Chapter 166: Chapter 166: Breakfast Next Door

Chapter 166: Breakfast Next Door

Naomi understood completely.

Dealing normally with Serena Blackwood and Liora Voss was tiring enough. Elias was not just dealing with them. He was stepping on two boats at once.

No.

Counting Giselle, maybe three?

Who knew how much energy that took? Of course he was tired.

"Come with me."

Naomi led Elias into the private club.

He turned his head and gave her a sideways look. "I said I’m not playing."

Naomi looked helpless. "I’m not making you play. Didn’t you say you wanted to sleep?"

"Don’t tell me you live here."

Naomi shook her head. "How could I live here? The club connects to the residential tower. This way is faster."

Elias understood soon enough.

After they passed through a long corridor, the noise and glare of the private club were thrown behind them all at once. It was almost like stepping out of a feverish, neon-lit world and into another one entirely, still, clean, and insulated from the night.

"So?" Naomi lifted a brow, looking faintly pleased with herself.

Elias rolled his eyes at her immediately.

She wanted credit for this, too?

"Where do you live?"

He yawned again as he spoke.

That one was not fake. He really was tired.

Naomi brought him to a door, opened it, turned on the lights, and walked in with him behind her.

Elias glanced around the living room.

The place was nice. In terms of quality, it was not that much worse than the Blackwood residence.

He turned to look at Naomi.

She understood at once and lifted a hand to point. "Room on the right. Mine is on the left. Don’t walk into the wrong one. Of course, I also wouldn’t mind..."

Elias was too tired to joke with her.

He had already walked into the bedroom on the right.

A light "good night" drifted out.

Then the door shut.

A second later, the lock clicked, as if he were afraid Naomi might sneak in and do something to him.

Naomi froze for a second.

Then she laughed again.

That natural, relaxed attitude did not look like someone who had come to a woman’s home in the middle of the night. It looked more like he had returned to his own place.

This man really was interesting.

Elias slept well.

When he opened the bedroom door the next morning, he smelled breakfast coming from the living room.

He walked out in yesterday’s clothes and saw Naomi sitting at the table. She was eating breakfast, and it looked surprisingly abundant.

Seeing him come out, Naomi smiled at him.

"You’re awake?"

Elias nodded slightly.

Then he turned his head to find the kitchen and looked inside, as if searching for something.

Naomi looked confused. "What are you looking for?"

"The chef," Elias said calmly.

Naomi froze.

Then she slapped the table and stood up. "What is that supposed to mean? You thought someone else made this?"

Elias frowned faintly. "Didn’t they?"

"Of course not." Naomi gave a soft huff. "I’m a food master. Why would I need to hire a chef?"

As she spoke, she studied Elias’s face, clearly wanting to see surprise there.

But Elias only looked calm.

He nodded slightly to show he understood, then walked straight to the dining table, pulled out a chair, and sat down.

"In that case, Chef Naomi, where’s my breakfast?"

Naomi stared at his righteous, as-if-this-were-only-natural expression.

Her mouth parted.

After a while, she lowered her head like she had accepted her fate and turned toward the kitchen.

"Fine. I’ll make yours. Why didn’t you say something earlier? I already put everything away."

Elias said, "I didn’t know you could cook breakfast. And you didn’t wake me up. If I were you and there was another person staying over, I would make two portions."

In the kitchen, Naomi listened to that and somehow felt there was logic in it.

Then she shook her head and laughed. "Do you know you’re the first man who’s ever ordered me around like this?"

Elias stayed perfectly calm. "What? Your father never told you what to do?"

Naomi went silent.

"Fine. The first man my age."

Elias did not comment.

With Naomi’s identity and background, most men would be too busy throwing themselves at her feet. Who would dare command her?

As for him, Naomi was the one who came over looking for drama. He was only asking her to make him breakfast. What was wrong with that?

Elias said leisurely, "It’s your honor."

"Hah. You really are..."

Naomi’s laughter drifted out from the kitchen.

Elias was a little speechless.

The women connected to capture targets in every world always seemed to carry at least a little dog-blood melodrama in their bones.

Take Naomi right now.

Wasn’t she like the kind of female lead who found the male lead interesting no matter what he did? Even if he spat in her direction, she would probably think he was brave, then say something like, Man, you’ve caught my attention.

Fortunately, Naomi only had a mild case.

If it were serious, Elias would never bother dealing with her.

Before long, Naomi’s breakfast was done.

Elias took one look. It looked good. He actually had an appetite.

At last, he was willing to give her a small smile and a little praise.

"Impressive."

Naomi gave a low laugh and sat back down. "Of course."

Elias headed toward the bathroom. "I’m going to wash my hands."

Naomi smiled for a while.

Then she looked down at the breakfast in front of her, half eaten and already cold, and suddenly came back to herself.

What was she so happy about?

She had done the work. She had made the effort. She got one little compliment and was already pleased?

What kind of desperate simp behavior was this?

That said, Naomi was not actually that sensitive.

She only felt Elias really was unusual. He seemed to carry some special quality. No matter the reason, whether someone wanted to watch the drama or play around for fun, he could still make women become fascinated with him, willingly do things for him, and somehow feel there was nothing wrong with it.

Hadn’t what she did just now looked a little like that?

Naomi smiled and shook her head.

Whatever.

She had already seen Elias’s real face. She would never end up like Giselle, losing her mind over him.

Just then, a knock came at the door.

Naomi paused, then stood and walked over.

"Who is it?"

Elias shook water from his wet hands.

He was about to go to the living room for a paper towel when he noticed Naomi was no longer at the table. She was by the door, and faint conversation drifted in from there.

Elias had no habit of eavesdropping.

He had no intention of walking closer.

He only prepared to start enjoying his breakfast.

Then he heard one sentence.

"Dr. Quinn, I’m so sorry. I’ll have someone take care of it right away..."

Elias stopped moving.

His expression turned strange.

Surely, possibly, probably, maybe...

It could not be that much of a coincidence, right?

There were plenty of people with the last name Quinn.

No, wait.

Maybe not plenty, but definitely not few.

And doctors named Quinn should also...

[System Theta: Host, it really is Yvonne Quinn!]

Elias immediately turned to head back to the bedroom.

If Yvonne discovered he had spent the night at Naomi’s place, then the bright, sunny college-boy image he had built would truly collapse.

"Elias!" Naomi called from the door. "Go ahead and eat. Don’t worry about me. I need to handle something."

Naomi.

Fucking.

Vale.