Chapter 138: Dinner is Served

By the time it was time for dinner, Maya was exhausted. She had been on her feet for more than half the day. Unlike Father’s mansion, where she only had to give orders and supervise, here she also had to cook.

She sat quietly in the dining room, watching the servants lay the dishes across the table. A platter of herb-roasted beef, carved into thick slices, sat beside a steaming vegetable stew and a bowl of rice. Creamy mashed potatoes were served alongside warm honey cakes.

She stared at the table with a look of satisfaction—it made her exhaustion worth it. The aroma of spices and the different dishes filled the air. The cinnamon in the cake tickled her nose, but it was the rosemary in nearly all the dishes that stood out.

This was most likely the last chance she had to cook in a while—unless Agnes was feeling generous and wanted her to help with the chicken soup again.

There was less tension between her and the maids now. She didn’t think they liked her but at least they didn’t avoid her anymore, and it was clear they all acknowledged her skill.

After setting the table, the servants bowed before a few of them left, leaving Palmer and another servant. Any minute now, the doors would open and members of the house would walk in.

The sound of the door opening drew her attention, and Alaina walked in with Theo next to her. The duo stared at her while she turned away with a disappointed look on her face. She had hoped it was Winnie, but last she heard, she wasn’t even back from work yet.

The couple walked to their seats across from Maya, and Alaina stared at her the whole time. Maya half expected her to raise a ruckus as she did in the morning, but all she did was stare relentlessly at her. She wasn’t bothered by it—she was used to the stares by now.

"I can’t believe this is what we have to eat," Alaina said. "I am glad Agnes will resume tomorrow. Enough of this shenanigans."

"I also heard Arlo is doing much better now," Theo replied. He sent a fleeting glance towards her.

"Yes. I was worried we were going to hit a wave of bad luck considering who we have welcomed into this town."

It was easy to ignore the bait as they conversed between themselves, even though it was clear Alaina was taunting her. She was clearly speaking to Theo but Alaina didn’t take her eyes off her.

Maya sighed in relief. If Alaina’s only form of attack was snide remarks, she would have had a much easier time in Verlassen.

She had expected Alaina to be more forward with her attack, especially with the meals, but it turned out she drew a line when there was no other option. Right now, she was the only cook; if Alaina ruined the meal, there would be nothing to eat.

When the door opened again, Maya had a bright smile on her face that froze as soon as she saw who was at the door. "Alpha Keenan."

He squinted his eyes as his gaze fell on her. "Maya," he replied coldly.

She was too stunned by the fact that he had replied at all to notice if it was a warm or cold reply.

"Alpha Keenan," Alaina screeched. "I received word that Arlo is well and Agnes should return to work by tomorrow morning. Things can return to normal." She sneered in Maya’s direction.

"Where is Winnie?" He directed his question to Maya. "She is late."

"I-I think she has a lot to do at work today. She should be here any moment." She could see Alaina fuming from the corner of her eye.

"With the new batch, work must be quite hectic for her," Alaina added with a sly smile.

Maya could barely hide her surprise—Alaina didn’t speak well of anyone, especially Winnie, whom she now considered a traitor.

"Still doesn’t excuse her behavior. She shouldn’t be late for dinner," Alaina added.

Maya sighed. She had spoken too soon. She should have known better than to think that Alaina would ever change. She glanced at the door, hoping that Winnie would walk through any moment now.

"We don’t have to wait for her," Alaina continued speaking. "She can always eat by herself."

"Palmer," Keenan called. "Would you go check to see if Winnie is in the main house?"

Maya was smiling at this; she didn’t want to eat without Winnie.

"Yes, Alpha," she bowed and walked toward the exit.

Just as she pulled open the door, Winnie appeared, breathing hard. She was still wearing the dress from work. Clay splatter was on her dress, the areas that weren’t protected by the apron she usually wore.

She rushed inside. "Sorry, I am la—"

"You’re late!" Alaina interrupted.

"Alpha Keenan, I apologize," she said instead and rolled her eyes at Alaina.

"It’s fine," he simply said as he dug into his meal.

"Was work busier than usual?" She asked Winnie as she sat down.

"I wanted to work extra so I won’t have to go tomorrow, and that took longer than I expected," she whispered.

Maya felt her stomach twist at the mention of what was in store tomorrow. She reflexively glanced at Keenan but quickly looked away.

"Oh," she replied. "Did you run here?"

Winnie nodded. "I didn’t want to miss your delicious food. I would have skipped if you weren’t cooking. Also, thanks for lunch—it was the best I’ve had in a while."

Alaina scoffed and cut into the beef louder than she needed to. The two women shared glances and chuckled before they began to eat their meal.

Dinner went smoothly, and by the time it was over, Maya exited the dining room with Winnie.

"I haven’t decided what time yet," she was saying as they stepped out of the dining room. "But sometime after breakfast, and if there is still some time, we can go to the beach before we return. What do you think?"