That's what Jefferson felt all day. What was wrong with him today? Why did he take the initiative to treat Carabella like the special woman in his life? All day, especially when he met Larissa, he always thought of ways to prevent Carabella from being bullied by Larissa directly. He had always allowed Larissa to bully her, but that only made him angry as time went on. So now he took the initiative to fix everything, only to find that misunderstandings often arose between them.
"Why are you asking me all of a sudden?" Jefferson replied firmly.
"Because you've always hated seeing anyone set foot in this new house. This is the first time I've seen you let Carabella enjoy the amenities of this luxurious home freely. Even though Larissa had begged to move in with you earlier, you immediately refused."
Jefferson smiled faintly as he sipped his beer slowly. "I don't want Larissa to be upset if the house doesn't meet her expectations."
Raul couldn't hold back his laughter any longer. Eventually, he burst out laughing so hard his cheeks turned red. "I'm sure something's going on between you and Carabella. Sorry for being so rude all of a sudden."
"Yes, something did happen between us."
"What?"
His right hand spun the glass clockwise. "This time, I won't hide it from you. Ever since Carabella was sold to my family, I've been determined to protect her from anyone."
"But, from what I see, it seems like Carabella has hated you since she was little. Are you sure you can soften her heart?"
"My principle now is that I don't want her to get hurt because of anyone else, especially Larissa. This afternoon, when the three of us were gathered in the garden gazebo, Larissa looked for every opportunity to humiliate Carabella."
"Even so, why do you suddenly want to be nice to Carabella? Is it because you feel sorry for her?"
Jefferson put his glass down on the table for a moment. "I never felt sorry for her. But I don't like seeing her cry in front of me. Her face is so ugly."
Raul smiled a mischievous smile, narrowing his eyes at the young master. "Jefferson, this is the first time I've seen you so sincere with a woman."
"Have I been looking insincere towards my fiancé all this time?"
"Yes, I saw it with my own eyes. You seemed to be forcing yourself whenever you were with Larissa. But when you were with Carabella, I could see you genuinely cared for her."
"Then, it can be concluded that you will accuse me of cheating?"
"No. I'll actually support you if you don't like Larissa. I'd rather see you hanging out with Carabella."
"So, now I can only hope there's no misunderstanding between Carabella and me. This is all my fault. If I had cared more about her, she wouldn't have treated me so coldly."
"Then you have to change your attitude from now on, Jefferson."
His brow furrowed. "How dare you tell me to change my attitude?"
"If you want your relationship with Carabella to work, you can't be so cold all the time. That way, there won't be any misunderstandings between you."
"But, all this time my principle has been–"
"You can't stick to your perfectionist principles. Carabella is a simple woman, don't demand too much of her."
"Even though I haven't asked for much from him all this time."
Raul gently patted the young master's shoulder. "Although this is a violation of your parents, I support you in marrying the woman you truly love."
"So, you support me marrying Carabella in a situation like this?"
"I mean, I suggest you just follow your heart. If you want your life to be free from anyone's control, you have to try to let go of everything."
*****
After chatting with Raul for a while, Jefferson took the initiative to cook dinner for his special guest. Although he didn't have many ingredients, he could at least cook spaghetti, his longtime favorite dish, along with omelets. Moreover, spaghetti had been Carabella's favorite food since childhood, and he hoped her tastes hadn't changed.
Now Carabella's appearance was wrapped in a nightgown. This simple appearance had Jefferson staring at her in astonishment, even though he didn't like Carabella wearing shabby looking clothes.
Meanwhile, Carabella's reaction was stunned when she smelled the pungent aroma of spaghetti. She immediately walked quickly to the dining table where the spaghetti was already served.
"Do you like it, Ella?"
"Did Raul cook this himself?"
Jefferson was so disappointed to hear this that he pouted. "Why did you think Raul cooked the spaghetti?"
"Because you can't cook. Then, the reason you called Raul here was to ask for his help in cooking dinner for us."
"Even though I took the trouble to cook spaghetti for you."
Her mouth gaped open. "What?!"
"Yes, your guess was wrong. Actually, I can cook."
"Then why did you hire me as your personal assistant at home? You can do everything yourself."
Jefferson folded his arms. "I told you before, you're staying at my house just to keep me company."
Carabella had lost focus on her argument with the homeowner. She sat on the dining chair, staring at her favorite food with sparkling eyes. She hadn't expected Jefferson to still remember her.
"Can I taste your spaghetti?"
"Of course. You are the first person to taste my cooking."
"What if it doesn't taste good?"
"I dare to cook it again for you until you are satisfied."
Hearing Jefferson's words made her feel even more depressed. She took a spoonful of spaghetti and took a slow bite. Just one bite made her heart flutter. Unconsciously, tears of joy welled up in her eyes as she tasted Jefferson's delicious spaghetti for the first time.
"Why are you crying? Is it really that delicious?"
"It tastes so delicious."
A happy smile spread across his handsome face. "Really?"
Carabella nodded shyly. "I'm not lying. This is the first time I've tasted spaghetti this delicious. Especially since my dad never let me eat spaghetti."
"Then, from now on I will cook spaghetti for you more often."
"No need. I don't want to bother you."
"I've always known you've always loved spaghetti. So, I don't want to make you cry again because you can't eat spaghetti."