Chapter 417 417

​ "Don't worry, Chloe. I'm a good cook," Vernon claimed confidently, and Chloe couldn't hide her frown as she did not believe that at all.

"Um… are you sure? Should we just order something with Ubereats?" Chloe offered.

Honestly, she didn't like buying food from outside because she liked trying out making many new dishes. She even had a few cookbooks and googled a lot of recipes. But since she couldn't use her right hand, they had no other choice.

Vernon was slightly offended by her doubt, "Just sit there and let me cook something."

"But-"

"Just trust me, Chloe. Sit there and enjoy your time with Mackie."

"… Okay then."

Chloe shifted her gaze back at her daughter, who was busy drawing a big mama wolf and her small cub. She kept glancing at Vernon, who had his sleeve rolled and was busy checking the ingredients in the fridge.

She thought Vernon would break something or burn the food, at least. But she was out for a surprise because Vernon was skillful in preparing all the ingredients, chopping veggies, boiling rice, and then pan-fried a few chickens before he poured it all into a wok.

The sound of the spatula hitting the wok echoed in the kitchen, and the delicious aroma filled the air. Even Mackie got distracted by it.

In the end, he brought a big plate full of what looked like fried rice, but the aroma was so flavorful that Mackie and Chloe got hungry instantly.

Vernon put the big plate on the dining table and announced, "This is Spanish Paella. I like it better with seafood, but we don't have any seafood in the fridge, so I used chicken instead."

He returned to the kitchen and brought three stacks of the regular plate, distributing them for his small family before, and then returned with three glasses of water.

Chloe looked at the delicious Spanish Paella in front of her and then looked back at Vernon, demanding an explanation on how he could cook a difficult dish.

Vernon put a big spoon of Paella on Chloe's plate, "Just try it first and see if you like it."

Chloe carefully used her left hand to scoop the food and slowly munched on the food.

Her eyes widened, and she looked up at Vernon, grinning proudly, "Good?"

Chloe swallowed the food and nodded, "It's amazing. I cooked Paella a few times, but this is much better than mine."

Vernon took pride in his cooking. He might not be a chef, even if he could if he studied culinary seriously. Getting Chloe's approval was the thing he wanted the most for his cooking skill.

"Mm, it's good, but Mommy is still better!" Mackie suddenly chirped, and Chloe panicked when her daughter said that. Mackie shrugged, "What? Mommy's Paella is the best! Uncle, yours is good, but you should learn more from Mommy!"

Chloe looked back at Vernon and muttered sorry, "She doesn't know what she's saying. Don't take it at heart, Vernon."

"Hm? Why not? I know that you're a great cook," Vernon smiled. He sat right beside Chloe and took a spoonful into his mouth. "Hm, you're right, Mackie. Mine is slightly less flavorful than what she made, so I should probably ask her recipe instead."

"See, Mommy? Even Uncle admits it!"

Chloe didn't want Vernon to feel unappreciated for cooking dinner. He must've been tired from work and all the events that happened today, but he still took his time to cook for the family.

"It's still great," Chloe insisted. "Anyway, when did you learn how to cook?"

"Hm…. Probably a few months after I left to Europe," Vernon said, though he didn't specify which part of Europe he stayed. "I realized that I just can't palate many of the takeouts, since I grew up eating your homemade dishes."

"So I started learning how to cook by myself. I also traveled around Europe whenever I had free time and learned many dishes from my travels. That's why I can cook well."

Vernon raised his brow as he stared back at Chloe, "I should blame you for making me unable to eat takeouts. My picky palate can't handle them."

Chloe remembered how much of a picky eater Vernon was when he was a kid. He disliked most things. Sometimes he could like one food and suddenly dislike the same food the next day.

It was so frustrating for the cooks until Chloe took over Gray mansion's kitchen and started cooking whenever she visited, so Vernon could eat a lot without giving the cooks a headache.

'Now he's a grown man. A rich, young CEO who happens to be Handsome, with a great body, and also a great cook,' Chloe kept on showering Vernon with praises in her heart. She was too embarrassed to say it, but she was proud of him.

'Ah, I hope he can find a good woman to marry soon. So he doesn't need to think about me too much.'

Chloe knew that Vernon was in love with her. She would be a dense idiot if she didn't realize that.

All the things he did and the dedication he had just to protect her screamed the word 'love.'

But at the same time, she still couldn't stomach it.

She raised Vernon for at least eight years, and if he was in love with her, it was probably just a remnant of a childhood crush he'd get over eventually.

Besides, she didn't think she was worthy of dating- let alone marrying a man like Vernon. He was obviously a dream man for many young women out there.

But she didn't want to ruin the good atmosphere between them, so she swallowed all her concerns and ate with her family.

Maybe it was the concern that plagued her mind, or her exhaustion after a harsh day, or the food was just too damn good. She actually ate a full plate of Paella at an average pace. She even went for a second plate, much to Mackie and Vernon's relief.