Vera Warner rushed out of the kitchen when she saw what was happening, hurriedly set down the bowl of porridge she'd just scooped, and angrily scolded, "Victor Morgan, what the hell are you doing? That's mine!"
The two kids across the table burst out laughing: "Oh wow, Mom and Dad kissed each other indirectly!"
"It's so sweet, we're being force-fed dog food at such a young age."
"Shut up!!"
The reprimands came from both of them at the same time. Vera glared at the man who was also stunned, impatiently pulling her own bowl over.
Victor Morgan was famous for his obsession with cleanliness and never liked touching other people's things. When he realized he'd just eaten half a bowl of porridge that Vera had left behind, he felt... absolutely nothing.
Everyone in the Morgan family, and at work in The Morgan Group, knew that his bowls, chopsticks – basically all his personal items – were strictly off-limits to others.
Otherwise, the consequences were dire.
But now he'd just eaten someone else's leftovers, and instead of being disgusted, he felt a bit secretly pleased.
Except he hadn't even had time to enjoy it, because he saw Vera shoot him a look of disdain, pick up her bowl and utensils and carry them back to the kitchen, muttering unhappily.
"You're not a child, how can you not even check what you're eating first?"
Victor Morgan, sitting at the dining table, had never felt so frustrated. He hadn't even had time to criticize her, and yet she'd already turned up her nose at him. The emotional complexity was obvious.
What pissed him off the most was that he hadn't been disgusted by her at all—so what right did she have to be disgusted by him?
What really embarrassed him was that he felt aggrieved and angry inside, but couldn't show it, since it was clearly his fault.
The two little dumplings sitting across from them quietly lowered their heads to eat, so they wouldn't get dragged into the mess.
That breakfast tasted like pure resentment to Victor Morgan.
After breakfast, Victor took the two kids away. Vera, not at ease, followed along until she saw Chloe Warner tagging happily behind Zola Morgan as they walked into the school, and finally relaxed.
"Parents can't let go of their kids, not the other way around. You better pull yourself together—after Luke has fun for two days, she might totally forget you as her mom."
Vera was already feeling a little lost from dropping her daughter off at school, but instead of comforting her, Victor Morgan went out of his way to kick her when she was down.
Just to win back a bit of ground, Victor Morgan was really trying.
But Vera had her own comeback, smiling sweetly: "You know, you're right. No wonder Zola forgot about his dad—turns out it's because of this Morgan Group kindergarten. Now that's got me reconsidering whether Zola should go to school here at all."
She completely crushed Victor, making him grind his teeth in frustration. This woman always brings up exactly what you don't want to hear, and cleverly uses your own words against you.
Vera saw he couldn't come up with a reply. He finally got a taste of his own medicine, so she shrugged: "Well, since everything's ready, I'd better get to work."
But as soon as she turned around, he called after her: "Don't forget your three meals!"
Vera frowned: "The kids won't be here at noon, so what are you coming for?"
Victor had been stewing in silent frustration all morning, so he had to do something to win back a little dignity. He walked up with a teasing smile.
"Obviously, it's for some alone time with you!"
"I seriously think you forgot to take your meds today. If you've got mental issues, maybe go see a doctor."
Vera couldn't be bothered with him and marched a few steps away, only to hear behind her: "Five million!"
That phrase was like magic, making Vera instantly turn around, putting on a professional-ready-to-work face. Thankfully, she'd been trained for this, so her smile was quite friendly.
"President Morgan, please tell me what you want to eat. Whether it flies in the sky, runs on land, or swims in water, I'm not great at cooking any of it, but as long as you're willing to lower yourself to come over, I have no objections."
Victor Morgan really had to admire this woman, though he felt none of his previous annoyance. Thinking it over, he said, "I've got meetings today. Just cook and drop it off at the company later."
"..."
Honestly, hearing that was no different from a death sentence for Vera. She figured Victor had arranged it just to get back at her.
"Sorry, President Morgan, if you insist on forcing me, I can just take Luke out right now and save you the trouble."
Money's important, but her self-respect mattered more. If she wasn't desperately short on cash, Vera wouldn't have to sacrifice her dignity for something so trivial.
Besides, if she compromised this time, who knows what that bastard would use to threaten her next. After weighing it all, she decided it was best for everyone to just mind their own business.
Victor Morgan didn't believe she'd be so stubborn. No woman around him had ever been able to outdo his pride.
So he replied firmly, "If that's what you want, fine. I can pick up Luke right now."
Wow, looks like he's really digging in his heels!
If Vera was someone who gave in easily, she wouldn't have gotten this far with Chloe Warner, so she nodded confidently: "Fine, I'll go right now!"
This wasn't even a negotiation, so Vera turned and marched straight back to the academy, determined as ever. Victor thought she was just bluffing to scare him and would cave in eventually, but then he saw Vera already talking to security.
"Damn, this woman is seriously stubborn!"
Victor Morgan had never backed down for any woman. Now seeing her negotiating with the guards, and that teachers might really send Chloe out if this kept up, he couldn't let it happen.
Finally, Victor gritted his teeth, marched up angrily, and pulled Vera aside. "Are you nuts? I just got everything organized, and now you want to wreck it?"
Vera wasn't the least bit angry. Instead, she replied politely: "Don't be upset, President Morgan. For folks like us, we can't fight you. This fancy school is too expensive for us, and I can't accept your arrangement. It's perfectly reasonable to handle it this way."
Vera's righteous attitude nearly made Victor spit blood.
In the end, he couldn't win, sighed, and said, "Fine, just forget what I said earlier. Do whatever you want."
For Victor Morgan to compromise was unheard of—someone so intimidating that people wouldn't dare approach him, now bowing to a woman he'd only known for a few days.
This scene was even noticed by Luna Warner nearby, who stared in shock.
For years she'd schemed to crawl into Victor Morgan's bed, even managed to win over the Morgan family parents, but never got Victor's attention for even a second. And what was worse, Zola Morgan wouldn't warm up to her—she needed to figure something out.
If she couldn't win his heart, then she'd get rid of that woman; at the very least, she wouldn't let them reunite as mother and daughter.