Valerie, as usual, bought breakfast and set it out on the table. Matthew's breakfast wrap had a new filling today: double layers of crispy something. Remembering his enjoyment of yesterday's clam chowder, she'd bought him some more.

The crispy wrap, fragrant with oil, made Matthew furrow his brow slightly. However, a spoonful of the clam chowder—a light soup infused with scallions—was perfect. The combination of the two, neither salty nor greasy, was quite comforting.

As Matthew ate, Valerie opened her bag and took out two waffles.

"Aren't you having an egg'wich today?" Matthew asked.

Valerie looked puzzled. "I just moved here a few days ago and don't know the area well, so I've been buying egg'wiches for convenience. Why do you ask, Mr. Grant? Do you want one?"

"No," Matthew immediately denied, unwilling to admit he wanted to try one. He'd refused one before and felt it would be embarrassing to ask now.

Valerie, however, took his slightly darkened expression—which she'd previously misinterpreted as anger—as simply his usual demeanor. She knew he'd never truly been angry with her.

This prompted her to recommend egg'wiches. Chuckling, she leaned in, persuading, "Mr. Grant, you'll get tired of the same thing. For your health, try other foods. Egg'wiches are seriously delicious. How about skipping the wrap tomorrow? I'll bring you an egg'wich, okay?"

Since she was pleading so earnestly, Matthew, maintaining a poker face, slowly swallowed his food before saying, "Alright."

Valerie was happy. "The waffles were good too. So, I'll bring you an egg'wich and a waffle tomorrow, okay?"

"Sure," Matthew replied, thinking, Given how much she enjoyed the waffles, they must be good! He trusted Valerie's ability to find delicious food—except for latte.

After breakfast, they went downstairs to the parking lot, where the Mini awaited. Matthew drove. Even with the seat pushed all the way back, the car was cramped for his long legs. He'd adapted somewhat, but it was still tight.

Matthew decided to switch to a more spacious SUV. He could have Charles "gift" it to him as a performance reward.

"Where are we going now?" he asked.

Valerie remembered Matthew's seafood and gift box order. After learning the type of seafood, she took him to the market's kitchenware section. Their home was sparsely furnished—only an induction cooker and a frying pan bought the previous night. They needed many things.

While Valerie shopped, a sales assistant noticed Matthew. Impressed by his aura, she enthusiastically began her sales pitch.

Matthew disliked noisy people, but the sales assistant, having dealt with many grumpy customers, was persistent; especially since this one was the best-looking.