Phoebe quietly enjoyed every single bite Raymond offered, causing a faint but clear smile to form on his lips. A deep sense of satisfaction washed over him as he watched her finally accept the food.
"It wasn't a waste after all, breaking dozens of eggs earlier, seeing how well you're enjoying this," Raymond remarked casually.
The revelation caught Phoebe completely off guard. She paused mid-chew, her brow furrowing as she locked her eyes onto him. "What exactly did you do with dozens of eggs?"
Instead of giving her an actual answer. Raymond merely offered a broad smirk. Unwilling to confess the absolute war zone he had left the downstairs kitchen in; he smoothly redirected her attention by guiding the fork back to her mouth. "Don't worry about it. I'll compensate for everything used in your kitchen. You have nothing to fret about."
A comfortable silence stretched between them for a brief moment. However, what truly anchored Phoebe's thoughts wasn't the material loss of the ingredients he had destroyed. Her mind was entirely consumed by the realization that his was the first time she had ever known a man willing to struggle to this extent for her sake, especially when, with his immense power, he could have easily ordered a dozen people to whip up an extravagant feast in a heartbeat.
"Full yet?" Raymond asked gently, reaching for a glass of warm water and carefully helping her take a sip.
Phoebe nodded faintly after quenching her thirst.
"Want some more?" he murmured, his hand already moving to spear a piece of the sausage with the fork.
Seeing his movement, Phoebe reached out, trying to take the utensil from his grip.
"No need. Just sit back, open your mouth, and enjoy the food," Raymond countered softly, holding his ground.
Phoebe shook her head firmly. "Let me."
Recognizing her stubborn streak kicking back in, Raymond chose not to force the issue. He relinquished his hold on the fork, letting her choose whichever piece of sausage she wanted. Yet, her eyes locked onto his sharp features as she chewed, the space between them turning heavy with unspoken intensity.
An unfamiliar spark of emotion began to swell and creep into her heart as she studied him from such a close distance. It was a truth she couldn't deny to herself, Raymond was breathtakingly handsome, captivating, and it was all amplified by the profound gentleness he displayed tonight.
Slowly, a sudden thought crossed her mind. With a dominant man like Raymond by her side, she began to feel that she no longer needed to bear the exhausting weight of being a fiercely independent woman. She didn't have to fight every battle alone anymore, let alone build up a partner's career from scratch. Raymond already occupied the highest throne, and he was more than ready to be her shield.
"Thank you."
Raymond's low murmur instantly shattered her trance. As her focus snapped back, she found him wearing a genuine, devastatingly charming smile.
Realizing she had just allowed herself to get completely carried away, Phoebe's demeanor shifted drastically in the blink of an eye. Desperately trying to mask the chaotic fluttering in her chest, she deliberately forced a cold, cynical expression onto her face, glaring at him with utter disdain.
"Don't flatter yourself. I'm not sharing this with you out of care or affection," Phoebe snapped, her voice dropping back to sub-zero temperatures. "I'm just worried this food might actually be poisoned, and I have absolutely no intention of dying alone!"
Raymond knew her well enough to recognize that she was merely putting up a desperate front to guard her sky-high pride. Instead of taking offense, a low, amused chuckle escaped his lips. "Whatever you say, Sweetheart."
*****
"It's late," Raymond murmured, setting the empty glass aside. "The gap since your meal is enough. You can sleep now."
Phoebe stared at him intensely, her sharp eyes tracing his features as if trying to dissect the sudden influx of genuine care he was showing. She wasn't used to this version of him.
Clinging to her defensive walls, she shifted her gaze and remarked coldly, "My home isn't a hotel where strangers get to crash for free."
A low, amused chuckle vibrated in Raymond's chest. "don't worry. Once you're asleep, I'll head back with Enzo."
Phoebe went silent for a beat, her mind drifted to the conditions outside, the rain was still pouring relentlessly, accompanied by the occasional sharp crack of lightning that illuminated the heavy sky.
"Oh," she drawled, her tone dripping with mock skepticism. "So, a man of your stature would honestly prefer driving through a torrential downpour late at night, rather than spending a little cash to rent a room and sleep soundly in luxury estate like this?"
Raymond didn't answer immediately. He studied her, mapping the hidden trajectory of her words, until a slow realization dawned on him. She actually felt sorry for sending him out into the storm. Her sharp tongue was just a shield for her reluctance to let him go.
"You have a fascinating way of framing a situation, Miss Fortunata."
She had wrapped her concern beautifully, stripping it of any obvious affection. Instead, she targeted his pride, delivering a sharp jab to his ego that made it practically impossible for him to decline.
"Fine," Phoebe added quickly, trying to cut off his line of sight. "If your funds are running low because you booked a last -minute fast flight from New York, on top of having to compensate for the absolute disaster you caused to my egg supply, you are free to leave right now."
"I will pay whatever exorbitant rate you name to stay the night under your roof," Raymond countered instantly, his voice dead-serious, as if they were hammering out the terms of a high-stakes corporate merger.
There was no further debate. Phoebe offered a curt nod. "You can ask the staff downstairs which rooms are vacant for you and Enzo. Or, if you prefer to sleep separately, this house has more than enough space for you to choose from."
"I want to sleep in your room."
The answer was delivered so casually, so light, and accompanied by a faint smirk that clearly signaled he was teasing. Yet, the sheer audacity of it made Phoebe's eyes widen in instant shock.
"What did you just say?"
"Nothing." Raymond murmured, his smirk lingering. "Just go to sleep early. I'll head out the moment you close your eyes."
Suspicion flared in her chest. "And what's my guarantee that you'll actually leave my room once I'm asleep? I'm highly certain you'll just end up crashing here anyway, only to wake up tomorrow morning claiming you accidentally overslept."
"That trick is far too cliché, sweetheart. I always keep my word. You know that, don't you?"
Hearing his explanation, Phoebe offered a slow, validating nod. She hadn't forgotten that despite his ruthless nature, Raymond's word was an absolute, unbreakable contract.
Settling under the sheets, she prepared herself for sleep. There was an unfamiliar, magnetic pull in her chest that made her willingly succumb to his attention, even for something as simple as him carefully pulling the heavy blanket up to her shoulders.
For a few suspended seconds, their gazes locked. Phoebe felt a sudden, inexplicable flutter deep within her soul, a chaotic rush of emotion she couldn't quite rationalize. Exhaling a soft breath to stabilize her erratic heartbeat, she realized the feeling wasn't going to fade quietly. Defeated by the intensity, she swiftly closed her eyes, forcing herself to fake a deep sleep.
Time drifted by in absolute stillness. Once Raymond was certain she had fully drifted off, he reached out, his large hand incredibly gentle as he brushed a stray lock of hair away from her face.
He quietly admired the woman before him. She was breathtakingly beautiful when the sharp, defensive edges of her waking hours were stripped away. He traced the sweep of her long eyelashes, the perfect, sculpted slope of her nose, and the faint, pinkish hue still clinging to her cheeks.
For the first time in his existence, a profound urge to deliver a tender kiss to a woman overtook him. Hesitating for a fraction of a second, he leaned down with utmost care and pressed his lips softly against the top of her head.
"Good night, Sweetheart."
True to every single word he had given her, Raymond quietly turned on his heel and walked out of her bedroom, closing the heavy doors behind him without making a sound.