When Pride Burns (part2)

"Was what I said really that funny?"

It was a straightforward question, but Leonid's cold tone carried a hint of resentment.

"Um... I apologize for laughing."

"You should, because I was serious about what I said."

"You're actually serious?"

For a moment, Charlotte stopped and thought. Was she really going to be his test subject for every dish he cooked?

Leonid shrugged, then stood up and gathered the dishes, heading toward the sink. He wanted to finish the task quickly and get rid of the evidence to keep his record as a proud chef clean… despite his wounded pride.

"Let me do the dishes!"

Behind him, Charlotte stopped him and then stepped in front, grabbing the soap and sponge before starting to wash.

Leonid remained motionless behind her, watching her back and the strands of her chestnut hair swaying with her movements. Then, as if it were the most natural thing in the world, he leaned toward her.

He wrapped his arms around her waist and rested his head on hers. Charlotte felt his breath but tried to ignore it as much as possible and continued working.

After a quick glance, she noticed that Leonid had already washed all the utensils he used while cooking his knife, the cutting board, and several spoons.

After a few moments of silence, Charlotte decided to break the situation.

"You know, I thought you were a professional chef."

She said as she rinsed the soap off the dishes. Leonid sighed and shifted his head to rest his chin on top of hers, watching her hands work.

Her slender fingers were much smaller than his.

"I won't lie to you."

He spoke in a low voice, pressing his chin slightly against her head every time he talked.

"I thought so too, but the harsh reality wounded my pride."

He let out a deep sigh, trying to shake off his disappointment. Charlotte hadn't expected to see Leonid this frustrated over something like this.

Was he the type to be affected by failure from the very first try?

She wondered silently, then turned off the faucet after finishing the pan. Fortunately, it wasn't too badly burned.

"Honestly… from my perspective, your cooking looks great. You just made a couple of mistakes."

"Even so, a mistake is still a mistake. And I'm disappointed."

Leonid buried his face in her hair, then tilted his head slightly to rest it on her shoulder.

After a moment, he groaned tiredly.

"Still… I can't believe I used sugar instead of salt… That's so embarrassing."

Charlotte felt warmth creeping up her cheeks and neck. Leonid was so close, acting so naturally.

She regained her composure with difficulty before admitting.

"I guess I'm to blame for that. I keep salt and sugar in similar containers."

"Then it's entirely your fault."

Charlotte raised an eyebrow, staring at Leonid after his immediate and unwavering response.

She dried her hands, resisting the urge to smear his face with her wet palms.

"Listen, maybe I'm responsible for you mixing up the salt and sugar, but your food burning? That's entirely on you!"

Hearing Charlotte's serious tone, Leonid lifted his head and observed her annoyed expression. His eyes narrowed slightly before he raised an eyebrow in amusement.

"Are you arguing with me? Is this what they call a lovers' quarrel?"

"A lovers'… what?!"

Leonid skillfully dismantled Charlotte's irritation. His choice of words always made her back down easily.

Of course, he didn't intend to make her withdraw. On the contrary, he always liked her rebellious, stubborn spirit.

"Yes, that silly argument couples have. You know, my darling, I would never think of arguing with you, but I heard from a friend of a friend of a friend that quarrels strengthen relationships."

"A friend… of a friend… of your friend?"

Charlotte's mind spun, while Leonid simply nodded, smirking.

"I'm joking."

Of course, he wasn't that ridiculous.

"But I'm serious about not arguing with you… under certain conditions."

He said in a playful, low voice. Then, without warning, he lifted her effortlessly into his arms and leaned his back against the kitchen table.

Charlotte's eyes widened, and her heart pounded wildly. She only realized what was happening when she felt her dress rise slightly with the movement, her upper body pressing against him.

Instinctively, she clung to his shirt perhaps a bit too forcefully until finally, the buttons popped open, revealing his toned chest.

"Eh?"

"Hmm?"

Unlike Charlotte, whose face turned crimson with embarrassment, Leonid remained completely calm. He glanced at his unbuttoned shirt with mild curiosity, then raised his gaze back to her.

