Chapter 41

Calliope's heart skipped a beat. That one line from Conrad-"don't hold back"-felt like it carried a current. Her ears burned red on the spot. She quickly looked away, avoiding eye contact with his intense, almost overpowering gaze. Conrad noticed and cleared his throat, breaking the silence with his low voice. "Ate too much? Wanna take a walk?" Calliope shook her head at once. "Nah, I want to keep reading." He didn't push her. Just nodded and said, "Alright," before heading out. In the now-empty room, Calliope was tidying up the table when her eyes landed on the comically large food tucked into the corner. This guy's stomach was like a black hole. Even with everything she made tonight, he probably didn't even feel full. She stared at it blankly, then muttered to herself, "Guess...I'll cook for two tomorrow." Over the next few days, Conrad basically treated her place like his personal diner. At first, she'd text him to remind him dinner was ready. Later on, it was like clockwork-meal ti