Chapter 48: Chapter 48

"Do I have a reason to be?" Her husband's scowl grew bigger, looking more puzzled than before.

She could not read much from his expression. He did not seem mad, but that remained questionable once she told him what she had done.

"It depends on how you would react." Jules felt like she was walking on eggshells as she tried to tread lightly, afraid she might have overstepped her boundaries.

In her defense, she thought it was a great idea during that time. But now, looking at her husband, her confidence seemed to waver.

She had no idea what made her come up with such a decision. Maybe it was her lack of sleep or the events of last night. Or, she just probably needed some peace after her nerve-racking experience.

"I guess it will also depend on what you tell me," Damon answered as he sipped his hot coffee, still lacking the emotion she expected from him.

Jules turned to fix him a plate of her version of a Spanish omelet she had cooked for breakfast and some fresh bread she had baked straight from the oven.

Then, she quickly placed it before him, hoping a peace offering might help her with her situation. The last thing she wanted was an argument with him.

"Well, I ask the household staff to take a break today." She reluctantly informed her husband of her decision to meddle with the household affairs.

When she woke up that morning, she found the uniformed staff going around doing their morning routines.

But she remembered that it was already very late when they finished cleaning up all the nooks and crannies of this massive place.

She believed it was not right that they should still be working without rest. Therefore, she decided the employees of this household should all take a break, even for a day, to relax and enjoy.

"You what?" He narrowed his eyes on her as if he could not believe what she said. He more or less looked dumbfounded as he stared at her.

Suddenly, she could not help but doubt her decision. She could not decide whether to be mad at herself for such a damn stupid move or admire her bold decision.

"I let them take a day off, just for today. After all, they had been working all day and the entire night to clean up after the party. They deserve a day of rest." She felt her action was still justified.

Although she knew the staff was not her concern, she still needed to advocate for their rights. She guessed that was part of her job, at least her old one.

"You mean to say you let the entire staff take the day off all at once." Damon slightly raised his voice, sounding astounded upon hearing what she did.

Somehow, hearing his statement, she also saw his point of view. She would admit her action was highly unusual. And she had decided in haste, but still, she knew she had carefully considered the implications.

"Well, yeah..." Then she stopped as if remembering something. "Except for Philip. He is outside. I could not convince him to go out and have fun."

She tried, but the older gentleman was adamant about staying. He was now overseeing the work of the gardeners outside.

"Why would you do that? What about the house, the kitchen? Who is going to cook and clean?" Damon flooded her with questions about his concern about the daily domestic chores.

She could not help but smile at how he seemed to fuss about such mundane things. It was refreshing to see him out of his comfort zone.

"I am sure the house will still be clean upon their return. And besides, I know how to cook for three to ten people." She confidently told him.

She had met a few Michelin chefs who taught her a few tricks from the previous hotel she worked for. She was confident she could cook more than a decent dish.

Oliver had always enjoyed his meals, as far as she knew. At least, that was her benchmark. As long as her son loved it, it must be good.

"Besides, I have everything I need in this kitchen." Truthfully, she had never seen this much food unless in a hotel setting. She believed his pantry had enough stocks to feed an army for a month or even more.

"But..." He was about to protest, but she beat him to it. She guessed she did not want him to worry that his house would burn to the ground under her supervision.

"Don't worry. Trust me. I have this covered." Although she doubted that trust was the word he would use on her. But did he have a choice?

"Ok. Are you sure you are up to this challenge?" Her husband still looked slightly skeptical, but the devilish smile on his lips told her that he had turned amused by her offer.

"Why don't you just eat your breakfast." She told him as she turned to check what else she had to do for the day.

But she could not help but feel his eyes were on her every movement.

But she ignored him. At least she tried hard. She hoped he would finish eating and move on to whatever he did on weekends.

She could need some privacy and a little alone time. But that was happening soon as her husband asked her to join him.

"I already ate." She told him, not wishing to spend time with this man unless necessary.

"You don't have to eat. You can watch me eat, or we can talk. Whatever you like." He suggested as he took a bite of her omelet while pinching a piece of the bread.

She was not expecting that he would ask her for small talk. She would be honest. She felt weird, slightly taken aback by his unusual behavior.

"Come on. I am sure you have questions. And I also have mine. And I think this is the perfect time to discuss them while we are still alone." He stood up and pulled a chair for her.

Damn! He was good.

How could she say no to that?