Chapter 66 My Wife

'Home! Does she refer to the place the two of us shared?' he wondered.

Carl followed her gaze and nodded. "We'll check it out later. Let's figure out what we want to eat first." He sat down as the waiter kindly placed the menu in front of them.

Daphne skimmed through it quickly and decided on the garlic cream pasta, then closed the menu. "You can pick the rest. I'm not fussy."

Carl ordered two of the restaurant's famous steaks and a few other popular dishes, asking the waiter to bring some desserts that girls might like.

Soon, the waiter rolled over a cart and started setting the dishes on the table.

Just as the waiter was about to leave, a familiar female voice chimed in. "Isn't that Mr. Ward?"

Vivienne, always the socialite, squeezed her way over. "Mr. Ward, what a surprise to see you here."

But then she noticed Daphne and thought angrily, 'The servant? How is she dining with Carl here?'

Carl barely glanced at her, focusing on cutting his steak into small pieces. The vibe got a bit tense.

"What a coincidence seeing you here! Weren't you supposed to be delivering food to Mr. Ward today?" Vivienne's tone was dripping with sarcasm. She had to pull strings to book a private room, yet here she was, feasting in this luxurious spot, all because she was clinging to Carl's coattails.

Daphne took a bite of her pasta, thinking, 'Wow, this is really good. It really meets the high standard of the Ward family's restaurant; even a random choice is this good.'

Daphne replied, "Mr. Ward said no need to deliver food today." 

"I know a great spot for local cuisine. How about I bring you some tomorrow?" Vivienne offered.

Carl raised an eyebrow, giving her another quick look. Without missing a beat, he finished cutting the last piece of steak and swapped it with Daphne's plate. 

"Thanks." Daphne smiled and took a bite of the steak, feeling proud.

Vivienne was stunned. 'Carl is serving a servant? Cutting her steak?'

"I only eat what she brings. Anything else?" Carl's tone was cold, clearly dismissing Vivienne.

Vivienne's face went through a range of emotions. Forcing a smile, she asked, "Mr. Ward, who is she?"

Daphne was clearly not just a servant.

Carl finally looked at her directly. "My wife."

That single sentence hit Vivienne like a ton of bricks. Her smile froze awkwardly.

The cozy scene between Carl and Daphne made Vivienne even more shocked.

Daphne's gentle smile had a hint of shyness. This was the first time Carl had publicly acknowledged her.

Meeting Vivienne's gaze, Daphne said innocently, "Carl is my husband."

Vivienne could barely keep it together. Her face turned bright red, and she quickly made her exit without saying another word.

Carl turned to Daphne and asked, "Are you clueless?"

Daphne looked at him, confused by the sudden jab.

Seeing her innocence, Carl grabbed a napkin and wiped some sauce from the corner of her mouth. "Couldn't you tell she was being sarcastic?"

Daphne shrugged and stuffed a big piece of steak into her mouth.

Carl frowned. "Slow down, or you'll get a stomachache again."

"Vivienne talks to everyone like that, except you," Daphne said, looking at him with wide eyes.

Carl put down his knife and fork. "You did catch some of her sarcasm."

"Yeah, I did," Daphne said, mimicking Vivienne by crossing her arms. "You're just a servant. Trying to seduce Carl with your looks?"

Those were the exact words Vivienne had thrown at her in the elevator last time.

Carl couldn't help but laugh at her exaggerated imitation, but his face soon turned serious again. "Is that how she spoke to you?"

Daphne nodded. "Last time, Vivienne's car even scratched ours. I didn't care, but Robert was furious."

"After dinner, I'll have Ralph double Robert's salary," Carl said calmly. "And next time you run into someone like her, talk back. Got it?"

Daphne returned to her usual obedient self. "But didn't you and Vivienne go to college together? She's a girl. We shouldn't be too harsh."

Carl's frown deepened. He pinched Daphne's cheek gently. "Who told you that?"

Daphne winced. "People at the company say so! What if I say something wrong and you come home and hit me?"

Carl let go of her. "Nonsense! When have I ever hit you? Have I ever laid a finger on you?"

As soon as he said that, a memory from a hotel night flashed through his mind. They were silent for a couple of seconds.

"Daphne, why do you believe those rumors instead of asking me directly?" Carl's voice grew angrier.

Daphne rubbed her cheek and muttered, "Your business has nothing to do with me..."

Carl fell silent, his expression darkening. He cut his steak with a clatter.

Daphne sighed inwardly, 'Is he mad?' She picked up a piece of steak and held it out to him.

Carl looked at the piece of meat in front of him. "I get it now. Don't be mad."

Seeing Daphne's innocent smile, Carl finally took a bite of the steak. Not bad. She was actually trying to comfort him when he was angry. That was progress.

Carl thought he might want to hold onto this feeling. Even though Daphne's smile seemed a bit foolish, he liked seeing her smile at him.

He would forgive her. After all, it wasn't entirely her fault. His affairs weren't exactly public knowledge.