The Unwilling CEO's Love Game novel Chapter 246

The maid had finished preparing dinner and had even simmered a rich, nourishing chicken soup.

Yasmine approached the sofa where Zachary lay sprawled out, seemingly asleep, and looked down at him from her lofty vantage.

She prodded his shoulder gently, "Time to wake up."

Zachary's eyes fluttered open and upon seeing her, he croaked, "Hey, babe."

His voice was hoarse with fatigue, and there was a touch of lazy charm to it.

At his endearment, Yasmine bristled, "Who's your babe? Stop with the pet names and get up. Dinner's ready. Eat and leave."

Zachary, startled by her sharp tone, eventually got to his feet, all too accustomed to her outbursts.

No sooner had he risen than his phone began to ring.

He answered the call without stepping away from Yasmine.

"Hello?"

"Zachary, where are you? Dinner's ready. When are you coming back?" The voice on the other end was Delphine, laced with concern.

The manor was vast and quiet, allowing Delphine's words to clearly reach Yasmine's ears.

Yasmine pulled out a chair and sat down, ladling herself some soup and starting to eat without waiting for Zachary.

Zachary switched to speakerphone and sat next to Yasmine, passing her the bowl as if to ask her to serve him some soup.

Yasmine glared at him.

He quickly retracted his hand and served himself.

"Eat up yourself," he said, sipping his soup and watching her face for signs of irritation.

Yasmine was enjoying her meal too much to pay him any mind.

"Aren't you coming home?" Delphine's voice carried a note of disappointment, "You need to take your medication, remember?"

"I'll have someone pick it up in a bit," Zachary replied, as he attempted to put some vegetables on Yasmine's plate, only to be met with another glare. He quietly moved the veggies back to his side of the table.

"Where are you, Zachary?" Delphine pressed on, not quite ready to let go.

Zachary, free from any hint of impatience, answered, "At home."

"Home?" Delphine paused for a moment, "You mean at Yasmine's?"

Yasmine raised an eyebrow; this girl sure knew how to address people.

Zachary didn't bother to hide the truth, "Yeah."

Yasmine was inwardly shaking her head at Zachary's apparent heartlessness. The poor girl was waiting for him, and there he was, indifferent, twisting the knife deeper.

Truly despicable.

"Alright then," Delphine conceded with maturity, dropping the subject.

"Yeah, have a good night," Zachary added before hanging up.

After the call, Yasmine looked at Zachary with a mocking gaze he was all too familiar with.

"Why is it that you seem to become more of a jerk with age?" Yasmine couldn't help but probe into his emotional journey, "How can you stand to leave that girl alone at home, pining away?"

Zachary placed a piece of roast chicken in her bowl, "Well, I can't very well leave you to pine away alone, can I?"

"Thanks a lot," Yasmine sneered, biting into the chicken before wiping her mouth with a napkin and pushing her chair back, "Enjoy your meal."

"I'm staying over tonight," Zachary called after her retreating form.

Yasmine replied nonchalantly as she continued her nightly routine, "If you want to stay, it's not like I can kick you out."

Seeing her relent even slightly, Zachary's mood improved, and he grinned, "Thanks, babe."

"I’m your ex-wife!" Yasmine corrected him sharply.

Zachary wasn't interested in correcting himself.

He continued to enjoy his meal leisurely.

After dinner, Zachary lounged in the living room for a while until his medication was delivered. After taking his medicine, he headed upstairs.

Reaching the master bedroom, he found the door locked from the inside.

"Yasmine, open up," he called, knocking on the door.

Inside, Yasmine was applying her night cream and ignored the persistent knocking.

The man outside was patient, his knocks gentle.