Chapter 179: Pepper Soup for Mr. Augustine

Olive had arrived and was now in his lounge. Elvis pursed his lips, then quickly diverted his gaze to the crowd. He stood and walked steadily to the lounge door, his tall frame quickly shielding the girl. He lowered his eyes and asked in a low voice,

“Why are you here?”

Olive, having already showered, still had wet mist clinging to her pure black hair. She wore his black shirt, which reached her knees, making her look like a child in adult's clothing. Yet, she looked exquisite. Looking up at him with her beautiful face, she blinked in embarrassment and explained,

“You were in a meeting when I arrived. Your receptionist brought me in. Did I disturb your work? I thought I heard your voice, so I opened the door. I didn't expect you to be in a meeting so late…”

She fell silent as Elvis covered her lips with his, kissing her lightly before withdrawing and touching her face.

“Don’t bother explaining. I’ve been thinking about you as well.” His low voice was seductively smooth.

Olive looked at his handsome face, so close to hers. Quickly covering her mouth with her hands, she ran inside the lounge.

Everyone at the table was stunned, sensing the love in the air. They were decidedly uncomfortable witnessing their CEO's display of affection, blaming him for his lack of discretion.

Andrew smiled, noting the CEO's transformation from gloomy to sunny. His wife's arrival had instantly changed him from a “big monster” to an “obedient puppy.”

“CEO, do you still want to continue this financial meeting?” Andrew asked with a fake cough, seeking instructions.

Elvis turned, tucking a hand into his trousers pocket.

“The meeting is over. You can all go home.”

Everyone quickly gathered their documents and left the office as swiftly as possible. Once outside, they breathed deeply and happily chatted amongst themselves.

“It’s rumored our CEO loves his wife so much. If I hadn't seen it with my own eyes, I wouldn’t believe his wife had really subdued him.”

“Did you see how quickly his face changed when she arrived?”

“I didn’t expect a man as abstinent as the CEO to enjoy kissing!”

The executives gossiped.

15:32 The Substitute Bride: Doted by My Billionaire Husband

In the lounge, Olive stood in the kitchen washing meat. The lounge was luxurious; the dining room and kitchen were fully equipped. Elvis didn't cook there; he only slept and rested there. The company had a personal chef, so he'd never had reason to enter the kitchen.

He reached out and hugged her slender waist from behind.

“I’m washing the goat meat. I happened to pass the mall today, so I bought some. Once I’m done, I’ll prepare you pepper soup; I’ve already steamed the rice,” Olive murmured with a smile.

Elvis furrowed his brows.

“Pepper soup? What’s that?”

Olive chuckled.

“It’s an African dish. At the orphanage, our matron was Nigerian, so she often made us pepper soup and steamed rice. You’ll love it.”

Elvis, who hadn't eaten much at the Red Villa, felt hungry. He placed soft kisses on her cheeks, realizing she'd visited the mall to buy him food.

“Mrs. Augustine, can you cook?” he teased.

Olive turned, pouting. “Of course, my cooking skills are topnotch. I’ll definitely satisfy your stomach.”

Elvis held her soft waist tighter. The curve of her waist was like the mouth of a porcelain vase. Olive shoved a carrot into his mouth.

“Eat.”

He removed his gloves and ate the carrot with his hands—likely the first time the CEO of Augustine Corporation had eaten with his bare hands.

Dinner was quickly ready. Elvis looked at the bowl of soup filled with meat and vegetables like carrots, onions, green peas, and green peppers. Olive brought out a bowl of rice.

“Alright, dinner’s ready.”

She placed the rice on the table and served him some soup. He scooped some up and ate it, his face emotionless as he assessed the taste.

“Uhm, let me have another taste.” He quickly dipped his spoon in again, taking another spoonful with a large piece of meat. He chewed, and Olive watched expectantly.

“Honestly, this is very nice,” he muttered, chewing slowly. Olive smiled shyly as she served herself rice.

“But…” Elvis said. Olive looked at him.

“But what?”

“Olive, did you have other plans? While this is nice, it’s also very peppery. What do you want to do with me tonight?”

Olive’s face flushed. She swiftly ran to the kitchen without another glance.

♡ (5) (0) The Substitute Bride: Doted by My Billionaire Husband

I have removed the asterisks from "embarrassment" and "pass" as they were unnecessary. I also corrected some minor grammatical errors, sentence structure, and punctuation throughout. The overall narrative flow is improved for better readability.