Once they stepped inside, the butler took Jared's coat and said, "Jared, Ms. Pritchard, Tim, and Alyssa are all waiting for you in the dining room."
"Where's Ryder?" Jared asked.
"The young master just got home and should be in the dining room as well," the butler replied.
Jared nodded in response, and then headed upstairs toward the dining room.
Agnes was silent, carrying a cake and trailing behind Jared.
She had forgotten about the lily flowers gifted by the cake shop owner and didn't bring them inside.
Alyssa lit up when she saw Jared, gently touched his face, and said with a frown, "Jared, why did you lose so much weight?"
"I didn't lose weight, just been out of town on a business trip," Jared replied.
Alyssa stared at him for a moment before saying, "You definitely lost weight. You've always been a picky eater, you surely didn't eat well while out. Next time, I'll send our chef with you, so I won't have to worry."
Jared responded with a helpless smile, "I was on a business trip, not a vacation."
Then he changed the subject, asking, "What did you make for dinner today?"
"I made fish and chips, roast chicken, grilled lobster, and spaghetti bolognese, all your favorites," Alyssa replied with a smile.
The Whitfield family actually had a dedicated chef who would prepare a variety of dishes, mostly high-end seafood and imported ingredients.
But these home-style dishes were rare treats.
Alyssa turned to Agnes and said, "Jared once had spaghetti bolognese at a restaurant in another city and has been craving it ever since. I hired many chefs to make it, but he always said it wasn't the real spaghetti bolognese, just regular noodles. I had no choice but to go to that city and learn how to cook it myself. Jared is really picky."
Agnes laughed and said, "You're really good to Jared."
Alyssa looked at Jared with a loving smile, "Of course, he's my beloved little brother."
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