Chapter 16

It took an hour before the food was served on the table. 

The steaming pot of boiled whole chicken and blanched vegetables was mouthwatering. It wasn't fancy, but to Elena, it looked delicious. Her stomach grumbled even louder. 

Without waiting for the man, she grabbed a bowl and filled it with the watery soup, the pleasant aroma of pandan leaves boiled in the soup enticed her. She blew the soup repeatedly until the steam faded a bit, and then she slowly took her first gulp. 

Her eyes moistened unintentionally. The warmth of the soup traced a path down her throat, bringing back old memories. She blinked and shook her head once. It was not the time to be emotional. 

She spent the whole hour watching the man cook, her eyes never left his movements, because she feared that the man would add something to the food. If she did not see him take a few spoonfuls to taste, she would not move in her seat until he took his first bite. 

On the other hand, Hunter was carefully observing the woman. He would open his lips to utter a word and start a needed conversation between them, but the woman, after tasting the food he cooked, had her eyes only on it and did not even glance at him. 

He scratched the back of his head, resigning himself. He grabbed the knife and serving spoon, cut the thigh part of the chicken, and then placed it on the side of the woman's plate. 

He did the same to himself without saying anything. Then, he started eating. 

After a moment of silence, Elena finally asked an important question, "Do you have more?"

Hunter choked on his food. He rubbed his chest as he stood, the chair scraping the floor. He took another pot to the table, with the same contents. 

Elena frowned. "If you have two pots in the beginning, why didn't you just bring each for the two of us?"

Hunter's left eye twitched. "I didn't think you could eat the whole chicken in just a few minutes. Are you that starved?"

Elena went silent. She lowered her head, her gaze briefly glancing at her stomach. No matter how much she ate, it did not bloat too much. Is the little one consuming the food directly? That would be impossible, right? 

On top of that, she was still hungry. 

"I haven't eaten since yesterday," she casually said. 

Hunter paused. He searched for the truth in the woman's eyes, and when he found it, he suddenly felt sorry. He pushed the whole pot to her. "Help yourself."

He settled on munching the blanched vegetables. 

Another moment of silence passed, and Elena lifted her head again. 

Hunter's back straightened, preparing for what was to come. He pondered if there was chicken to butcher outside, and was already thinking of what meal he would cook next. 

But then, her question shortly took him aback. "Your name is?"

"Hunter," he answered after regaining himself. 

"Pfft," Elena suppressed a laugh. She bit her lower lip and nodded her head as if that action would distract the man from finding out she almost burst into laughter after hearing his name. 

Hunter, completely aware of all this, grimaced. "And what about your name? It'd better be something good or else…"

"Elena."

Hunter froze. He shifted on his seat, sinking in his spot. Elena sounded beautiful, but he did not admit it. Instead, he stuffed his mouth with meat. 

Elena continued, "How old are you?"

Hunter swallowed the food first. "Older than you." 

"Oh, yeah. How old? I just turned twenty, two months ago."

Hunter, who was reaching the glass, halted. He gave Elena an inquisitive, accusatory gaze. "What the hell is a twenty-two-year-old lady doing in the woods?"

"None of your business," Elena spat. Hunter glared at her. She wiped her lips and added, "Twenty. Not twenty-two."

"It doesn't make it better," Hunter scowled. He drank water while his gaze was still focused on Elena. It was only normal that he would not be able to tell what was on her mind, but somehow, she could feel her animosity directed at him. 

Hunter wanted to know the reason, but Elena would certainly not let him.

He asked again, firmer and demanding this time, "What are you doing in the woods?"

Elena could tell the man would not let her go until she answered. She stared at her plate as she began telling him her story. 

"I was kicked out of the house because of a… mistake. I had nowhere to go, so I wandered in the forest. Then, I chanced upon that building in search of something to eat and drink. Then, you came."

Hunter's eyes narrowed at her. She bravely lifted her head and stared back. She did not lie, although she omitted some parts. 

Seeing the truth in Elena's eyes, Hunter sighed. He brought his plate to the kitchen and replied, "Then, once you've eaten, I'll send you back to your home. Let's go before night falls."

"Didn't you hear what I said? I was kicked out! Which home am I going to return to?! I have no family! They don't like me anymore! They… they easily shunned and chased me away, despite all the things I did for them…hic…"

Hunter was surprised at the outburst. He frantically walked up to Elena, his hands hovering in the air, unsure where to put them. 

"Okay, okay. I got it. I won't send you home to them. But there must be someone else you can turn to for help out there, yeah?"

Elena wiped her eyes with her palms while shaking her head. "No."

"No one?"

"Yes."

"Boyfriend?"

Elena hissed, her eyes blazing with fire, "No! I don't have one!"

Hunter looked up. He rubbed the back of his neck, unsure of what to do next. Judging from that reaction, he assumed the girl just broke up with her boyfriend. He pinched the bridge of his nose, thinking of how to solve this problem. 

After Elena calmed down, Hunter felt the need to address something. So, he asked away, "If I let you stay here for the night, won't you be afraid of sleeping next to a man you just met?"

Elena grabbed a tissue, blew her snot on it, and just threw it on the table. Hunter's brows knitted together. He was about to say something about that when Elena answered. 

"If I sleep with you, will you let me stay here for a few months?"