Chapter 31: Not Fat, Just Muscular

Chapter 31: Chapter 31: Not Fat, Just Muscular

~Frederick’s POV~

The warm lights from the house and the lanterns lining the walkway illuminated our path as we made our way toward the stone steps.

When we reached the steps, I walked up beside him, still holding his hand. At the top, I pushed open the grand wooden doors, and we stepped inside together.

The quiet warmth of the house immediately surrounded us. Soft lights glowed from the walls, illuminating the spacious entrance and the elegant interior beyond it.

I looked at Reynold, who stood quietly beside me, taking in his unfamiliar surroundings.

"Welcome to the island," I murmured.

He looked at me, completely ignoring the welcome. Instead, his brow furrowed with sudden worry. "How are we going to get food out here?"

I couldn’t help but smile. "Reynold... is that really what you care about right now?"

He pouted slightly. "So what? Did you expect me to starve?" he asked softly, crossing his arms over his heavy hoodie. "I’ve been crying for hours, my stomach is empty, and I need to eat so I can get my strength back."

"Fine, fine," I conceded with a soft chuckle, raising my hands in surrender. "What do you want to eat?"

"Anything. Something edible and normal."

"Alright. Go take a hot shower while I call for room service and get something prepared."

Reynold immediately recoiled, hugging himself tighter. "No, I’m not going to shower. It’s freezing here."

"Don’t be stubborn, Reynold," I insisted, stepping into his space and gently taking his shoulders. "Go wash the chill off, and I promise your food will be waiting right here by the time you step out."

He grumbled under his breath, giving a reluctant nod. "Alright... but I don’t want my food to be too spicy. I don’t like spicy food."

A slow, teasing smirk spread across my face. I let my gaze drop meaningfully toward his lower body for a second before meeting his eyes again. "Are you sure you don’t enjoy things that burn a little?"

Reynold’s eyes followed the direction of my look. The second he caught my drift, a furious red flush swept up his neck and flooded his cheeks. He rolled his eyes so hard I thought they’d get stuck, letting out an exasperated huff.

"You’re impossible. Which way is the bathroom?"

I chuckled, pointing down the short corridor to our left. "Over there, pet."

He stopped and glanced back at me. "I remember you said this was a private island before we came here. So why are there people here? How is it private?"

I gave him an amused look. "Reynold, every property needs to be maintained. I can’t just abandon this place. I don’t come here every day, so it makes more sense to let people stay here and keep the property running."

I gestured toward the smaller building we had passed earlier. "People pay millions to spend three days here on vacation. So why would I leave the place sitting empty when I can make it profitable instead?"

I looked around the spacious residence we were standing in before turning my attention back to him.

"But this place is completely private. I don’t let guests stay here, and they’re not allowed anywhere near this part of the property. This is my private residence. I’ll show you around tomorrow, and you can do whatever you want here, even walk around naked if you feel like it."

Reynold quickly smiled and instinctively covered himself when I mentioned he could walk around naked.

"Okay, I understand now. You’re truly a businessman. You always find a way to make everything benefit you."

I raised an eyebrow. "What do you mean?"

"Nothing," he said.

He muttered something unintelligible under his breath before turning around and marching toward the bathroom, while I pulled out my phone to call the kitchen staff and make sure a hot, comforting meal was prepared for him immediately.

While he was in the bathroom, I pulled my laptop out of the bag and placed it on the low wooden table near the seating area. I used the time to catch up on some lingering business reports.

After a little while, the bathroom door clicked open, and Reynold stepped out, wrapped in an oversized white bathrobe.

He paused near the edge of the room, shivering slightly as the ocean breeze drifted through the cracks of the glass doors.

"Is the food here yet?"

"They’ll bring it soon," I murmured, typing a quick reply on my screen without looking up.

A few minutes later, a soft knock echoed at the door. One of the staff wheeled in a large tray of steaming food, set it neatly on the dining table, and quietly slipped out.

The moment the door clicked shut, Reynold marched over, grabbed the cutlery, and dug in with a ravenous hunger.

I pulled up a chair, intending to grab a plate for myself, but I barely had time to pick up a fork. Reynold was eating as fast as he could, shoveling food into his mouth without once raising his head. He was moving so quickly that I didn’t even get an opening to take a single bite.

"Hey—slow down, little pet. You’re going to choke," I muttered, watching him devour the meal.

Sure enough, a second later, he let out a sharp cough, his chest hitching.

"Water," he choked out, waving a hand blindly.

I quickly poured a glass from the pitcher and handed it to him. He drained it in one long gulp, caught his breath, and immediately went right back to polishing off the rest of the plates until every bit of food was gone.

Finally, he leaned back in his chair and let out a long, satisfied sigh. He blinked, dropped his cutlery, and looked over at me with an expression of sudden, wide-eyed, completely fake innocence.

"Why aren’t you eating?" he asked, tilting his head.

I stared at him, completely dumbfounded. "Unbelievable. You didn’t even give me a chance to touch a single plate."

"I’m sorry. I was very hungry," he replied smoothly, showing not an ounce of actual remorse. "You can eat in the morning, or just let the kitchen prepare another batch for you."

I stared at him, completely lost for words. "What?"

"In fact, Mr. Corvin," he added, crossing his arms with a solemn, deadpan expression, "you don’t even need to eat this late. Look at your shape. You’re already getting kind of fat. If you eat heavily right now, you’re just going to wake up even fatter by morning."

"Reynold!" I barked, my jaw dropping.

He stood up, shook his head with a pitying sigh, and muttered, "You’re really losing your physique, Mr. Corvin."

I sat there with my mouth hanging open. "What?!" I shot up from my chair and went after him. "I’m muscular, not fat!"

"Fat is fat," Reynold fired back without missing a beat, turning on his heel. "You don’t have to try and rebrand it with fancy words."

"Reynold," I demanded, narrowing my eyes. "Is this some kind of revenge?"

He didn’t bother answering. He strolled across the room, completely unbothered, climbed into the massive bed, pulled the blankets up, and turned his back to me.

"Goodnight, Mr. Corvin."

I stood there for a moment, genuinely questioning reality. Shaking my head, I muttered a curse and walked into the bathroom...