Veronica's POV
The little boy still had tears on his eyelashes as he picked up his spoon and started finishing his meal by himself.
"Joseph!"
My heart filled with a sweet, painful feeling. So that's what made him cry? This was his first time eating something his mommy had made—it must have meant everything to him.
"If you enjoy my cooking, I'll make it for you every single day, okay?"
Joseph looked at me, used his small arm to wipe his tears, and nodded.
I watched him wipe his tears, and I could guess he was probably scolding himself for crying again, trying to be a "real little man."
Watching my son eat every single bite without leaving even one grain of rice, I clapped my hands happily. I rubbed his small head and said warmly, "Excellent job, Joseph! You ate everything I made for you. You're such a wonderful boy!"
Leonardo, listening from nearby, couldn't hide his doubt. "No way. You definitely made him eat it."
I turned toward him, my patience wearing thin. "Mr. Nelson, when exactly did I make him eat? Joseph loved my cooking so much he finished it all by himself. That proves it tastes amazing. Couldn't you smell how good the food was? Or did your nose get damaged along with everything else?"
Leonardo scowled, annoyed. His sense of smell worked perfectly—maybe too well. The food's aroma had been incredible, making him swallow more than once without meaning to.
And his stomach? It was rumbling now, loudly complaining about his earlier rejection.
I noticed his discomfort and smirked. "Joseph's finished eating. Should I bring you your food, Mr. Nelson? Or should I just clean everything up?"
Hearing my footsteps moving away, Leonardo couldn't take it anymore.
"Hold on!" he shouted, his pride cracking. "When did I say I wouldn't eat?"
"You said it just now," I teased, clearly loving his struggle.
"That was before; this is different!" Leonardo snapped, hitting the bed in anger. "Get me the food!"
I held back a giggle as I placed the food on his bedside table. I leaned over to help him sit up, putting two pillows behind his back for support.
When my arm touched his cheek and neck, I saw him flinch slightly, his body tensing at my touch. My skin was smooth, my touch refreshing.
And there was that smell—soft, fresh, and strangely recognizable. He seemed to pause, as if trying to place something familiar.
"Open up," I said, bringing a spoonful of rice porridge to his mouth.
Leonardo kept his mouth closed stubbornly, his eyebrows drawn together in resistance.
"What's wrong now, Mr. Nelson? You just demanded food, and now you won't eat it?"
"I don't want you feeding me," he complained, his pride acting up again.
"Fine by me," I said, putting the spoon down.
Leonardo tried to reach for the bowl himself, only to wave his hands uselessly in the air.
"Mr. Nelson, you can't see anything, and you can't even locate the bowl. Are you absolutely certain you want to feed yourself?"
His expression grew dark with frustration, and after a long pause, he mumbled, "Alright. Feed me."
I laughed softly and went back to feeding him. As Leonardo took his first taste, he frowned. "What is this?"
"Rice porridge."
"That's all? Just porridge? I don't want this!"
I could tell he was thinking about the wonderful smell of beef and vegetables he'd detected earlier, probably wondering where that delicious food had gone.
"Mr. Nelson, your doctor ordered only soft foods for now. You just woke up, remember?"
Leonardo glared, and I had the distinct feeling he thought I was doing this deliberately. His expression suggested he found this particularly offensive, as if porridge was his least favorite thing in the world.
I saw his unhappiness and raised an eyebrow. "Mr. Nelson, if you don't eat, how will you ever get well? Right now, you can't move, you can't see. You're completely vulnerable, just waiting for someone to take advantage of you.
"Don't you want to recover? Don't you want to discover who messed with your car?"
Leonardo tensed. "How do you know my crash wasn't just an accident?"
"Mr. Nelson," I answered with quiet confidence, "you're a brilliant driver, with your own racing team. Someone with your abilities doesn't just drive off the road for no reason.
"The only possibility is that someone sabotaged your car, making the brakes fail."
My logic was perfect, matching Leonardo's own thoughts. Before the crash, his brakes had definitely stopped working. Since waking up, he'd already sent Tony to investigate the truth.
His jaw tightened, and a look of cold determination settled on his face. I knew in that moment he was vowing revenge against whoever had done this to him.
"Feed me," he commanded roughly, his hunger finally beating his pride.
Even though he hated porridge, he was amazed by how delicious my cooking was. Each spoonful was rich and fulfilling, with a taste he couldn't identify.
When had he ever realized porridge could be this good?
After finishing one bowl, Leonardo surprised himself by requesting a second.
As I gave him the second serving, the door opened, and two women came in.
Hanna entered first, her expression tightening slightly when she saw Leonardo being fed by me. Behind her walked a younger woman, Ashley Philip.
Hanna quickly hid her annoyance with a smile. "Leonardo, how are you doing?"
Hearing her voice, I turned to look at the newcomers. Hanna introduced Ashley with a satisfied smile.
"Leonardo, when I learned you were awake, I brought Ashley to visit you."
Ashley was Hanna's niece, from the famous Philip family. Like Liana, she was one of Aurelia City's celebrated beauties.
Her sharp gaze immediately focused on me, radiating hostility. Walking forward, Ashley shot me a pointed look and said commandingly, "We don't need you here. Go."
Her authoritative tone allowed no argument, as if she were the real lady of the Nelson mansion.
I noticed Ashley's hostility but decided not to respond. Picking up Joseph, I quietly exited the room.
——
After they left, Ashley turned to Leonardo, her voice becoming gentle. "Leonardo, I'm so happy to see you awake. I was so frightened for you."
Leonardo stayed cold and distant, giving only a brief, "I'm not dead yet."
Unaffected by his rejection, Ashley pressed on, "I knew you'd make it through. I've been praying for you daily, hoping you'd get better soon."
Leonardo's coldness didn't stop her. Ashley had set her heart on him long ago, believing she was his ideal partner.
"Leonardo," she said sweetly, moving closer, "now that you're awake, why not dismiss that woman? Let me care for you instead."