Avery looked down at the drumstick, his expression unreadable.
Across the table, Isadora watched him. She knew Avery didn't eat drumsticks. But with Lila's generosity, he couldn't exactly refuse. She tried to keep a straight face, but the sight of his discomfort made her stifle a laugh.
Avery caught her eye. She quickly smoothed her expression and said, deliberately, "Why not eat it? You said yourself it's delicious."
Her tone was light, her eyes bright, her voice soft. Avery thought she looked truly happy in that moment—happy in a way she hadn't been since Tobias broke off the engagement. And if she was happy, it was because of him.
That thought pleased him.
He gave a small smile and picked up the drumstick. Lila, thinking he enjoyed it, fished out the other one and dropped it into his bowl. "Have another."
Isadora finally lost control, bending over the table in laughter.
Lila looked puzzled.
Avery said lightly, "Mrs. Penrose, she's just happy to see you treating me so well. Makes her a little giddy."
Lila's heart warmed, though she kept her expression neutral and busied herself with small talk.
Outside, the rain kept falling. Dusk had settled, and the windows showed only a dark blur.
But inside, the dining room was warm.
When the meal was done, Avery should have left. But he had barely taken a few steps when a faint dripping sound came from above. Two cold drops landed squarely on the bridge of his nose.
He looked up. A dark stain was spreading across the white ceiling.
The roof was leaking.
Isadora and Lila both looked up.
Lila stared, her voice edged with disbelief. "This place is only a few years old. What the hell kind of workmanship is that? We should be filing a complaint."
Avery's gaze slid to Isadora. "A Windsor Group subsidiary built it. Mrs. Penrose, I could get you straight to the president—Jacob. You know him."
Lila froze. Jacob—her son-in-law.
Isadora knew Avery was bringing it up on purpose. She stayed silent. Avery shrugged off his coat, then put it back down. "I'll check the basement. If the builders left any repair materials, I can patch it up."
Lila brightened. "You know how to fix a roof?"
Avery gave Isadora a pointed look. "Learned from crooks."
She wanted to throw something at him.
The rain drummed steadily outside. Avery stepped into the garage, lit a cigarette, and walked away with the easy stride of someone who knew he was being watched.
Lila, watching him go, frowned. "Does he always smoke like that? What if it affects his… fertility?"
Isadora had no idea how to respond.
Lila went on. "Well, at least Maggie's healthy."
Isadora fell silent.
A moment later, Avery returned. He took one last drag, flicked the cigarette into the trash, and said, "Don't worry, Mrs. Penrose. Before Isadora and I try for a child, I'll quit."
Lila exhaled in relief.
Isadora flushed. Who said anything about having a child with him?
Avery's eyes held hers, bright with something she couldn't quite name—possession, yes, but also a warmth she wasn't sure she trusted.
He smiled and headed downstairs.
As he'd guessed, the basement held the materials he needed. The repair was simple enough.
Lila fretted. "It's raining. If you get sick with all your responsibilities, how will I forgive myself?"
Avery pulled on a raincoat. "I'll be fine. I'm tougher than I look."
Lila chuckled. "You do look sturdy."
Avery flashed Isadora a grin before climbing the ladder to the roof. He carried a large bundle of supplies. Isadora steadied the ladder for him—not because she wanted to, but because the slick rungs made her uneasy.
From above came his voice. "It's just a flat roof. You used to sit up here smoking and drinking beer, Isadora. What happened—getting old making you cautious?"
Lila shot her daughter a sharp look.
Isadora rolled her eyes.
They waited. The sound of work faded. The roof went quiet.
Lila looked ready to climb up herself.
Isadora stopped her. If Lila slipped, she could break a bone. So Isadora went instead.
The rain had eased. Puddles shimmered on the rooftop, catching the dim light.
Avery stood there in a dark raincoat, tall but stripped of the corporate polish that usually clung to him. From behind, he didn't look like the CEO of the Montague Group. He looked like an ordinary man, fixing a roof in the rain to keep the people inside dry.
Isadora stood still, her throat tight. She had never felt this close to him.