Sophia served some lobster onto Natalie’s plate.
“Thank you, Aunt Sophia.You should eat too.”
Natalie dished out some food for Sophia as well and then glanced at Frank and Elizabeth.
Elizabeth was very quiet, and Frank hadn’t eaten much.He fastidiously removed the fish bones for Elizabeth and shelled the shrimp for Sophia.
Natalie was amazed by Frank’s thoughtfulness.
When she first met him, he had seemed cold and difficult to get along with.His love for Elizabeth revealed a much more gentle and generous side to him.
“Aunt Sophia, I have peeled some shrimp for you.”
Frank placed a plate of shrimp in front of Sophia, and then he went to the kitchen to get the vinegar.
“It tastes even better with vinegar.”
“You peel shrimp with your surgeon’s hands?”
Although Sophia teased him, her smile revealed how happy she really was.
“You must have been here a lot of times.You seem very familiar with where things are kept,” Natalie said, chuckling.
Frank blushed, and a haze of shyness softened his eyes.
He sat beside Elizabeth and said, “Not that many times actually.”
Elizabeth burst into laughter.
He resembled an awkward teenager.She pinched his red ear and looked at Natalie.
“We’ve been training him up.Let me tell you, Frank didn’t even know how to cut meat when he first came here.He doesn’t do housework at home.That first dinner here, my aunt had bought some pork back.She asked Frank to help her cut it into pieces, and he dropped the meat on the floor.His expression back then was hilarious.”
“I can help now.I’ve made a lot of progress,” Frank said, nudging her shoulder.
Chuckling, Elizabeth squeezed his cheek.
“We must be excellent teachers, because you are highly skilled now.” Sophia laughed.
“I can testify that it was Elizabeth who taught him.Before he met my niece, Frank could use a scalpel, but not a kitchen knife.I didn’t think he would become a skilled cook in this lifetime.”
The room filled with laughter.It felt good to Natalie to be around such simple joy.
Natalie’s lips curved into a smile.
Elizabeth had met someone who adored her.
Believing the three women were making fun of him, Frank said, “I had no opportunities to learn how to cook.Among my friends, Brandon’s the only one who can cook, but he’s always busy with work.He never had time to teach me.How is his cooking now?”
He looked at Natalie and asked, “Is he a good cook? Can he really cook as well as he claims? Or was he simply bluffing in front of friends?”
Natalie’s expression froze and she didn’t reply.
Elizabeth tried to ease the tension.
“You know Brandon is a busy man.He won’t cook often.It isn’t polite to ask his wife such a question.”
“It’s well-known that Brandon loves his wife very much.I would hope he cooks for her,” Frank said softly.
The three of them then studied Natalie, who kept her eyes on her plate.
“Let’s just eat.Don’t mention him.”
Elizabeth kicked Frank under the table.
It occurred to Frank that Brandon and Natalie were still fighting.
He stopped talking and concentrated on his food.
When he raised his head, he saw acute loneliness and anger in Natalie’s gaze.He coughed nervously.
“Eat slowly,” Sophia said, passing him a glass of water.
When dinner ended, Frank and Elizabeth cleared the table.
Natalie and Sophia were watching TV in the living room as if nothing had happened.
“Feel free to join them,” Frank offered.
“I can wash the dishes.”
Frank took the dishes from her hands and ki*sed her cheek.
Elizabeth smiled, squeezed his shoulder, and ki*sed him back.
“Thank you.”
Frank took the dishes and cutlery into the kitchen, smiling happily.
After putting them into the sink, he took out his phone.
“who are you texting?” Natalie asked, leaning against the door frame.
“Aren’t you planning to talk with Elizabeth and Aunt Sophia?”
Frank nonchalantly returned the phone to his pocket, rolled up his sleeves, and switched on the tap to wash the dishes as though nothing had transpired.
Frank acted like he didn’t hear what Natalie had asked earlier.
Natalie leaned against the door frame with a frigid stare.
After a short while, she said, “I know you deliberately mentioned Brandon’s name.If you want to send a message to him, I won’t stop you.However, I will leave later and relocate somewhere Brandon will never trace me.”
Frank applied pressure to the detergent bottle, dispensing its contents onto the dishcloth.He then proceeded to rub the oil stains on the plate with the cloth.
Upon hearing Natalie’s words, he lifted his head to gaze at her, who appeared cold and not as amiable as she typically did.
Frank spoke in a resigned tone.
“Please try to calm down, Natalie.Can’t you just talk to Brandon? Why do you feel the need to flee your house?”
“I’m perfectly calm now,” Natalie said with a forced smile.
“You’d best not interfere with my dispute with Brandon since you’re an outsider.Or do you just enjoy messing about and interfering in other people’s affairs?”
“What are you trying to say?”
Feeling unhappy, Frank placed the dish he was holding down.He found it hard to tolerate Natalie’s sarcasm, although she was Brandon’s spouse.
Had it not been for Elizabeth, Natalie would not have initiated a conversation with Frank.
“You are an exceptional doctor, but you withheld your patient’s condition from their family.”
Frank was at a loss for words and wiped the sweat from his forehead before responding, “So, this is what caused the argument between you two? I admit I was in the wrong.You see.As a doctor, I must abide by the patient’s wishes when disclosing their medical condition to their family.”
Furthermore, Brandon didn’t inform Natalie about his condition because he didn’t want her to worry.However, Frank refrained from vocalizing this thought.
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Natalie sneered and remarked, “That’s all I had to say.You may text or call him if you wish.”
Natalie turned around and departed.She could not trust Frank because he was a close friend of Brandon’s and he would definitely take Brandon’s side.
“You do not have to leave.I won’t disclose your whereabouts to Brandon, but I’m sure he already knows.Even if you’ll leave here, Brandon will still find out where you are.”
Frank turned serious as he took back his smile and stared expressionlessly at Natalie.
“I noticed someone tailing us outside of W Marks earlier.Although those people were discreet, I think you also noticed them.”
Natalie confirmed that she had indeed noticed the people tailing them.
“If you intend to leave, you must first get rid of the bodyguards downstairs.I don’t want to be accused of tipping Brandon off when he found you through them,” Frank said with bean a slight smirk on his face.
Frank had observed that Natalie did not take any steps to prevent Brandon’s men from tailing her.
So Frank suspected that Natalie actually did not want Brandon to be overly concerned about her safety.
Observing the faint smile on Frank’s face, Natalie was at a loss for words and uncertain about how to respond.
“What do you mean?”
Elizabeth walked in and directed the question at Frank.
Upon hearing Elizabeth’s words, Frank averted his gaze.
Elizabeth gave him a disapproving look and said, “Aunt Sophia and I overheard your conversation outside.You should just wash the dishes now, or we will make you leave.”
“I’m completely innocent.I kept my mouth shut.”
With his head down, Frank began washing the dishes, skillfully wiping them dry and placing them in the cabinet.
“Natalie, Aunt Sophia wants you to watch TV with her.She requested that I come to get you.”
Elizabeth led Natalie to the living room.
Frank finished washing the dishes and cleaning the table before leaving the kitchen.
“Thank you, Dr.Watson.”
Elizabeth picked up Frank’s coat from the sofa and gestured for him to leave.
Frank sighed and glanced toward the living room, where Sophia and Natalie laughed while talking.
As he donned his coat and prepared to depart, he grumbled, “I’m nothing more than your assistant.”
“Wait a minute! I have something for you.”