"Alright, then I’ll trouble the two of you." If only Gloria went to the kitchen to cook, it would hurt her pride, because everyone present was aware of her feelings for Julian Sterling. Now, on Julian’s birthday, she ended up as the cook while Julian was with his woman, chatting and laughing, which seemed disrespectful to Gloria. So Jude Shaw, being tactful, added that he and Eleanor Hollis would help out. Gloria felt somewhat relieved, gratefully looking at Jude. Julian initially wanted to refuse. Having Gloria cook on his birthday just sounded wrong, but when he saw Jude and Eleanor stand up, he slowly closed his mouth. Yvette Jacobs, sitting next to Julian, nearly ground her teeth to dust. This was supposed to be her opportunity to shine, but she had deliberately cut herself earlier, giving this prime chance to Gloria. She gripped Julian’s hand tighter, her eyes bloodshot. Julian’s friends did not regard her at all, giving Gloria all the opportunities. Their actions felt like slaps to her face, one after another. No woman could endure this. The force of her grip accidentally scratched Julian’s hand, leaving a trail of blood. Yet Julian simply furrowed his brow slightly, showing no intention of blaming her. Two hours later, the trio, busy in the kitchen, finally stopped, and the room was filled with an enticing aroma. Jude and Eleanor diligently served all the dishes on the table. Their presentation and aroma were so appetizing that everyone really felt hungry. Seeing so many good dishes, Yvette’s fingers curled up, her palms marked with blood from her own nails digging into them. Check latest chapters at 𝓷𝓸𝓿𝓮𝓵•𝑓𝑖𝑟𝑒•𝙣𝙚𝙩 Steamed crabs, spicy crawfish, boiled fish slices... All the dishes looked delicious, and everyone sat around the dining table. "Gloria, I didn’t expect you to be such a great cook." "Gloria, anyone who marries you in the future will be really lucky." Jude and Evan Yancy both generously praised her, their remarks were stabbing at Yvette. Compared to her refusal to cook because of a minor finger injury, Gloria was clearly more well-liked by everyone. Gloria’s face reddened with shyness. She hadn’t expected things to go so smoothly. Julian picked up a piece of fish, tasted it, and nodded in admiration. "The cooking is indeed excellent. Gloria, I’ve been around you for so long, and I never realized you were such a skilled cook." Yvette, who was supposed to be the star, was completely forgotten, as everyone complimented Gloria’s cooking. Yvette’s expression grew darker, yet she knew she had no right to be angry with these people. Each of them had high statuses; they could crush her as easily as an ant. If it weren’t for Julian, she wouldn’t even have the chance to meet them. Eleanor had been observing Yvette and noticed the increasing hostility on her face, a smile tugging at her lips. Throughout the meal, everyone praised Gloria while Yvette couldn’t get a word in. When it ended, they ate cake. The cake was made by Yvette herself, yet compared to Gloria’s cooking, it was plain and ordinary. Plus, after such a good meal, everyone had eaten so much already that they couldn’t stomach the oily cake; everyone just had a token spoonful before setting it down. Gazing stiffly at the untouched cake, her expression grew increasingly grim. The humiliation she faced tonight was too much! She silently fumed, her eyes reddening. In this room, she felt like an outcast, no matter how hard she tried to fit in, she couldn’t. After the gathering, everyone parted ways in front of the apartment. Eleanor intended to take Gloria home, but Jude volunteered to do it. Once in the car, Gloria fidgeted her fingers on her lap, awkwardly speaking up. "Thank you really. Without you, I wouldn’t have known what to do." Through the rearview mirror, Jude could clearly see her expression. He did feel a bit sorry for Gloria because Julian’s nature was that once he liked someone, he wouldn’t easily change his mind. Gloria would have a hard time holding a place in his heart. "No problem, it’s only right." Jude couldn’t pinpoint his feelings; seeing her so gentle and endearing, a ridiculous thought crossed his mind. He hoped the road would stretch on forever, so they’d never have to stop. Realizing this thought, he broke out in a cold sweat, stomping on the brakes and bringing the car to a halt. Gloria jerked forward in shock. "Jude, what’s wrong?" She addressed him directly by name, still shaken. Jude gritted his teeth, pushing away those strange thoughts, and restarted the car. "Nothing, make sure you’re seated properly." Gloria sensed something odd about Jude tonight. She felt as though his gaze kept lingering on her. After getting off the car, Jude didn’t step out but slowly rolled down the window. "The dishes you made were truly delicious, head inside." Gloria looked at him questioningly, then went inside. Jude didn’t leave immediately; he took out a cigarette and slowly smoked. Why did he have such a thought earlier? He hoped the time in the car would freeze, with just him and Gloria; just the two of them would be enough. This thought was so bold that he didn’t even understand what it meant. Did he like Gloria? Yes, he did. But this liking was the kind felt for a friend; he had never liked a girl before and thus didn’t understand this feeling. He turned to look at the backseat and found Gloria’s bag still there, quickly calling her up. "You left your bag in my car, come down and get it." Gloria had already removed her makeup by then, but upon hearing this, she quickly washed her face, pinned her hair up with a rabbit headband, put on slippers, and ran downstairs. Jude stood outside the car holding her bag, noticing her rabbit headband and the cartoon slippers on her feet. His lips curved; she really was an adorable woman. "Sorry, I forgot earlier, thank you. Did you stay here on purpose?" It had been a while since she got off the car. Did he really wait here the whole time? Jude handed the bag to her, unable to resist raising a hand to touch the soft bunny ears. "I’ve been here the whole time." Gloria’s heart skipped a beat, her face flushed; his words were quite misleading. She remembered Jude had never dated before and felt relieved, thinking maybe he didn’t mean it that way. "Gloria, can I kiss you?"