Chapter: 1397

From her spot on the couch, Effie propped her chin on her arm, watching him. He didn't rush, just moved with a calm rhythm, putting everything in order as if he'd done it a thousand times. The same man who carried the weight of being called a prodigy in the operating room could just as easily slip into this quiet, domestic routine. That blend of precision and ease gave him a quiet charm she couldn't quite name, but it drew her in all the same.

Her gaze followed him from stove to counter, to sink, and back again.

Every so often, she sighed. He shot her a look over his shoulder. "What is it?"

"Nothing special," she said with a small smirk. "Only reminding myself I've got impeccable taste."

He gave no reply, but when he turned back to the pan, the faint twitch at his mouth betrayed him.