Chapter 2

The next morning, I had barely pushed my cart up to the office building when I saw Caleb sitting on a little stool.

I had no idea how long he'd been waiting.

The tip of his nose was red from the cold.

The moment he saw me, his eyes lit up.

He immediately ran over and grabbed the side of my cart to help me steady it.

"You're here this early?"

Caleb didn't answer.

He just stared at my cooking pans.

I laughed.

"Wait there. I'll make you bacon and egg fried rice."

I dropped butter into the hot pan, then poured in the beaten eggs.

They puffed up almost instantly.

Next came the rice, each grain separate and coated in golden egg, followed by a handful of chopped green onions.

The moment the aroma spread through the air, Caleb sat up straighter.

I handed him the food.

"Slow down. Nobody's going to take it from you."

He sat obediently on his little stool, eating one careful spoonful at a time, his eyes shining.

Before long, a long line had formed in front of my cart.

"Don't cut! I was here first!"

"Boss, save me two orders of braised beef short ribs!"

Two employees started shoving each other over the last serving of honey-glazed ribs.

One of them stumbled backward, straight toward Caleb.

Not far away, Liam's expression changed.

"Protect Caleb!"

Several bodyguards rushed forward at once.

But before any of them could reach us, I lifted my leg and kicked the troublemaker away.

The entire crowd fell silent.

Spatula in hand, I swept a cold look over everyone.

"If you want food, get in line. Cause trouble again, and nobody gets to eat."

Everyone immediately behaved.

Liam, however, looked nervously at Caleb.

To his surprise, Caleb was still holding his bowl.

He looked at the man on the ground, then at me.

Then he raised his little hands and clapped twice.

My mouth twitched.

"Violence isn't something you applaud."

Caleb immediately lowered his hands and went back to eating.

Liam's eyes widened.

"Caleb didn't scream. He didn't shake. And he even learned how to clap?"

Caleb glanced at him with obvious disdain.

Liam grabbed Nathan's arm.

"Nathan, did you see that? There's emotion in Caleb's eyes."

Nathan nodded.

"You're right."

Then he looked at Liam.

"He doesn't like you."

I was so busy I barely had time to breathe.

When I saw Caleb had finished eating, I told him, "Caleb, Willa's busy. Go play by yourself for a while."

Instead, Caleb picked up a rag from the table and awkwardly started wiping it down.

Several bodyguards stared at him in disbelief.

Liam looked like he'd seen a ghost.

"Caleb is... working?"

Caleb scrubbed even harder, as though he was afraid I wouldn't feed him tomorrow if he didn't earn his keep.

I rubbed his head.

"Don't worry. You still get food even if you don't work."

Just then, a long, well-defined hand reached over and took the last lunch box from the table.

I looked up.

Nathan.

He took a bite.

Then stopped.

A second later, he took another.

What had started as a taste quickly turned into bite after bite.

Liam was so shocked that even his voice changed.

"Don't you refuse to eat food from outside?"

Nathan shot him an icy look.

Liam immediately shut his mouth.

I held out my hand.

"Fifteen dollars."

Nathan paused.

"Actually, forget it. I'll give you twenty percent off. Twelve."

Nathan was silent for several seconds.

Then he quietly pulled out his phone and paid.

By the time I finished working and turned around, I found him squatting on the curb beside Caleb, eating from a disposable paper plate.

I couldn't help laughing.

Nathan looked up at me, his expression tightening slightly.

Sunlight fell into his deep-set eyes, softening some of their usual chill.

He set down the empty plate.

"What time are you opening tomorrow?"