Chapter 177 | Forgive What?

Chapter 177: 177 | Forgive What?

Dexter stared at her for several seconds.

The girl was at most 17 and had negotiated a twenty-five percent commission on his product with such confidence that she wasn’t even slightly apologetic about it.

He thought about Mr. Henry.

He had schemed against the father. The daughter had schemed right back.

"You really are a little schemer," he said.

Tessa grinned in satisfaction.

"Learned from the best."

Dexter’s mouth twitched. He wanted to be annoyed but he couldn’t bring himself to be.

Because she was right, she had done the work, handled the customers, managed the transactions and protected his privacy.

Twenty-five percent was bit much but also fair.

"Get out," he said.

Tessa covered her mouth and let out a tickling giggle.

"See you tomorrow, Boss Chef!"

She turned and skipped down the sidewalk, her curly red hair bouncing with each step as she waved once over her shoulder without looking back.

Dexter shook his head and he looked down at his phone again.

His total balance was now 1,290,556 dollars.

He slipped the phone back into his pocket and walked inside.

...

Dinner time arrived.

Dexter stood at the kitchen, stirring the food as the aroma filled the entire house.

He was plating the food when he felt a presence behind him.

He turned around.

Lyra was there standing at the kitchen door.

She was staring at the with drolling mouth as her fingers twitched.

Dexter blinked as he glanced at her carefully. Her exprsssion wasn’t as cold as it was that afternoon.

And the stranger seemed to have disappeared bringing back the cute Lyra.

She seemed to have forgiven him. Or at least forgotten. Or at mthe she decided that whatever anger she had been carrying was less important than food.

Dexter wasn’t sure which. So he didn’t say anything and just smiled at her.

He served the stew into four bowls, arranged them on the small dining table, and stepped back.

"Sit do—"

Lyra was in her seat before he could even pull the chair out.

She sat down, picked up her spoon, and began eating without a word.

Dexter stared at her for a moment then he went to get Mira, wheeling her to the dining table while she cultivated in silence.

Then he went to the backyard for Selene.

She was on the swing with her eyes closed in cultivation.

"Selene. Dinner."

She opened her eyes and gently stood up. Then she walked toward him without hesitation.

She paused as she passed him.

"Smells good," she said quietly.

Dexter smiled. "It’s the bean stew. You’d like it."

Selene smiled faintly as they both walked tk the dining room.

---

The four of them ate silently together at the small dining table. The silence wasn’t awkward and it seemed they were lost in their own world as they ate.

Well, except for Lyra who was devouring the food rapidly.

One bowl. Gone.

She looked at Dexter and her melodious voice rang in his head.

’M-more.’

Dexter blinked and then stood up as he refilled refilled her bowl.

Less than a minute, it was all gone.

She blinked her eyes pitifully at Dexter, making Dexter smile.

"Alright."

This happened repeatedly until six bowls were all devoured!

Dexter’s eyebrows rose steadily with each refill.

Six full bowls of food was more than she had ever eaten in a single sitting. And she wasn’t slowing down. She was slowing up. Each bowl seemed to make her eat faster, as though she was trying to make up off the afternoon.

Finally, after the sixth bowl, she set her spoon down and leaned back in her chair.

"Sigh."

Her hands moved to her stomach, pressing gently against her full belly as a satisfied exhale escaped her lips.

Then she looked at Dexter.

’Thank you.’

Dexter’s brow furrowed slightly as she stood up and walked to the living room couch.

’She was angry at me all day, ate only one portion at lunch and didn’t speak to me for hours. And now she’s acting like nothing happened.’

He checked her status through his system reflexively.

[Lyra Vance — Shadow Corruption Level: 2%]

Still two percent. Stable. No increase.

’At least the corruption isn’t getting worse.’

He finished his own food, collected the dishes, and began washing them.