Chapter 3

Miranda took a good, hard look at Gianna. A flicker of panic crossed Carson's eyes. When Miranda caught it, she just smiled lightly and said, "I don't mind. Do whatever you both please." "Miranda, I made dinner for us," Gianna said. "I know that you've been trying to lose weight lately, so I prepared a low-calorie meal just for you." Carson pulled Miranda into a seat and said, "Look at how thoughtful Gianna is, Mimi. She even made your meal separately. "Oh, by the way, I'm planning to hire Gianna as my secretary. We'll be going to work and coming back together since it's more convenient that way. You don't have a problem with that, do you?" Miranda scoffed internally. Carson didn't even bother coming up with an excuse anymore. "Whatever," she responded coldly. Carson was drowning in the excitement of Gianna's return that he didn't realize the subtle changes in Miranda's mood. Gianna began serving dinner, dishing out a four-course meal for herself and Carson. Finally, she set down a plate of greens in front of Miranda. "Miranda, this is the low-calorie meal that I put together for you," she said. "It's all leafy greens and very healthy. "Oh, I didn't prepare any dressing for you because those are all calorie bombs. Sauces are also full of food coloring and additives, and they're not good for health." After that, she ignored the look on Miranda's face and started carving the meat before putting the slices on Carson's plate. "I made these dishes especially for you, Carr. Hurry up and try them!" She then turned to Miranda and said, "You don't have to be polite with us. Hurry up and eat too!" Miranda found it hilarious how Gianna was acting like the lady of the household and treating her like a guest instead. The so-called "low-calorie" meal wasn't even a salad—it was just a few stalks of lettuce that still had dirt on the leaves. Miranda set her utensils down. "Where did you learn how to make low-calorie meals like this, Ms. Wineberg? It seems like it took just a few seconds to prepare." Gianna's eyes reddened instantly. In a quiet voice, she said, "I'm sorry, Miranda. Don't be mad at me. I just saw that everybody else was making their healthy meals like this too. I even asked Carr about it, and he told me that you liked lettuce. So, I bought them especially for you. "But it's okay. If you don't like the food, I'll make it again for you. I'll keep remaking it until you're satisfied with your food." Carson frowned. He looked at Miranda in displeasure. "Mimi, Gianna didn't do it on purpose. And she is not here to be your maid or chef. You shouldn't be showing her an attitude. Apologize to her now, and we'll put this behind us." Miranda looked at Carson with a frown. Why had she never noticed that Carson could be this stupid? She wasn't interested in playing their game. So, she just got up and glared coldly at Gianna. "You can leave if you feel wronged." Then, she turned and left, going back into her room. For some reason, Carson felt a sliver of unease as he watched Miranda's figure disappear down the hallway. Gianna just rolled her eyes. She boldly sat on Carson's lap, slowly trailing her hand below his stomach. "Carr, you're going to abandon that old cougar on your wedding day, aren't you?" Carson was stunned for a moment. Then, he promised her, "Yes." They hadn't noticed that Miranda had just come back out for some water and heard everything that they said. Suddenly, the couple mug Miranda was holding in her hand felt like a massive eyesore. She turned and threw the mug into the trash can. She heard that HIV patients weren't supposed to drink, so she turned down all of her invitations and locked herself up in her bedroom to sleep. Later that evening, Carson suddenly appeared in Miranda's room and said, "Mimi, I'm sorry about earlier. I overreacted. I shouldn't have made you apologize to Gianna." Miranda just listened to him and sighed quietly. At least Carson still knew how to admit his faults. Carson turned on the lights when he realized that Miranda wasn't responding. Miranda was then forced to open her eyes to look at him, and the first thing she noted was the multiple hickeys that magically appeared along his neck. He didn't even bother hiding them. She shifted her gaze. "I'm not blaming you for that. But I'm a little tired today. You can sleep in the guest bedroom for the time being." Despite how dense Carson was, he still noticed that Miranda was behaving oddly that night. "Are you upset, Mimi? You've been quite cold to me today."