Chapter 8

Clyde rolled his eyes so hard they almost got stuck. "You always pull this trick. I've already got twenty-eight candid shots of Scarlett, all kinds of styles, you name it. I'm immune now, okay? Just book through the system properly. Out of respect for the gorgeous lady backing you, I'll bump you up—come back in a month."

Lisette didn't flinch. If you want to eat well, you better grow a thick skin. Besides, with Tobias watching from the side, was she supposed to back down? No way.

Lisette grinned and said sweetly, "My darling Scarlett's like a goddess walking the earth. That natural beauty of hers is unreal. Maybe I'll post one of these makeup-free gems online, let the world bask in her divine looks for a bit."

Clyde was speechless. Blackmail. Straight-up blackmail.

Scarlett was the epitome of the international supermodel lifestyle - stunning, powerful, and completely private. Aside from runway snaps and campaign shots, nothing from her personal life ever touched the web.

Cold, seductive, mysterious. That's her brand.

And Lisette this little menace, every time she dragged her people here to mooch a meal, she'd wave those photos in Clyde's face to get him to cook. Every time.

Worse yet... He knew exactly what she was doing, and still fell for it.

Clyde was seeing red.

The ladle clanged loudly against the wok, his gentle-chef persona completely shattered. He barked, "Get lost. Go to the tea room and wait."

Harvest Fields had its class.

The main dining room was for regular guests. But if Clyde ever served personal friends himself, it was always in the tea room.

Lisette, pleased with her win, started counting dishes on her fingers. "I'll have the truffle-infused lobster bisque and the pan-seared scallops with caviar. Oh! Don't forget three servings of your special chicken broth. The rest, you decide."

Clyde laughed dryly, zero humor in it. "You're really something. Not only did you cut the line, now you're ordering like it's your restaurant. What's next, you gonna jump in and cook too? You're not even scared I'll lose it and serve you fresh air?"

Lisette gasped dramatically, hand to mouth. "Whoa, Boss Fields, why so angry? I might never bring Scarlett here again if you keep being this hostile~"

Clyde muttered, "Lisette, you win, alright?"

"Appreciate it," she replied, smug as ever.

Having secured an ultra-rare private meal from the legendary Clyde, Lisette left the kitchen victorious, followed by Tobias and Elliot.

Elliot was utterly blown away. "You can actually order food like that?"

The man everyone said couldn't be bribed, who didn't bow to money or status, who lived strictly by his own rules - had just caved?

Elliot stared at Lisette like she'd pulled off a magic trick. He was beyond impressed. This woman was his new idol. He was going to cling to her and live by her shameless freeloading ways.

Lisette loved messing with Clyde. Seeing him get all worked up gave her life.

All the way to the tea room, that smug little smile never left her face. The light spilled gently from the corner of the ceiling, casting a soft glow on her eyelashes like a halo. That faint shimmer made her already beautiful face look even more radiant.

Tobias watched her quietly, those cool, gem-like eyes of his slowly softening.

"You used to come here often?"

"Totally!"

Lisette looked up at him, grinning. "As long as Scarlett was in Veridia, Clyde would shut down the whole place for her. He'd call me hundreds of times a day begging me to bring her over - like, full-on fanboy mode.

"But the second she left town, boom - back to stone-cold Clyde, like we'd never met."

She gave a triumphant little smile, eyes glittering with mischief. "So as punishment for being fake, I bring my parents and my brothers to freeload sometimes. Help keep him busy in the kitchen."

"You're just helping him level up his chef skills." Tobias chuckled, the corners of his mouth lifting ever so slightly. It gave off a "let's cause trouble together" kind of vibe.

Lisette was used to his poker face, so that tiny smile felt like sunlight breaking through clouds. Her heart fluttered a little. Honestly, Tobias was dangerously good-looking.

Lost in her thoughts, she barely caught what he said next and blinked up at him. "Huh? What was that?"

He had paused, looking down at her, then repeated, "You can treat me as a friend too." Just like how she joked and bickered with her friends so freely.

