Page 193 of My Ruthless Neighbor

Goldie stands beside me with a red scarf around his neck. I make a mental note of buying a chef outfit for him later.

After filling Archer’s plate with little bit of everything, I stand to his side.

He looks up. “You’re not going to join me?”

“I will. After you taste it.” I clasp my hands eagerly, grinning. Tipping my chin, I waggle my brows. “Go ahead. Try it.”

When he picks up his fork, I jerk. “Stop!”

“What happened?”

“I forgot something. I’ll be back.” I dash toward his kitchen and grab a bottle of red wine from the huge built-in wine cabinet then sprint back out.

“Shit, I forgot the glass!” I make a U-turn.

I’m panting by the time I’m pouring the wine in the glass.

He gently grabs my hand, takes the bottle and rests it on the table. Getting up, he pulls the chair beside him. “Sit.”

“But—”

His lips thin in a line as he stares at me blankly.

“Fine,” I grumble as I take a seat. Then I watch him uncuffing his shirt sleeves and rolling them up before fixing me a plate. Then finally, he sits back down.

I push his plate toward him and watch with bated breath as he takes his first bite. He chews it slowly before swallowing hard, his face blank.

“The pasta is a bit overcooked but it’s my first try, so…” I motion him to try the other dish.

He does the same. Takes a bite then chews it slowly before swallowing it.

“You know I am a natural. All it took was a bunch of YouTube videos to figure out how to cook.”

On his third bite, he stops mid-air. “This was your first attempt?”

“Crazy, right? I didn’t know I could cook. I mean I used to experiment with ramen now and again but didn’t know I could cook an actual meal up until now.” I give him a surprised smile.

He drinks his wine then continues eating.

“How is it?”

“Hmm.” Is all he says before swallowing another bite.

I roll my eyes and pick up my fork. “Fine, don’t tell me. I’ll taste it myself.” My fork is wrenched from my fingers before I can blink.

“What the hell?”

The realization comes slow and late but clearer. “Pass me the bottle of water.” I motion to his side. As soon as he turns, I snatch the fork and taste the pasta.

“Summer!” Archer tries to stop me but it’s too late.

“Ohgof,” I choke and grab few tissues and spit. Too much salt, too much garlic, too much everything! God, how did he eat this crap?

Archer sighs, unscrews the bottle of water and hands it to me.

I gulp down half the content. “Those YouTube chefs are scammers!”

He laughs. Archer Kim laughs. And it’s not a chuckle or a snort of amusement. It’s a full-blown laughter. It’s long and loud, his shoulders shaking.

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