Melody had saved her from embarrassment, but Thalia did not appreciate it at all and even resented Melody a little. Had Melody not intervened, she could have positioned herself beside Lucas. At least Beatrice might not have regarded her with such impertinence. However, Melody''s sentence seemed to have all but sealed Thalia''s fate as a mere outsider.
Thalia pretended toply and washed her hands before standing to one side to observe them. She wanted to stand next to Lucas, but that spot had been upied by Melody. Consequently, Thalia found herself standing at a distance and had to crane her neck to observe.
"Wow, you''re good at this, Lucas! They''re looking much nicer than before!" Thaliaplimented in a soft tone, which drew a curious expression from Melody. Though her intention was not specifically to target Thalia, she simply could not fathom why someone so beautiful would feelpelled to be so pretentious in both words and actions.
Lucas smiled and nced at Melody.
Melody was not one tovish ttery on others and swiftly redirected her focus. "Hurry up! We have a lot more to do. Look at how fast Grandpa and Grandma are making them."
Beatrice smiled when she heard Melody urging Lucas in that manner.N?velD(ram)a.?rg owns this content.
Thalia was stunned by that, wondering if Melody had somehow put a spell on the old woman. It seemed out of line for Melody to order the Riveras'' eldest grandson around, but Beatrice was of the opinion that the both of them should live a life with a bit of jesting and teasing here and there.
Despite their different identities—one an actor and the other the president of a listedpany-they ultimately should live like ordinary people. Having been with Lucas since childhood, Beatrice and Cedric always hoped that he could start a lively family of his own instead of being all alone.
With Melody''s presence, their hopes that he could have a fun-filled life full of vitality seemed to be within reach, a fact not lost on Beatrice.
Naturally, Beatrice was incredibly happy with that. The process of wrapping all the little tortellini took nearly two hours, but the time it took to cook and serve them took only about 20 minutes.
"We can keep the extras in the freezer so you two can cook whenever you want," Beatrice advised. They specifically made a huge batch for that purpose, as she wanted Melody to enjoy them whenever she wanted even though Lucas might not be avable all the time.
That pragmatic suggestion irked Thalia, who thought that Melody should just buy some ready-made frozen ones or order takeout if she craved it rather than putting so much of the burden on Lucas.
"You just recovered, so I''ll have Lte prepare some nourishing food once you''ve been properly discharged," Beatrice assured Melody, treating her like a granddaughter.
Thalia''s envy was ignited. She knew that Cedric and Beatrice''s approval was crucial if she wanted to be with Lucas, and they were also formidable obstacles that stood in her way.
As Lucas observed Melody savoring the tortellini he made, a genuine smile appeared on his lips. That meal marked the best yet that she had in many days.
"Can I cook some more for you tomorrow?" Lucas inquired.
Melody shook her head cautiously, "No, I just want to enjoy them tonight. Eating this every day is going to get boring super quickly! We''ll eat this once in a while!"
"Alright, let''s decide tomorrow''s meals when tomorrowes," Lucas agreed.
Melody added, "I might even be discharged tomorrow."
"You''re right," Lucas acknowledged.
Satisfied with the meal, Beatrice packed plenty of fruits before they left.
Although Melody had already intended to return from the hospital the next day, they graciously epted the old couple''s insistent gesture. Except for the unexpected encounter with Thalia, the rest of the day could not have unfolded any better.