Eve and Mrs. Moore returned to the restaurant, the warm, savory aroma of fresh ramen filling the air as they moved swiftly between tables, distributing steaming bowls to everyone.
The atmosphere lightened slightly as the comforting scent wrapped around them, but Eve's heart still raced, the memory of Greg's broken figure burned into her mind.
As she carefully set a bowl in front of Richard, she caught him glancing around, his sharp gaze sweeping the room like a hawk.
"Where's Greg?" Richard asked, his voice carrying a low note of authority that made Eve flinch inside.
Thinking quickly, she forced a bright smile to her lips and answered, "Oh, Mr. Moore needed help lifting some heavy sacks of ingredients. Normally, the staff would take care of it, but since it's just family here today, Greg offered to help. Always the gentleman—even though he's a CEO of a multi-million dollar company."
She handed him a neatly wrapped pair of chopsticks, praying he would buy the lie.
