Chapter 331

James Bennett walked out of the bathroom, hair still dripping wet. He gave it a half-hearted rub with a towel before sitting back down in front of his laptop. Maria Lewis stepped in from the balcony, frowning slightly. “If you don’t dry your hair properly, you’re gonna end up with facial paralysis, you know.” James froze mid-typing. Since when did her mouth deliver words colder than her heart? Without a word, he obediently went to blow-dry his hair. When he came back, he caught a glimpse of Maria smiling at him—but before he could be sure, she quickly looked away. It was already nine in the evening. The meal from earlier after their task had long worn off. Maria scrolled through the menu, looking up to ask, “Hungry? I’m thinking of ordering something. They’ve got Chinese and Western, and it’s all free.” “Whatever you get is fine. I’ll have the same.” Maria ordered two bowls of pasta. Just before hitting confirm, a thought crossed her mind. She added a note: “Please swap tomatoes with c