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“Wow, what’s this treasure?” Emily asked curiously as she pulled out an exquisitely wrapped box.
“It’s a homemade pumpkin pie,” Camila replied with a smile. “Thanksgiving is coming up, and I tried making it.”
“Wow, you can make pumpkin pie?” Emily exclaimed in surprise. “That’s really impressive!”
“Well, it’s my first attempt, so it might not be as perfect as the ones you buy at the store,” Camila said modestly.
“Nonsense!” Emily dismissed the thought.
“A homemade pie is healthier and cleaner. That’s what really matters. Those store–bought ones, with who knows how many additives, can’t compare to what you’ve made.”
“You’re in for a treat!” Emily nudged Connor’s arm with her elbow.
“Let’s order,” Connor said, somewhat resignedly.
At the dinner table, the two women chatted happily, and although Connor was focused on the emails on his phone, his attention never really left them.
“Ms. Emily, are you and Mr. Peter close? I saw the painting you gave me marked as ‘not for sale‘ in the exhibition catalog,” Camila said.
Emily paused for a moment, her smile turning mysterious. “Peter and I… yes, we’re quite close.”
Continuing with a smile, she said, “I told Peter you are a fan, and since it’s fate, he agreed to gift it to you. The painting didn’t cost anything, so don’t feel burdened.”
Camila nodded, “Thank you, Ms. Emily, and please extend my thanks to Mr. Peter as well.”
“You can thank him in person sometime,” Emily chuckled.
“In person?” Camila was surprised.
“Yes, Connor will arrange a meeting sometime.” Emily looked at her son with a mischievous expression.
Connor raised an eyebrow at Emily, his smile tinged with resignation.
༤ �ེ པ ༠ཎ ་ོ � ◌ོ ཅ ཅ༅ ཋ༤ ༤ ཡ ཝཿཅ འ� ཏེཝ
Camila, not quite catching Connor’s expression, quickly waved her hands. “It’s okay. Just send him my regards. I’ll thank him in person some other time.” NôvelDrama.Org holds © this.
Emily chuckled and used the serving tongs to place a large piece of fish on Camila’s plate. “Camila, try this fish. It’s fresh lake bass and really tasty.”
Camila smiled in thanks and then lowered her head to start tasting.
Emily asked, “Camila, have you encountered anything interesting recently? Tell me about it.”
Putting down her chopsticks, Camila thought for a moment then began to recount some recent amusing incidents. Connor listened, occasionally chiming in.
As the conversation deepened, Emily began to inquire about Camila’s family, work, and future plans. Camila answered everything openly, without hiding anything.
Just then, Connor’s phone suddenly rang. He glanced at the caller ID, frowned slightly, and said, “I need to take this call.” He got up and left the table to answer.
Emily watched Connor’s retreating back and her face showed a satisfied smile. She turned to Camila, “What do you think of Connor?”
Camila was taken aback but answered honestly, “He’s very capable and attentive.”
Emily laughed, “I think you two would be a good match.”
Camila was startled and somewhat confused, “Ms. Emily, you seem to have misunderstood. Mr. Connor and I are just in a boss–subordinate relationship.”
Emily, looking at her son returning, smiled and said, “Connor, you’re just in time. Camila says you two are just boss and subordinate. What do you think?”
Connor glanced at Camila, his eyes carrying an unnoticeable emotion. Turning to Emily, he smiled resignedly, “Mom, why do you start these jokes again?