Chapter 383: Chapter 383

“W-Why is she here?” Gianna exclaimed as she gripped the railing for support. “Didn’t Wyatt forbid her from coming down?

Answer me!”

Scared out of her wits, the housekeeper stuttered, “M-Ms. Marsh said there was a misunderstanding between her and Mr. Lopez, so she wanted to cook for him and have a little chat. She also said he wouldn’t blame me... T-That’s why I—”

“So you were the one who snuck her down!” Gianna thundered, a fresh swell of rage rising in her. “The reason Wyatt locks her on the third floor and doesn’t let her downstairs is that he hates her! He’s going to blow his top if he sees her here. Argh! You’re such an idiot! Are you trying to get us all into trouble?”

“I-I didn’t know! I was only following Ms. Marsh’s orders...”

Upon seeing the spread on the dining table, Gianna added, “Did Wyatt call to say he was on his way home?”

“Yes.”

“What are you still waiting for, then? Take her back upstairs!” Gianna scolded as she gathered the other housekeepers. “Thank goodness I came down in the nick of time. Otherwise, you’d all be in hot water!”

Even though Wyatt hadn’t returned to the mansion for quite a while, everyone knew Gianna was the lady of the house. Why else would she always get what she wanted with just one phone call?

Therefore, as soon as Gianna gave her orders, the housekeepers complied and hurriedly helped the unconscious Jessica up the stairs.

Meanwhile, Gianna rushed back to her room to change out of her expensive clothes and into something more homely. In an attempt to look the part of the doting homemaker, she even went to the kitchen and put on an apron.

Disgusted by the faint smell of cooking grease lingering in the air, Gianna was about to spray some perfume when one of the housekeepers exclaimed, “Welcome home, Mr. Lopez!”

Without further ado, she grabbed the cutlery and walked out of the kitchen with a smile plastered on her face.

“Ah, you’re back, Wyatt! When they told me you were returning, I figured you’d want to stay for dinner, so I prepared a few dishes.”

Wyatt’s gaze immediately darkened when he saw Gianna, and all he felt was a flicker of irritation.

What the hell was I thinking back then? Why did I arrange for Gianna to stay at this mansion in Zenisan Villa just because she called?

“Wouldn’t a model like you be spending all your time on your beauty routine? Are you sure you know how to cook?” Wyatt scoffed before taking a seat at the table. “The housekeepers must’ve whipped these up!”

Gianna playfully shoved the man and whined, “My goodness. You have so little faith in me! I can assure you that I was the one who singlehandedly cooked these dishes. The housekeepers didn’t help at all. Go on. Have a bite!”

For some reason, Wyatt was thoroughly repulsed by the saccharine voice.

D*mn it. Why are some women so much more repulsive than others?

“That’s enough. Return to your seat!” he grumbled, clearly running low on patience.

Realizing how unhappy Wyatt was, Gianna quickly reined herself in and sat on the chair beside him.

“Here. Try the stew,” she urged as she offered him a bowl of it. “I’m not sure if it’s to your liking, though.”

With that, Wyatt picked up his spoon and took two mouthfuls of the stew.

Hmm... It tastes pretty salty, but the flavor is also strangely familiar. Have I had this before?

Gianna, too, ate a couple of mouthfuls before quietly spitting it out because of the saltiness. “I’m sorry, Wyatt. As you can tell, I don’t cook a lot. Forget about the stew. It’s too salty. I’ll get the housekeepers to cook something else.”

“But that’s going to take a while, isn’t it?” Wyatt muttered as he continued eating, not at all minding the flavor.

Alas, his reaction only made Gianna green with envy.

That woman doesn’t look like she steps into the kitchen much, and it’s reflected in her cooking. I can’t believe Wyatt’s still eating her awful food!

Despite complaining about it internally, Gianna’s smile never once wavered. “I can cook for you every day if you like, Wyatt. What do you say?”

To her surprise, the man glanced at her and chuckled. “Forget it. What if your flawless skin gets damaged by all that heat and grease? Wouldn’t that make me a sinner?”

“I knew you doted on me, Wyatt!” Gianna said as she coyly hugged his arm. “Have you been very busy these days? You take forever to answer my texts, and you don’t visit me, either. I’m bored to death!”

Once again put off by Gianna’s actions, Wyatt snapped, “You can move out if you don’t want to stay here.”

“That’s not what I meant!” Gianna hastily replied and pouted. “I was hoping you could spend more time with me when you’re free, or at the very least, let me keep you company.”

Instead of answering her, Wyatt merely wiped his mouth and walked away. “I’m full.”

Gianna gritted her teeth in exasperation as she glared at his retreating figure.

What the hell! Does he have any idea how many men are smitten by my beauty? I’ll make sure he succumbs to my charm one day!

Just as Wyatt was about to go to his study, he suddenly recalled how long he hadn’t been home since the day he left in a fit of anger. With that thought in mind, he turned around and went up to the third floor.

The housekeeper, who was keeping guard outside Jessica’s room, panicked a little when she saw Wyatt. “Mr. Lopez.”

“Has she eaten?”

Remembering what Gianna had instructed before, the housekeeper quickly nodded. “Yes. Ms. Marsh is asleep now.”

“Okay. I’ll take a look,” Wyatt muttered before opening the bedroom door.

By then, the housekeeper was pale and trembling with fright, but she also knew it wasn’t her place to stop the man.

As soon as Wyatt entered the room, he saw Jessica in bed and sleeping on her side.

He sat next to her and caressed her cheek, only to realize how small her face had gotten.

My goodness. She’s lost quite a bit of weight. Even the nightgown looks bigger on her now. Haven’t I instructed the housekeepers to make her nutritious meals? How could she have become this thin, then? Ah... Could she be refusing to eat because she’s still mad at me?

Knowing that was a possibility, Wyatt got frustrated and lost all desire to stay on.

He promptly left the room and turned to the housekeeper still hovering outside. “You don’t have to stand guard here anymore.

She hasn’t been eating much, so it’s not like she can run far.”

Despite wanting to say something, the housekeeper held her tongue and meekly did as instructed.

Meanwhile, Jessica could feel someone caressing her face even in her sleep. Alas, her head felt so incredibly heavy that by the time she managed to force her eyes open, all she saw was a slender silhouette leaving the room.

Don’t leave, Wyatt!

As much as she wanted to shout for him to stop, she realized she couldn’t get any sound out.

Undeterred, Jessica got out of bed and shook her head before staggering out of the room.

She had taken cold medicine a few hours ago, but strangely enough, her symptoms seemed to have worsened. Even as she walked down the stairs, she could feel herself getting out of breath after every couple of steps.

No. I have to press on. Wyatt hardly comes here, so if I don’t talk to him today, who knows when I’ll see him again?

Determined to see Wyatt, Jessica endured the waves of discomfort and hobbled down to the second floor.

Unfortunately, she didn’t know which room Wyatt was in, so she continued to trudge forward and knocked on every door.

Just then, a voice rang out along the hallway. “Are you tired, Wyatt? Let me rub your shoulders for you!”

Huh? Why is there a woman’s voice?

Perplexed, Jessica quickly located the source and inched toward the room.

Since the door happened to be ajar, it wasn’t long before Jessica caught sight of Wyatt seated at the table and buried in his work. What she wasn’t expecting, however, was the woman standing behind him.

Tall and slender, her sheer, figure-hugging red dress left little to the imagination as she gently rubbed Wyatt’s shoulders. “Even though I can’t help you with work, I can keep this house spick and span. Then, you’ll be so happy whenever you visit that you’ll want to stay and keep me company.”