Chapter 455

Once Bernard fled, only Ella and Lorenzo remained in the room. Ella tried to twist her face out of Lorenzo’s grip. But Lorenzo instinctively tightened his hold. “Still trying to dodge?”

“Let go of me,” Ella said.

Ella was puzzled why Lorenzo didn’t refute Bernard’s earlier remark. She squirmed, and when Lorenzo didn’t release her, she writhed in discomfort. “It hurts…”

Lorenzo’s grip was bone-crushing. She felt her bones might crack under his pressure. Hearing her say it hurt, Lorenzo froze, then let go. “Go make some oatmeal,” he said.

“What?” Ella was startled that Lorenzo wanted her to cook oatmeal.

Lorenzo added, “Apple oatmeal.”

Ella knew how to make apple oatmeal. She’d made it for Stephanie when she had a fever. But then she thought of something. “Isn’t there a cook?”

“She’s been fired by me,” Lorenzo said carelessly.

Ella was confused. When she first arrived, there was no cook. The cook was hired for just one day before getting the sack. Ella knew Lorenzo, being Sebastian’s man, could well afford household help.

“Why?” Ella was puzzled about the cook’s dismissal and worried she’d have to take over cooking.

“Her cooking was bad,” Lorenzo’s tone was nonchalant.

“I thought it was pretty good,” Ella replied automatically. She wasn’t picky and enjoyed most foods, unlike Lorenzo.

Lorenzo said nothing and went to his room. Ella, getting no response, pouted and went downstairs.

The kitchen in Lorenzo’s villa was open-plan, and the decoration was similar to others. Ella found the oats and apples. While cooking the oatmeal, she called Stephanie.

Stephanie answered the phone shortly. “Ella?”

Stephanie’s breathing was heard over the phone. Ella asked, “What are you doing?”

Stephanie said, “Sebastian got drunk. I just gave him some black coffee.”

Ella said, “Oh.”

Stephanie asked, “What about you? Why call me at this hour?”

Ella said, “I’m making oatmeal for Lorenzo.”

“Can you cook oatmeal?” Stephanie, who couldn’t cook, asked instinctively.

Ella snorted. “Are you looking down on me? You’ve eaten my oatmeal before.”

At the mention of this, Stephanie instantly recalled and said, “Are you sure it was oatmeal you made?”

“Why not?” Ella asked.

Stephanie said, “Who would make oatmeal like a pancake?”

Ella was the only person Stephanie had seen who could cook oatmeal as dry as a pancake, even with apples added. The taste was something she didn’t want to recall. That day, since she had a fever, Stephanie had wanted something refreshing to eat. But what Ella made turned out like oatmeal pancakes, dry and lumpish. It was Ella’s cooking that made Stephanie eventually give up learning to cook. She realized that cooking really requires talent.

Ella was rendered speechless by Stephanie’s words. “It was my first time cooking. You should be grateful.” She felt that no one could cook well on their first try. “Don’t underestimate me. I’m cooking pretty well now,” she said.

Stephanie raised an eyebrow. “Really?”

“Of course,” Ella said proudly.

It was because of the failed attempt at making oatmeal for Stephanie that Ella thought, if someone around her fell ill and needed care in the future, she couldn’t even cook a simple oatmeal. So Ella practiced many more times afterward.

Stephanie said, “Wait, why are you cooking oatmeal for Lorenzo? Aren’t you scared of him?”

Ella was indeed very afraid of Lorenzo. But he had saved her nonetheless. Although Lorenzo’s attitude when saving Ella was rather unpleasant, she couldn’t deny his favor to her because of his unpleasantness. Thinking of his life-saving grace and her fear of him, Ella muttered, “He’s injured.”