Wait, what now? Was her husband suggesting they be... buddies?

Lisette stood on tiptoes, gave him a straight-faced look, and patted him on the shoulder like they were bros. "Don't worry, Mr. Hastings. You're not just my friend - you're also my investor daddy. I swear you won't lose out."

---

The tea room looked like something out of a boutique magazine. Clyde had set it up beautifully. The pearwood table by the window was topped with a clear glass sheet, and you could see the intricate carving of phoenixes and birds underneath.

Lisette and Tobias sat across from each other while Elliot fussed around, brewing tea with the dedication of an overachiever.

Lisette leaned forward like a super eager student and said, "Mr. Hastings, can we finally get to that deep dive I mentioned at the airport?"

Elliot's hand jolted as he poured. 'Is she already making a move on the boss? God, this scene's way too spicy for a romantic noob like me!'

Face burning, Elliot cleared his throat, rubbed his nose awkwardly and stammered, "Um... I... I need to hit the restroom real quick..."

Before they could even react, he practically bolted out of the room.

Dude looked like he was running for his life.

Lisette stared after him. "Does he have some serious digestive issues? His face was red like he was about to explode."

Tobias's lips twitched slightly as he took a sip of tea. "Could be."

The awkward topic of Elliot's bowel issues passed quickly, and Lisette turned serious, asking Tobias for advice on some investment troubles she'd been stuck on. Tobias patiently walked her through each point.

"Ohhh, that makes so much sense now!"

Lisette finally got it.

She was genuinely into the whole investment thing, and lucky for her, that was exactly Tobias's playground.

He said generously, "I've got a few projects I've been researching. I'll bring them home and show you. If anything catches your eye, you can start small and test the waters. And if you run into any confusion, just ask."

Lisette's eyes sparkled like she just saw a stack of gold bars. "Mr. Hastings, are you secretly a money fairy sent from heaven just to make me rich?

"I honestly don't even know how to thank you. Wait, I've got it - how about I treat you to dinner here all the time?"

Just then, the door creaked open and Clyde walked in. He nearly slipped on the spot, clearly having caught that last line.

Barely saving a bowl of soup from disaster, he glared at Lisette like she'd just cursed him. "You better not jinx me!"

Lisette looked back at him all innocent and sweet. "C'mon, Clyde, I'm just helping your business, you know?"

Clyde didn't buy it for a second. He thumped the dishes down with a dramatic sigh and grunted, "Yeah, thanks a bunch. Every time you show up, I swear I drop two pounds just from stress!"

"See? Free weight loss!"

Clyde stared at his already lean frame and scoffed. "Lisette, say that again, but this time, touch your heart and tell the truth!"

Lisette just shook her head, all drama. "I'm dead inside when it comes to betrayal. No heart, no shame."

When Scarlett's not around, he's nothing but a glorified cook with mad skills!

Handing Tobias a spoon, she pointed at the soup in front of him. "This chicken soup is awesome - harvested straight from Clyde's backyard farm. He gets so attached to those chickens, he won't cook them unless I'm here."

Clyde: What now?

"Lisette! That soup is for Scarlett!"

"Well, Scarlett's not here today, is she? And yet, here's the soup."

"It's for me, okay?! I made it for myself!"

Lisette flashed him a bright, fake-sweet smile. "Thanks for sharing, Clyde."

"...Don't forget the bill later!" Grumbling something under his breath, Clyde bailed.

Tobias usually wasn't big on food. Whether it was gourmet cuisine, plain home-cooked meals, or even greasy takeout, he ate without fuss - and without much enthusiasm.

But today? With Lisette's lively vibe at the table, even he started to eat more than usual without realizing it.

Meanwhile, poor Elliot looked horrified, appetite completely gone. "Boss, are you... okay?" he asked nervously.

For someone as disciplined as Tobias to go rogue with food? That was like watching the moon crash into the Earth.

"Something wrong?" Lisette frowned.

Before he could answer, a warm little hand landed on Tobias's forehead, checking his temperature as a wave of aroma from the soup drifted past.