When their eyes met, Charlotte felt her face grow even hotter, so she immediately looked away.

Leonid didn't say anything at first, just watching her in silence before finally smirking mischievously.

"Oh my, my darling… do you desire me that much?"

"Huh?! What are you saying?!"

Leonid couldn't hold back his laughter at Charlotte's flustered and indignant reaction. He raised a hand and gently patted her back before smiling.

"Nothing, nothing. Forget it, I was just joking."

After saying that, he gently lowered her onto her feet, but he didn't stop staring at her.

As soon as her feet touched the ground, Charlotte hurried to adjust her dress, then glanced around before speaking in a low voice.

"I'm going to change my clothes."

"Alright, go ahead. I'll wait in the living room."

Without another word, Charlotte turned quickly and fled to the bedroom, shutting the door firmly behind her.

Leonid shook his head and chuckled silently before raising his hands to rebutton his shirt, which Charlotte had unintentionally undone.

A few meters away, Alia sat engrossed in examining records, searching among tenant photos for anyone with black hair and green eyes.

She was meticulous in her work, unfazed by Dmitri's endless sighs since yesterday.

After some time, she finally found three people. Although their eye colors varied slightly, they still fit the required description. She quickly uploaded their data and sent it to Leonid's phone.

Finally!

She sighed in relief and relaxed into her chair, leaving the rest of the task in his hands.

In the living room, Leonid sat on the couch, checking his phone after receiving the tenant data from Alia.

A quick glance confirmed that the man from the elevator incident wasn't among the three.

This led Leonid to two conclusions: either the man had moved into the building recently, or his data wasn't available.

In other words, his records were confidential.

Leonid shut his phone and leaned his head against the couch, staring at the ceiling. He was just beginning to relax when he heard soft footsteps. Turning his head, he saw Charlotte wearing pajamas that could only be described as modest.

Long sleeves, a high collar covering her neck, and loose, floor length pants that barely revealed her feet.

The kind of outfit that suited someone like Leonid.

That's what Charlotte had thought as she stood before her wardrobe, choosing these pajamas that covered every inch of her skin before stepping into the living room.

This way, even if he carried her again like before, he wouldn't accidentally touch her bare skin. Nor could he repeat his attempts at warming her.

That gesture…

Charlotte's cheeks burned as she recalled Leonid's hands warming her thighs in front of the jewelry store.

She moved and sat on the couch next to Leonid, pulling her knees up.

Leonid, watching her, spoke.

"What's going on? Why are you sitting over there?"

"It's quieter here."

She replied softly, trying to hide her embarrassment.

Leonid raised an eyebrow, his gaze flashing with curiosity.

"Are you saying sitting near me would be disturbing?"

Charlotte furrowed her brows but didn't look at him. Instead, she responded quickly, trying to end the conversation.

"When did I say that? You're falsely accusing me now."

"Maybe you didn't say it, but your eyes say otherwise, my darling."

Leonid smirked playfully.

"That's also a false accusation!"

Charlotte crossed her arms in front of her chest and looked away. Her full lips formed a small pout, trying to show a fake irritation.

"You should stop pouting like that, or your lips will fall off."

Leonid said, his tone a mix of jest and seriousness.

"Really?!"

Charlotte's eyes widened in surprise, then she quickly pulled out her phone and started searching on the browser, as if fearing the truth of his words.

What if her lips really did fall off? Charlotte thought as she hurriedly searched on the search engine.

"What are you looking for?"

Leonid asked as he stood up from the couch and walked toward her.

"Nothing important."

Charlotte quickly replied.

But Leonid wasn't going to let her off so easily. He sat beside her on the couch and smiled, saying.

"I just want to know why you're acting like this."

Charlotte tried to maintain some distance between them, but Leonid's gaze pierced into her eyes.

"I'm just searching the browser..."

"For what?"

Leonid didn't stop moving closer, narrowing the distance between them until his breath almost brushed against her skin.

Charlotte's cheeks flushed even more as she lowered her gaze, barely daring to part her lips before whispering in a soft voice.

"I'm just checking... if your words about my lips are true."